Temjanovski, Riste and Arsova, Monika (2019) Transport Policy to create a Western Balkans market: How to mirror the EU's experience. In: 5th Annual International Conference on Transportation, 3-6 June 2019, Athens, Greece.
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Abstract
Abstract
The creation of a United Europe continues to evolve. For the complete mosaic image called European Union (EU), the part of the Western Balkans still remains to be assembled. Last but not so simple step to attain final stage. This region is characterized as historically vulnerable, sensitive, mixed with many nationalities, similar but still different. Economically underdeveloped and vulnerable, socially unstable and politically aroused, the Western Balkans are still far from a stable European core. Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the Western Balkans, adjusted for purchasing power parity, is half that of eastern European EU countries, one-third that of southern EU members and a mere quarter of the richest EU members in western Europe.
The question that imposes itself is: how to overcome those differences among Balkans countries, to complete the historical vision and final mosaic puzzle of European Union?
We should look for the solution historically for several decades back when creating the United Europe model. Prosperous and contemporizing Europe began its vision with the creation of a common market. And the market gives its benefits only with its physical ties i.e. transport and communication links. Transport links between the countries of the Western Balkans, with all accompanying economic, political and administrative adjustments, can contribute to realizing the single market as crucial phase of development of a United Europe. Future hopes and views are focused on finalizing Pan-European transport corridors in the Western Balkan countries, through which the trade peaks will be strengthened, overcoming the decades-long problems and conflicts in this part of Europe, and to achieve the long-awaited model for a Common European Union. But we must be realistic enough to see that transport infrastructure is not some miraculous tool with which to solve a society's development problems. It is only one part of the story. Transport must work in union with national development programmes, physical planning, investment, economic and monetary policy, custom and legal regulations. But we must acknowledge that, in many respects, the quality and success of life of Balkan’s citizens depends on the vitality and responsibility of implementation many structural changes. One of the crucial factors is still transport infrastructure.
Keywords: Western Balkan, regional cooperation, common market, transport policy, transport corridor
| Item Type: | Conference or Workshop Item (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | Social Sciences > Economics and business |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Economics |
| Depositing User: | Riste Temjanovski |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Feb 2020 11:21 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Feb 2020 11:21 |
| URI: | https://eprints.ugd.edu.mk/id/eprint/23765 |
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