Analysis of Administrative-Territorial Organization in Osijek-Baranja County

U radu se analizira trenutna administrativno teritorijalna podjela Osječko-baranjske županije s kratkim osvrtom na njezin povijesni razvoj. Koristeći se raznim kvalitativnim i kvantitativnim kriterijima te hijerarhijom u funkcionalnom značenju svih jedinica lokalne samouprave ove županije ustanovljeno je da u županiji postoji jedna lokalna jedinica koja sadrži naselje stupnja makroregionalnog centra, šest lokalnih jedinca s naseljima statusa subregionalnog centra, 21 lokalna jedinica s naseljima koja su područni i 10 jedinica s naseljima koja su lokalni centri. Također postoje i četiri općine s naseljima bez ikakvog centraliteta. Uzimajući u obzir činjenicu (iznesenu u brojnim studijama koje su proučavane prilikom izrade ovog rada) da je broj jedinica lokalne samouprave u Hrvatskoj (pa tako i u ovoj županiji) prevelik na kraju rada predložena je reorganizacija postojeće administrativno-teritorijalne podjele potkrijepljena uspješnim primjerima nekih europskih zemalja. Pri tome je procesom amalgamiranja smanjen broj lokalnih jedinica te predložena njihova reorganizacija. In the thesis the current administrative-territorial organization of Osijek-Baranja county is analyzed, with a brief review on its historical development. By using various qualitative and quantitative criteria and hierarchy in functional meaning of all units of local self-government of this county, it was found that in the county exists one local unit which contains a settlement of the macroregional center degree, six local units with settlements of subregional center status, 21 local units with settlements which are regional, and ten units with settlements which are local centers. There are also four municipalities with settlements with no centrality at all. Taking into consideration the fact (stated in numerous studies which were scrutinized when writing this thesis) that the number of the units of local self-government in Croatia (as well as in this county) is enormous, at the end of the thesis a reorganization of the existent administrative-territorial division is proposed and corroborated with successful examples of some European countries. Thereat, the number of local units was decreased by the process of amalgation, and the reorganization of local units was proposed.