Western Balkans Regional Economic Report, No. 20, Fall 2021

10.1596/36402 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Western Balkans ◽  
Economic Report ◽  
Regional Economic

Western Balkans will divide over regional market idea

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
World Bank ◽  
Economic Integration ◽  
Regional Economic Integration ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Regional Market ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
The Eu

Significance They have backed it with EUR9bn (USD10.5bn) in EU grants to develop cross-border infrastructure. In parallel, academics and think tanks, most recently the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, have been promoting the idea of regional economic integration. Impacts The Commission is promoting deeper regional economic integration as a preparation for the EU single market. The World Bank estimates that eliminating regional customs barriers would save 30 million man-hours a year and save exporters USD3.2bn. Tensions may rise among non-Serb majorities in Bosnia, Kosovo and Montenegro, which have large Serb minority populations.

scholarly journals Towards European Union or Regional Economic Area: Western Balkans at Crossroads

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
Gazmend Qorraj
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Specific Model ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Integration Process ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Economic Area ◽  
Balkan Countries ◽  
The Eu

Abstract The aim of the paper is to reflect upon the dilemma or whether the EU will continue the integration process in the Western Balkans or backlash on regional cooperation instruments and initiatives within the framework of the Western Balkans. The Regional Economic Area (REA) is analyzed as the more recent policy of the European Union for the remaining Balkan countries. It is crucial to analyze the idea behind REA, starting from two main assumptions: first, the creation of REA stemmed from EU internal challenges; and second, REA came up as a creative EU approach in efforts to find a specific model for reforms in the Western Balkans in the frame of regional institutions. The paper also discusses regional trade and specifically the role of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in coordinating these initiatives in the Western Balkans. Taking into consideration the EU current challenges as well as difficulties of the Western Balkan countries to overcome the political and economic problems, then regional cooperation could appear as an alternative to the EU integration process for the Western Balkans. The main conclusion of this paper is that the Western Balkans needs the EU’s direct support, in particular, since RCC and other regional instruments cannot enforce, support and monitor the initiatives and reforms in the region.

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