Europeanisation of spatial planning. The Western Balkans between innovation and resistance

ABSTRACT

Since the dissolution of the centralized economic systems, the Western Balkans have embarked on a gradual integration into the European Union. This entailed the introduction of new legislation, the assimilation of novel concepts and ideas, and the adoption of instruments and operational methods. This adaptation has permeated several sectors. While the EU’s jurisdiction does not explicitly extend to spatial planning, it has cast its shadow on this field. This paper undertakes a twofold mission. First, it traverses the cultural, institutional, and territorial spheres to unearth the tangible evidence of the Europeanisation of spatial planning in the region. Secondly, it delves into the subtle resistance mechanisms to external pressures that have also contributed to shaping spatial planning and land use. The confluence of evidence showcases that, despite being exposed to pervasive European influences, the evolution of spatial planning in the Western Balkans remains intrinsically tethered to historical paths.

KEYWORDS:

• Europeanisation
• spatial planning
• land use
• path-dependence
• Western Balkans

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14683857.2024.2352890.

Notes

1. According to the European Union, the Western Balkans include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo* (under the UN Resolution 1244/1999); Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

2. Among the factors that have hampered the Europeanisation process in the Western Balkans we should mention (i) the international recognition of Kosovo as an autonomous entity – not all EU members have officially recognized Kosovo (Novak 2023), and (ii) historical tensions, as seen in the case of North Macedonia and Greece, for instance regarding the name of the country.

3. Enhancing the accession process – A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans establishes these six clusters: Fundamentals, Internal Market, Competitiveness and inclusive growth, Green agenda and sustainable connectivity, Resources, agriculture and cohesion and External relations.

4. For the period 2007–2013 IPA had a budget of some €11.5 billion; its successor, IPA II, will build on the results already achieved by dedicating €11.7 billion for the period 2014–2020, while the current programming period (2021–2027) allocates €14.162 billion.

5. The EUSAIR covers ten countries: four EU Member States (Croatia, Greece, Italy, Slovenia) and six non-EU countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, San Marino, Serbia).

6. The EUSDR covers fourteen countries: nine EU Member States (Austria Bulgari, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia) and five non-EU countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Erblin Berisha

Erblin Berisha is assistant professor at Politecnico di Torino. His research focuses on the evolution of Spatial Planning Systems and Territorial Governance in the Western Balkan region in the light of international influence. He is also interested in understanding the geopolitical implications of international initiatives in the region. As research has been involved in numerous international projects like ESPON COMPASS, ESPON SUPER, ESPON SUPER spin-off, ESPON METRO, and more recently is taking an active part in the Horizon Europe GreenFORCE project and in the ESPON projects NoStaGeo, InTerAlp and TERRES. [email protected].

Giancarlo Cotella

Giancarlo Cotella is associate professor at Politecnico di Torino. His research mainly focuses on European Territorial Governance, in particular on the mutual influence occurring between European Spatial Planning and the spatial governance and planning systems characterising the different Member States. He took active part to several international research projects as ESPON ReSSI, ESPON URRUC, ESPON COMPASS, ESPON SUPER, ESPON METRO, ERASMUS KA2 SPOT and LOTUS and the recently awarded Horizon Europe GreenFORCE and ESPON projects NoStaGeo, InTerAlp and TERRES. Since 2023, he serves as Secretary General of the Association of European Schools of Planning. [email protected].