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Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The following research paper conducts a comprehensive analysis into the intricate dynamics governing the relationship between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and International Trade, with a specific focus on the Western Balkan Countries-6 (WB-6). This research spans the period from 2000 to 2020 and seeks to shed light on the interplay between FDI and International Trade within this region. To analyse and interpret these dynamics, various regression models, including Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Fixed Effects, Random Effects, and the Hausman-Taylor model, are employed as analytical tools. Moreover, the research takes into consideration the influence of specific institutional factors within each country, which play a pivotal role in shaping foreign investors' decisions to invest in a particular country. The study's results reveal that gravity factors, in conjunction with institutional determinants such as economic integration, control of corruption, political stability, and other indicators of governance quality, significantly impact the attractiveness of the WB-6 countries to foreign investors. The findings of this paper hold substantial relevance for the development of an analytical framework aimed at evaluating national policies and institutions geared towards enhancing the appeal of Western Balkan countries to foreign investors. Furthermore, the research underscores the importance of these host countries prioritizing efforts to bolster the effectiveness of governmental institutions, combat corruption, streamline bureaucratic processes, and improve overall economic conditions to attract and retain foreign investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granting state aid to market players while ensuring compliance with the internal market requirements, as derived from the European Union (EU) acquis, seems to be a challenging exercise for the Western Balkans. As an integral part of the competition rules (Cseres & Reyna, 2021) state aid requirements proved to be a challenge, especially at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of the state efforts to keep alive certain key sectors of the economy (Bouchagiar, 2021). As an EU requirement and Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) legal obligation became even more important. Struggling between the need to save the market while respecting the state aid rules, Western Balkans seem to have to pay more and closer attention to this field. This is why this paper, through an analytical and descriptive approach, intends to address such shortcomings and challenges in light of the efforts to enhance the harmonization of the legislation while ensuring its due application. Enforcing state aid rules requires professional and independent capacities within the relevant state aid authorities an objective remaining far from reach in the Western Balkans. The paper provokes further debates and analysis in the scholarly efforts to shed light on this sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Western Balkan economies are still on the list of EU candidates or potential candidate countries, they do have some integration with EU economies. The EU is the leading trading partner of the Western Balkans and is one of the top destinations for the flow of people. The Western Balkan economies have been trying to address their populations' ongoing emigration (the so-called "brain drain" phenomenon) by implementing targeted economic policies. Since one of the main contributors to economic growth is the ability to create innovation, it is crucial to building innovation potential. The main challenge for innovation policy is to provide a favourable environment for entrepreneurship and economic growth to create jobs. Thus, this paper aims to examine innovation potential - an innovation input - as it creates the conditions needed for innovation development. The results of analysing the data (on research and development spending, human resources, an environment friendly to innovation, and intellectual property rights) indicate that the Western Balkan countries are lagging behind the EU in many aspects of innovation potential, so they should still develop their strategies towards creating higher innovation potential. Thus, they will be able to have a higher level of innovation and, as a result, be more competitive in economic terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hawala system, an informal and traditional money transfer mechanism, has been a subject of concern for counterterrorism and counterintelligence agencies worldwide due to its potential exploitation for illicit financial activities, including terrorism financing. This paper provides a comprehensive examination of the Hawala system's presence in the Western Balkans, a region historically characterized by geopolitical complexity and a complex security landscape. Drawing on empirical data and regulatory analysis, this study explores the challenges posed by the Hawala system in the context of counterterrorism and counterintelligence efforts in the Western Balkans. It examines the system's vulnerabilities, its exploitation for terrorism financing and the difficulties faced by intelligence agencies in monitoring and disrupting Hawala networks. Moreover, the paper assesses the regulatory frameworks implemented by countries in the region and offers practical policy recommendations to enhance counterterrorism and counterintelligence strategies, fostering greater security and stability in the Western Balkans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the phenomenon of intermarriages in the Western Balkans, shedding light on their intricate relationship with the region's tumultuous history, ethnic diversity, and socio‐political dynamics. Through a comprehensive exploration of interethnic unions across different areas, the study delves into how these marriages have historically served as symbols of coexistence and integration, particularly during the mid‐20th century, when they were encouraged by the newly‐formed states to unite the different nations living in them. However, the rise of ethno‐nationalism and the Yugoslav Wars significantly impacted these marital patterns, underscoring the complex interplay between politics, culture, and traditional norms. The paper highlights the decline in mixed marriages post‐war, persistent ethnic tensions, and varying dynamics in different locales, suggesting that comprehensive approaches are needed for sustainable peace and unity in the Western Balkans. Through this lens, intermarriages emerge not just as personal unions but as potent symbols and potential catalysts for broader societal transformations, albeit within a context of considerable challenges and the need for nuanced, multifaceted approaches to fostering lasting interethnic harmony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ekonomske Ideje i Praksa is the property of Centar za Izdavacku Delatnost Ekonomskog Fakulteta u Beogradu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper studies the temporalities of EU investments into Southeast European (SEE) roads. Road construction and maintenance and related institutional frameworks, regulation, and project planning signify different modes of infrastructural time. Roads carry narratives of development and progress, but they also confront visions of desired futures with ruins of forgotten pasts. Promises of infrastructural potential intersect with project cycles, financial flows, and construction timelines, and work delays and material malfunctions. As such, infrastructures are a productive entry point to understanding how Europeanisation works through different temporalizing practices and techniques. The paper maps complex temporalities and temporal politics that shape infrastructural development and showcases how Europeanisation works also outside of promises of linear progress to EU membership on the one hand and corresponding classifications of absent futures on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of this paper is irregular migration and modern models of preventing the smuggling of migrants on the part of the Western Balkan route through the Republic of Serbia. The goal is to show how the new strategic approach of the Serbian police in this area can give excellent results, that the application of modern methods of policing and technical means are aimed at preventing the smuggling of migrants, i.e., the illegal movement and transport of migrants across the state border and state territory to go to countries of the European Union. Based on the conducted research, the authors have drawn certain conclusions: 1) effectiveness, efficiency, and economy in the area of suppression of irregular migration can be achieved by applying an adequate criminal strategy, 2) the new strategic approach led to the discovery and arrest of a large number of people smugglers and the discovery of illegal firearms, 3) the use of modern technical means, coordinated, joint work of different police units and management from a single center by a strategic level manager directly in charge of combating irregular migration and human smuggling in a particular area (territory) which is estimated to be a hotspot of criminal activity, is a prerequisite for success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term internationalization has been mainly used to show the expansion of economic activities of firms outside of their home country where they aim at capturing a bigger market. The Central and Eastern Europe region has gone through a process of market transition over the past few decades, yet the business internationalization process has played an important role in the states' economies. The aim of this paper is to analyze the firm internationalization process in the new member states and the Western Balkans countries and gain a better understanding of the process and its course over time. Due to different geopolitical circumstances, the Western Balkan countries did not attract as many investors as much as the EU member states in CEE did that have had a constant flow of investments once they were members of the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper will assess the impact of COVID-19 on developed and developing countries by measuring GDP and public debt, followed by an analysis of Kosovo as a case study that experienced double challenges such as COVID-19 and three successive governments from February 2020 to June 2021. This article compares the different economic policies undertaken by the three Kosovo governments to accelerate economic recovery. The methodology used to compare the variations in GDP growth, unemployment, and debt as a proportion of GDP between two groups of countries employs a descriptive statistical analysis. In this paper were compared the three different packages implemented by using the data from the Ministry of Finance and Economy and other local and international organizations. It was assumed that all countries experienced an increase in public debt as a proportion of GDP, an increase in unemployment, and a decline in GDP growth. Focusing on Kosovo's economic recovery, we understood that despite economic challenges, economic recovery measures were focused more on the political views of the different governments' convincing massive voters than on any broader economic analysis. The paper analyzes the unequal impact of COVID-19 in the EU and Western Balkans. Thus, in the paper is used Kosovo as a case study, a country that experienced political instability due to three government changes and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is investigated whether political orientation affects economic recovery strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major economic imbalances and impeded economic activity in all Western Balkan (WB) countries. This paper analyzes the strength of economic impact of the ongoing health crisis on key macroeconomic variables (GDP, public debt, fiscal balance, and unemployment) in the WB countries. In addition, the paper points out the main challenges that the economies of these countries will face in the years to come. The analysis has shown that the crisis slowed down the WB economies, but its intensity differed among the observed countries. The main economic challenges in the coming period relate to the further course and duration of the pandemic. Due to the great level of uncertainty, more detailed analysis of the crisis' impact on the economic potential will be possible only after the end of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introductory essay situates the papers in this Thematic Section within the background of social policy development in the Western Balkans during the long period of transition following the break-up of former Yugoslavia. We identify three stages of transformation of social protection policies. The first, in the 1990s, was characterised by a continuation of the Yugoslav legacy of social insurance, while many work-based benefits were lost during privatisation. In the second stage, international institutions promoted individualised social protection policies, taken up in some countries but avoided in others. In the third phase, EU influence on social policies accompanied the prolonged EU accession process, with an emphasis on the introduction of work-care policies, early childhood education and the remediation of in-work poverty. The four papers address these issues in greater detail and provide a basis for re-evaluating progress with social protection policies in the Western Balkans in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we address the issues of the countries of the Western Balkans related to the accession to the European Union. We focus on areas to which we have so far had the opportunity to obtain information on the countries belonging to the Western Balkans region. In our paper, we aim to introduce the region of the Western Balkans in more detail and look at the arguments that support the integration of countries into the EU. For the European Union, but also for the countries of the Western Balkans, to point out what enlargement policy is like and what the benefits are. From a methodological point of view, we classify the paper among qualitative research, using a descriptive, comparative and analytical method. As part of enlargement policy, it can be seen that this policy is constantly changing. It can be said that nothing is more permanent than change, which brings with it benefits as well as certain challenges and benefits, which we want to point out in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "beautiful viviparous fly", Wohlfahrtia magnifica, may have a magnificent appearance due to its striking morphology; however, it is a potentially deadly agent of obligate traumatic myiasis in humans and animals, with a serious impact on welfare and economics. The fly is found across the Palearctic realm, including the Western Balkan region, with reports from former Yugoslavian countries from the first half of the 20th century. In this paper, a recent case of wohlfahrtiosis recorded in Northern Serbia is evidenced using morphological and molecular techniques. Larvae were collected from two adult sheep with severe hoof myiasis and two young sheep with genital and interdigital myiasis. Morphological identification was performed for adults bred from the infested vulva and third-stage larvae (L3) collected from the hoof wounds, supported with barcoding sequences of the COI gene obtained from larval pairs from the hoof wounds of older and the genitalia of younger sheep. W. magnifica was identified according to the appearance of male fly terminalia and the morphology of L3, which was confirmed after the comparison of representative sequences of the COI gene (deposited in GenBank™ under accession numbers MT027108–MT027114) to those available in GenBank™. This finding represents the first reported case of wohlfahrtiosis in the Western Balkans in 80 years, highlighting the need to re-inform relevant stakeholders to achieve adequate disease control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ekonomika is the property of Society of Economists 'Ekonomika' and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of this study is to explore the correlation between migration remittances and unemployment reduction in Western Balkan countries from 2010 to 2022. The research aims to analyze the influence of migration and remittances on unemployment levels in the Western Balkans region. The study seeks to identify and analyze variables affecting unemployment, with particular attention to migration patterns and remittance flows. The study utilizes panel data sourced from the World Bank and employs various econometric methods such as OLS, fixed effects method, random effects method, and the Hausman-Taylor model. Results from the Hausman test indicate that the Hausman-Taylor instrumental variable approach is more reliable and efficient compared to fixed effects and random effects methods for examining the relationship between migration, remittances, and unemployment rates in the Western Balkans. Findings reveal a positive coefficient for migration, indicating that for every 1% increase in migration, unemployment also increases. This relationship is further clarified by examining remittances, which suggests that recipients of remittances are more likely to experience increased unemployment. The primary limitations of the research include the lack of official data available from the earliest periods for these countries. This study contributes significantly to the existing literature by providing tangible data on the relationship between migration and unemployment in the Western Balkans. The results emphasize the crucial role that migration and remittances play for citizens of Western Balkan countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many authors process of the enlargement of the European Union (hereafter the EU) have called both technical and political one. In fact, there is a wide range of criteria that an aspirant country for EU integration must meet to achieve membership of the EU. These criteria, known as the Copenhagen and Amsterdam Criteria, include the criteria that fall into the domain of politics, economics, jurisprudence and administrative domain. However, EU member states themselves are being negatively identified in such areas, and on the other hand, there are countries outside the EU that even though meet the criteria for advancement in the integration stages, remain pending as a result of geopolitics. So, the integration process itself, involves a complex, multi-stage interaction of meeting the criteria, internal dynamics of the EU and regional and the international geopolitical constellations. This paper aims to deal with EU-Kosovo relations, namely Kosovo's integration but also mentioning the cases of other Western Balkan states in the EU, analyzing the EU's enlargement technique and geopolitics, vis-a-vis Western Balkan countries with emphasis on Kosovo as a sui generis case due to the non-recognition of Kosovo's independence from five EU states. For the implementation of this paper is imposed the use of analytical-synthesis, historical, documentation and comparative methods for analyzing the periodic reports of EU institutions measuring the progress of Kosovo in certain areas throughout the process so far and comparing with other countries which are in different membership phases. As a result of the work, I intend to provide a realistic overview of Kosovo's current position in the EU integration process and its perspective in this process taking into account current international developments, which is very important to analyze for the fact that there is quiescence in the opinion and in fact even of the local institutions on the topic in question. I pretend to bring in this paper the same results of analyses for all Western Balkans states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper seeks to locate the Western Balkans in the current age of anxiety. By using the concept of ontological security as its overarching theoretical frame, the paper first develops a concept of anxiety dilemma. The anxiety dilemma refers to a situation in which a social order that provides one group of people with a sense of ontological security is a perceived source of anxiety for the other group and vice versa. The paper proposes that such a dilemma characterizes the present age of anxiety. Trapped in this dilemma are the proponents and the contesters of the liberal (international) order and globalization, often referred to in the literature as cosmopolitans and communitarians. The paper argues that the Western Balkan countries occupy an ambivalent position in this anxiety dilemma. Their governments combine liberal-democratic justification with autocratic tendencies. The paper discusses how the Western Balkans came to occupy this position. It singles out four reasons: (1) the region's authoritarian legacy; (2) ethnonationalism coupled with state- and nation-building projects; (3) search for external legitimacy; and (4) the EU's abandonment of the inextricable link between peace and democracy. The case of the Western Balkans yields another important observation: that local anxiety dilemmas are nested in global anxiety dilemma. The paper makes two contributions. The first one is theoretical, and it consists of furthering the concept of ontological security such that it theorizes ontological security as a systemic inter-group phenomenon. The second contribution is analytical, and it consists in locating the Western Balkans in the ongoing struggles over globalization and the liberal (international) order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper rests on two fundamentals: firstly, the EU's initiative to deepen cooperation with and the prospect of its enlargement to the Western Balkans region; and, secondly, the urgency to address sustainable development issues in the international environment. As the virtual water perspective represents an innovative approach in the field of sustainable development, the aim of our paper is to analyse trade-related characteristics based on the water footprint concept (complementary to the alternative RCA/RTA indexes designed to calculate a country's comparative advantage or disadvantage). In our paper, we analyse and evaluate selected commodities traded by the Slovak Republic and the Western Balkans countries in terms of the absolute/comparative advantage related to the national water footprints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proceeding from the premise that international statebuilding mechanisms are frequently used by the European Union (EU), particularly in Western Balkan states, this paper critically examines the effects from this effort, taking into consideration the Macedonian example. The focus of this analysis is on a specific phase of the prolonged statebuilding effort, evaluating the interaction among EU and Macedonia in the context of the so-called Przino process. The research reveals that EU's approach to statebuilding through prioritizing regional stability and sustaining of status-quo situation in the state, even though it created a temporary stabilization of the internal political crisis; however, the political self-regulation's capacity of EU candidate - member state is being problematized. The Macedonian experience, seen through the Przino process, shows that the applied mechanisms are transforming the state's political order to a certain degree and are also problematizing the principle of popular sovereignty. Instead of strengthening institutions, non-institutional practices and entities are being established, that go beyond the state's constitutional framework in certain aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes post-socialist industrial development and policy in the Western Balkans through the lens of its regional specialization and spatial concentration. Against a conceptual framework revolving around place-based industrial policy, and using the Concentration index (modified Herfindahl-Hirschman index) and location coefficients (Balassa index), a comparative analysis over three decades (1990–2020) highlights weak regional diversification and intra-regional integration of industrial activity. The findings offer a new industrial policy that transcends regional specialization and spatial concentration to address regional development, planning and governance. The concluding remarks reveal some basic paths toward effective and pro-European regional industrial policy in the Western Balkans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diaspora is a nowadays issue that needs to be treated into the terms of development. Sometimes, it is hard to keep the connection among this network alive worldwide. Regional initiatives can be an useful instrument that can empower diaspora development specifically in the Western Balkan arena. This paper aims to analyze the political context of diaspora development, mostly into the Western Balkan countries and also proposing some alternatives on how regional initiatives can be a solution to keep the diaspora linked and also a successful network. Regional initiatives are perceived as a new and an unknown issue, especially when it comes to refer this instrument to diaspora development. There is a whole network of Albanian people all over in the world, mostly based in Western Balkans, Europe, USA etc. The long historical migration of Albanians has presented often the need for development. Beyond many other instruments used so far, this paper aims to understand the importance on how local and regional initiatives can be a useful instrument that can empower the role of diaspora into another level of approach. Going through this point of view, this paper presents when necessary the legal analysis of European legislation for local and regional initiatives that can be properly used into our diaspora context of living everywhere in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this paper were to assess the role of the EU in the countries willing to join and committed to the negotiation processes (with a particular focus on the WB region) and to explore further and explain the dynamics of the EU's crucial role onto the political performance, summarizing internal and external country and region-based developments. For this purpose, the deployed methodology consists of conducting a comparative quantitative analysis, comparing evidence from selected countries and from selected enlargement waves. The main results of the analysis confirmed that the EU's role in ensuring democratic performances at the country/region level is seriously weakened over time and that it is therefore essential that the EU, especially in uncertain times, rethink and revitalize its democracy-promoting mechanisms to rebuild and re-test itself as a transformative power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to explore the short-term economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the insurance market with particular emphasis on the Western Balkan countries. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus). This is a rare event, one we have not seen in 100 years, with major consequences for public health, economics and politics. The decline in purchasing power, the economic downturn, the decline in consumption, the rise in inflation will have a major impact on the development of the insurance market. Demand for insurance products worldwide has declined: whether health, life or non-life. The paper will trace the ability of insurance companies to manage the risks posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Consumer protection, protection of insurance contracts, investment risk management, solvency risk management and inflationary risk. The complete sample of the work will have the insurance market in the Western Balkans. The paper will be drafted based on statistical, analytical and comparative methods. The insurance market in these countries is small, but enables a study on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on insurance activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the rapidly changing global economic environment, economic restructuring, innovation, and globalization have led to marked changes in labor markets, creating significant skill gaps and mismatches. The recent economic upheaval, deepened by the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine standoff, has accentuated the need for a new paradigm of growth, one relying more heavily on domestic resources. The Western Balkan region, blessed with abundant natural resources and a prolific agricultural sector, still counts human capital as its most valuable asset. In this context, the evolution of education and the improvement of workforce skills become key components for enhancing economic recovery and growth in the Western Balkan economies. This research paper offers a comprehensive econometric investigation of the dynamics between education, skills, and employment within Western Balkan countries. Utilizing an extensive dataset of 2905 observations from the Balkan Barometer, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) database, the study delves into the complex roles of compulsory, tertiary, and adult education systems in enhancing employability across six Western Balkan nations - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. The research employs a robust ordinary least squares (OLS) model to examine the effect of varying education levels and skills on employment while factoring in additional socio-demographic variables such as age, gender, and geographical location. The study challenges the conventional wisdom that suggests educational attainment alone is sufficient in the current job market. It provides quantitative evidence of the significant influence of both education and skills in obtaining employment. The analysis reveals a positive correlation between education, skills, and the employment index, affirming their crucial roles in job acquisition. Furthermore, the study considers auxiliary variables like age, gender, and residence, unearthing their potential interrelations with education and employment. The findings suggest that increased employment prospects are associated with older age groups, higher education levels, and urban residency. However, a notable gender discrepancy in the job market is observed, with women showing lower employment levels. The research also uncovers country-specific employment-level disparities, with Macedonia displaying the lowest and Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Kosovo exhibiting the highest employment coefficients. This study underscores the need to incorporate practical training and internships into the education system to boost the employability of young individuals. It further emphasizes the necessity for adequate material, human, and financial resources to facilitate this transition. This study underscores the need to align education and skills development for future employment strategies by providing invaluable insights for policy-making in the Western Balkans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Industry / Industrija is the property of Economics Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Croatian & Comparative Public Administration is the property of Institut za Javnu Upravu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the consequences of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) into crime-fighting and present new criminal landscapes in the Western Balkans Six (WB6) (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) at the beginning of the pandemic crisis. Design/methodology/approach: The paper builds on the content analysis of legal acts, strategic documents, academic articles, media reporting, official documents, four semi-structured interviews with civil society organisations, two consultations with police officers and two consultations with civil society organisations. Findings: In the first nine weeks of the spread of COVID-19, the WB6 experienced a small rise in the price of marijuana. The same applied to stimulant drugs like ecstasy and amphetamines. However, very little heroin was available. Prices of protective face masks, disinfectants and medicinal alcohol skyrocketed due to attempts at price gouging. There were cases of scams using mobile and digital technologies, as well as burglaries of newspaper or cigarette kiosks, shops, pharmacies and exchange offices. It was difficult to determine whether the smuggling of and trafficking in human beings experienced a decline or increase. No cases of sexual exploitation for providing online services were noted, although the number of calls made to organisations that assist in the area of human trafficking increased. People with drug and alcohol problems, persons living with HIV, those susceptible to stress, citizens with mental health problems, pensioners, the poor, the homeless and recently released prisoners were the biggest potential victims of crime at the onset of the crisis brought by the pandemic. Research limitations/implications: The research findings are limited to specific forms of crime (illicit drug trade, economic crime, fraud, scams, theft, smuggling of and trafficking in human beings) in the WB6 and based on findings from four interviews and four consultations, together with available secondary data. Originality/value: This is the first overview of criminal activities occurring in the WB6 during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the question of what settings are empirically relevant for the occurrence of electoral violence in the region of Western Balkans and what theoretical paths may cover their logic. Electoral violence has been part of the electoral arenas in the region for decades and although it has evolved and in some cases disappeared, a number of countries still experience it. The paper analyses original data on electoral violence collected from the OSCE monitoring reports covering fifty‐six parliamentary elections organized between 1990 and 2015. Applying fuzzy‐set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), the paper identifies four sub‐models under which electoral violence is observed. The conjunctural logic that defines each and every of the discussed paths within the sub‐models shows that the scenarios of electoral violence in the Western Balkans are always complex and potentially relevant conditions are never sufficient for the outcome on their own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The European Commission (EC), based on the European Green Deal (2019) and the Recovery plan for Europe (2021), envisages investing 30% of the budget in climate-related programs, projects, and initiatives, which clearly shows Europe's commitment to becoming the first climate-neutral region by 2050. Activities are also planned for countries that are not members of the European Union (EU), which require complex changes in the field of legislation, strategic planning, implementation, and monitoring. To successfully plan short-term and long-term activities on these grounds, it is necessary to have a realistic picture of the state of climate change in each country—as they spill over into the entire region of Europe. The main objective of this paper is to answer the following questions: (i) is climate change observed in Western Balkans? (ii) how are certain sectors vulnerable to climate change in Western Balkans? (iii) what are the climate change adaptation strategies in the six countries of the Western Balkans? The answers to these questions can help in planning activities and initial alignment of Western Balkan countries with the EU plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. Main body: The main results of the research show that in all countries of the region, the average annual temperature increased by 1.2 °C compared to 1970, with stabilization and the beginning of the decline which can be expected around 2040. The main reasons for climate change in the region are: industry, energy, and heating sector based on coal exploitation, low energy efficiency, etc. Conclusions: It can be concluded that Croatia as a member of the EU has adopted, and other five Western Balkans countries are in the process of adopting the necessary regulations and strategies towards climate change mitigation, but the implementation of specific activities is at a low level. The reason for this most often lies in the insufficient commitment of decision-makers to make significant changes in the field of climate change transition (lower level of economic development, lack of investment, and preservation of social peace). Finally, this paper provides an overview of climate change by country, scenario analysis, and policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If the standards of living in the Western Balkans are to converge on those in the EU then the current productivity gap needs eliminating. A significant portion of that gap would ideally be eliminated through the expansion of employer-provided training. However, survey data indicate that since 2016 training incidence has been rising in only two of the six countries of the Western Balkans. The main contribution of this paper is to investigate this disappointing performance. A model of the determinants of the incidence of employer-provided training is developed based on theory and investigations in other countries. It is found that in the Western Balkans firms with foreign owners, those who export and those who report that their employees are eager to access training are more likely to provide training, whilst micro and small firms are less likely to provide training. Sentiments regarding the firm's and economy's current performance and their prospects are also significant determinants. The policy implications of these findings are addressed in the concluding section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) is the dominant political and economic influence in the Western Balkan (WB) region, but in the view of many of the region's citizens, EU integration is associated with strict and painful convergence criteria and burdensome reforms as well as the inertia of unfulfilled accession requirements. China's involvement in the region is focused mainly on much-needed but controversial infrastructure investments; accordingly, it has attracted increasing international attention over the past decade. At the same time, Turkey, the Arab States, and Russia have also shown heightened interest in the region. This paper addresses the important geopolitical question of whether a mutually-beneficial relationship for all participants is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) revived the enlargement process in response to the Russia-Ukraine war. That reaction compares to how the EU utilized this process following the wars in the Balkans in the 1990s. In this paper, we argue that on neither occasion was the inclusion of more states within EU borders a preferred EU working agenda. Instead, the EU used enlargement as a stabilization and security-building mechanism without guaranteeing membership as the end state. This observation has implications for the future of the enlargement process. We argue that the outcome of the previous rounds of enlargement was reactive and context-driven. Absent those same contextual factors, and although the EU reacts to the Russia-Ukraine war in a familiar sequence of incomplete decision-making, the outcome of this wartime enlargement negotiation process points in a different direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the conditionality in relation to fundamental rights during and after the visa liberalisation dialogues that took place between the European Commission and national governments of the Western Balkans countries in 2009 and 2010. Conceptually, this paper uses the visa liberalisation to study the interactions between the conditionality mechanism and securitisation paradigm in the context of the European Union (EU) justice, freedom and security area. Analysing both the formal benchmarking process and data from stakeholders’ interviews, this paper demonstrates the securitisation and side-lining of fundamental rights during and in the aftermath of the visa negotiations. As a result, this paper informs of unwanted effects of conditionality and questions the role of the EU in promoting fundamental rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whistleblowing, as concept covering the institutional dimension and its practical manifestations, took different forms in the Western Balkans. Using a rational choice institutionalist definition of Europeanization, the research explores the conceptual framework of whistleblowing and the protection of whistleblowers as an underlining element of rule of law in the European Union. Subsequently, the paper presents the evolution of whistleblowing as element of EU's conditionality in relation to the Western Balkan countries, describing the events, the stakeholders and the role played by EU's conditionality in adopting whistleblowing laws. Case studies covering Serbia, Albania and Kosovo, as three states in different stages of accession to the European Union, analyze the evolution of legislation that ensure the protection of whistleblowers, the timeframe ranging differently for each country due to the moment they first adopted such legislation, searching to understand the role played by European Union's institutions in shaping the development and adoption processes of such legislation. Finally, the paper uses rational choice institutionalism to explain the dynamics within the principal-agent relation and why, as confirmed in literature, certain reforms are not lasting if they do not include elements to enhance their role within the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is not any longer as it used to be before the Russian aggression in Ukraine, was the dominant political statement as the war started. war in Ukraine is the most impactful development in post-Soviet international relations and security arrangements in Europe and beyond. Based on the multifaceted impact it had, it can be considered of a global impact. It affected the post-war international order foundations, driving states' and great powers' behaviour changes to reconsider their foreign policy, geo-political and geostrategic objectives. The same can be claimed about the major powers' policies towards the Western Balkans. The Russian assertive and aggressive behaviour, the US further commitment, and the EU revival of the enlargement policy. The paper aims to look at the impact of the war in Ukraine in the Western Balkans as a region and at individual countries. It will try to explore how such developments pushed the major power present in the region, the EU, the US, and Russia to reconsider their policies towards the region, and how this impacted the foreign policies of the Western Ballkan states in turn? The paper will be based on secondary sources, policy papers, documents, reports, media news, and other relevant sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At its 30th anniversary, the Maastricht Treaty remains a milestone in the history and practice of the European Union. This referring to the adhesion process, since the set of conditions that a country must accomplish have been settled and derived by the treaty, but also for the fact that now, after 20 years of entering in force, the Euro, the Union currency, has performed and faced different consecutive challenges, thus becoming observable concerning it effects and role, and as a consequence, its theoretical and practical validity. But there is yet a vast area, in the center of Europe, that is still dragging on its calvary of adhesion, that of the Western Balkans. At this point, considering the processes that the countries of this area have been going through, by pursuing the adhesion path, the analysis of the dominating factors that have determined the trajectory of their EU membership, becomes essential. The paper questions and analyses the validity of the Maastricht Treaty and subsequent criteria for the adhesion of the Western Balkan countries, as well as highlights on the 'adhoc' criteria and evaluations often applied during the process and their consequences in terms of the attitudes of the Balkan populations and their determination toward the EU and the Western Balkans adhesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite high levels of societal homophobia, Western Balkan countries have recently passed laws proscribing anti-LGBT violence. The laws, however, are rarely used, as these countries report few or no recorded cases. The question is: Why do Western Balkan countries legislate against homophobia, but then fail to operationalize that legislation? Hate studies, still over-focused on the West, do not provide the answer. The aim of this paper is to offer a possible explanation based on a combination of secondary data provided by the OSCE and primary research undertaken by the author. Using the theory of Europeanization as an explanatory frame, the paper argues that hate crime laws are enacted as part of the democratization process, with the support of the OSCE and NGOs, and under EU influence. As this is done before favourable sentiments are assured, insufficient resources are put into the policing and monitoring of hate crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sense of optimism for the enlargement of the European Union in the near-future has been evaporating. A new strategy paper on EU enlargement which was issued by the European Commission in February 2018 seems to still be based on a 'fatigue from expansion' approach to enlargement, even though it states that Serbia and Montenegro 'could potentially be ready for membership [by] 2025'. This paper discusses the bumpy road the Western Balkan states have faced towards EU accession from the early 2000s to the present day. In addition to more challenging domestic political and economic conditions, these states have also been required to meet tougher and more variable accession conditions in comparison to the post-communist states that joined the EU in and after 2004. The inconsistency and vagueness of the EU approach to the accession of the Western Balkan states remains the most important factor behind the continued postponements of their accession dates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the enormous inflow of international assistance to the Western Balkans over the last 25 years, the intended state-building efforts have only had partial success and great concerns have been raised over the problems of state capture, weak governance, poor rule of law and widespread corruption at a high level throughout the region. The paper identifies the patterns of international assistance and examines the extent to which donor aid allocations have been driven by concerns for recipients' need and merit, or by donor self-interest. The analysis reveals that while donor allocations have on the whole reflected need, they have not reflected merit to the same extent, suggesting that international assistance may have facilitated domestic political elites' engagement in practices of rent-seeking and state capture. With a few exceptions, EU donors and EU Institutions have not allocated their aid to motivate adherence to EU norms in candidate and potential candidate states in the region. The paper concludes that the 'Samaritans dilemma' is alive and well in the Western Balkans, and that donors have chosen to mostly overlook poor governance behaviour among recipients in order to prioritise assistance to the neediest countries while pursuing their own foreign policy concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research addresses the activity of transnational organized crime in the Westerns Balkans region, particularly the activity of trafficking in narcotics and money laundry. This problematic phenomenon is treated on the aspect of newly created circumstances in the age of globalization, where the entire world is facing the transformation in the political and economic aspect - developments that are impacting the field of security as well. In this period, these countries faced institutional fragility, lack of proper capacities in fight against new forms of organized criminality, lack of inter-state cooperation etc. this situation was used as an opportunity by the criminal organizations with their reach in the entire region, creating the so called Balkan Road which is used for trafficking of narcotics towards Western Europe countries. In this research is expressed the amount of narcotics trafficked and illicit profits from this activity, divided by regional countries for the period 2009-2012. This paper argues how transnational organized crime by exploiting the globalization era facilities has adapted to these newly created circumstances and is increasingly exceeding the capabilities of the countries of a traditional organizations and forms of security in responding appropriately. The interstate cooperation aspect and the use of an interactive approach at technical and operational levels is increasingly being considered as a tangible opportunity to deal with this phenomenon. The paper draws conclusions on how the organized crime threats have had influence on security approaches in the Western Balkans as well as pushing the countries towards an inter-state approach in addressing these threats. Security field contemporary literature as well as reports and assessments of various security agencies have been used in drawing research results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to shed light on the effects of different types of financing constraints on firm sales and employment growth in Emerging Europe before and after the onset of the financial crisis. It analyzes the group of emerging NMS-10 economies (plus Turkey) and the group of economically and financially lagging Western Balkan countries. The paper demonstrates that financing constraints significantly obstruct firm growth, particularly in the Western Balkan countries, which calls for policy intervention to ensure swifter job-rich growth and catching-up with the rest of Europe. It also emphasizes that particular firm characteristics are essential for growth in Emerging Europe and demonstrates that exporting only and innovating are recipes for faster firm growth, while importing only and a high foreign ownership share seriously retard firm growth. Finally, it stresses the importance of the particular institutional environment for firms to thrive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between the real exchange rate and the foreign trade imbalance in both the Western Balkan (WB) and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. During the most recent global economic crisis, examining the impact of the exchange rate on the balance of trade took on a particular importance. Countries used a variety of monetary policy regimes and, depending on their choice, they had different economic instruments available to deal with the crisis. The aim of the research was whether exchange rate devaluation and/or depreciation are capable of effectively and fully eliminating the negative effects of the global economic crisis, as well as the consequent poor export performance and contracted economic activity. Our findings show that during an economic crisis those countries that use their own currency cannot substantially adjust their trade deficit by depreciating their currency. Moreover, it is suggested that during the global economic crisis, the balance of payments deficit is not impacted significantly by the exchange rate, any more. In such cases, other factors play a more significant role, like as government spending, followed by foreign demand and direct investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the impact of fiscal policies on increasing the capacity of SMEs from the manufacturing sector in the Western Balkans, with particular emphasis on those in Kosovo. To achieve empirical results, the data obtained from the opinions of the 100 analysed SMEs were processed through logistic regression. The SPSS statistical software was also used for these statistics. Based on literature review and empirical results, it has been concluded that fiscal policies have an impact on Kosovo SMEs growth. Also in Kosovo and in other Western Balkan countries, fiscal policies and packages have been adopted to support SMEs and have had a significant effect on their activities. Despite the fact that under normal circumstances fiscal support for SMEs has been provided by the governments of these countries, in the near future there should be greater fiscal support to SMEs by means of fiscal incentives due to the devastating effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on each country's economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of legacies of mass violence and political oppression during the recent past in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia), history teaching is seen as an important factor in building sustainable peace and democracy. Caught between various national and international policy actors, history teaching has been subject to frequently overlapping and inconsistent reforms. Despite prolific research on history education in the Western Balkans teachers' experiences of history education and its transformation have largely remained unexamined. This paper explores history teachers' perceptions of and approaches to the topics they find difficult to teach. The paper draws on data gathered through an online survey that yielded 793 responses from history teachers and 14 regional history education expert interviews. The results show which topics teachers consider difficult to teach in six Western Balkan countries, and how certain individual characteristics (e.g. religiousness and level of education) and school characteristics (e.g. urban or rural and a monocultural or multicultural environment) link to the roles teachers assume when teaching controversial topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to analyse the security environment at the beginning of the XXIst century and to assess the impact of EU conditionality in the Western Balkans. The paper will analyse the redistribution of power and the new challenges that send the European Union at a crossroad. To explain such complex phenomena, we will use a comprehensive framework based on realism, liberal institutionalism, and constructivism. The central part of the paper will analyse EU conditionality in the Western Balkans - along with its characteristics, particularities, difficulties - and the impact of the degree of sovereignty. The case-study will provide a comparative analysis between EU conditionality in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria proving that sovereignty matters for the conditionality-compliance relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign direct investments are potentially very important for each country as they could significantly contribute to its economic development. The importance of foreign direct investments reflects in their ability to contribute to development of comparative advantages and competitiveness. In the last 20 years, WB countries have tried to attract as many foreign investors as possible using various policy incentives. Foreign direct investment inflows followed the pace of economic transformation and reforms towards a market economy, leading to economic growth. The aim of this paper is to analyse characteristics of the inflow of foreign direct investments in the Western Balkans (WB) countries, as well as the impact they might have on their economic growth and development. In order to determine the amount of foreign direct investments, but also the position, i.e. competitiveness of each of the observed countries, there have been used secondary data from the official UNCTAD reports. The paper will also present an analysis of the greenfield investments for selected economies, as a very important type of foreign investments that probably have the largest positive spillovers. The time period covered by this research was from 2010 to 2019. The results of the conducted research indicate that Serbia is the most attractive investment destination, considering that in the observed period, more than 60% of the total amount of foreign direct investments that were directed to the countries of the Western Balkans ended up on its territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]