RURAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES IN FRAMEWORK OF EU STRATEGY FOR DANUBE REGION

Abstract

Within EU enlargement process and welcoming Western Balkans countries into full membership, regional cooperation is seen as cornerstone for its successful implementation and essential for future development of enlarged European Union. Transition period from communism towards democracy has indicated correlation and similarity of problems and challenges turning them into joint regional issues which may be addressed by regional cooperation supported by experienced member states of European Union. In addition, strong historical, geographical and cultural ties among Western Balkan countries indicate the coherence of the Region and imply once again the necessity of regional cooperation. With regards to regional cooperation, The EU Strategy for the Danube Region, endorsed in June 2011 by the European Council, is the second EU macro-regional strategy (following the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region adopted in 2009) addressing a wide range of issues divided among 4 pillars (Connecting the Danube Region, Protecting the environment of the Danube Region, Building prosperity in the Danube Region and Strengthening the Danube Region) and providing the framework for intensified regional cooperation and interdisciplinary approach for problem solving in the Region. With exception of Albania and FYR Macedonia, Western Balkan Region is integrated in Danube Region and perspectives of rural development of all Balkan countries are outlined with future cooperation and partnership in light of this newly established macro region and policy for rural development of EU for new programming period. Taking into consideration that Western Balkan countries are dominantly rural, agriculture plays an important in the Western Balkans and its regional economy. Agriculture that suffered great changes in transition period from agricultural value chains dominated by large, vertically, output driven integrated structures within national economies toward more competitive rural economy capable of absorbing surplus of agricultural labor into alternative economic opportunities of non-agricultural rural businesses. Main aim of this paper is to identify the potentials and key drivers of rural development of the Western Balkan countries in scope of EU Strategy for the Danube Region and EU rural development policy for new 2014-2012 programming period.