Connectivity for Development: Taking the Highway for Economic Growth

02.11.2018

The Berlin process has brought up a new impetus in establishing a closer economic, political and social cooperation between the countries of the Western Balkans 6. This positive momentum was followed up by the 2018 strategy of the European Commission entitled “A credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkans”. Since 2015, the Berlin process has been supporting the so-called ‘Connectivity Agenda’ on concrete measures that are expected to bring concrete benefits to all citizens throughout the region. This agenda constitutes an innovative and favourable framework for stimulating Western Balkans 6 economic growth, improving competitiveness and trade exchanges, as well as for fostering regional cooperation among neighbouring countries. It entails the facilitation of the region’s integration into a common regional value chain, which would enhance competitive advantages and, last but not the least, provide tangible results to the life of the citizens. The Connectivity Agenda represents the mutual interest of both the Western Balkan 6 countries and EU member states, and it is part of the six flagship initiatives promoted by the European Commission within the new enlargement strategy.

This policy paper’s goal is to contribute in the documentation of progress that Albania, Kosovo and Serbia have achieved in implementing the commitments taken in the framework of the Connectivity Agenda. It seeks to draw the attention on the need to develop monitoring mechanisms at regional level, so as to ensure a timely implementation of these priority investment projects at cross-border level, as well as to enhance visibility, raise awareness and transparency for the domestic constituencies. Finally, the paper aims to identify concrete recommendation on improving the situation on infrastructural connectivity between Albania, Kosovo and Serbia in the context of economic growth and future prosperity that facilitates the EU integration process, by highlighting priority areas and potential win-win outcomes.


Povezivanje za razvoj: Auto-putem do privrednog rasta

Berlinski proces pružio je novi zamajac za ostvarivanje tešnje ekonomske, političke i socijalne saradnje među 6 zemalja Zapadnog Balkana. Ovaj pozitivan impuls propraćen je strategijom Evropske komisije za 2018. godinu pod nazivom “Verodostojna perspektiva proširenja i pojačano angažovanje EU na Zapadnom Balkanu” . Od 2015. godine, Berlinski proces potpomaže takozvanu ‘Agenda povezivanja’ koja predviđa konkretne mere koje, prema očekivanjima, treba da donesu konkretne pogodnosti svim građanima širom regiona. Ova agenda predstavlja inovativan i povoljan okvir da se podstakne privredni rast 6 zemalja Zapadnog Balkana, poboljša njihova konkurentnost i trgovinska razmena i neguje regionalna saradnja među susednim zemljama. Njen cilj je da olakša integraciju regiona u zajednički regionalni lanac vrednosti, koji bi sam po sebi unapredio komparativne prednosti i poslednje, ali i ne manje važno, pružio opipljive rezultate u životima njihovih građana. Agenda povezivanja je odraz zajedničkih interesa 6 zemalja Zapadnog Balkana i država članica EU i sastavni je deo šest najvažnijih inicijativa koje Evropska komisija promoviše u sklopu svoje nove strategije proširenja.

Ovaj izveštaj o praktičnoj politici osmišljen je sa namerom da doprinese dokumentovanju napretka koji su Albanija, Kosovo i Srbija ostvarili u ispunjavanju obaveza koje su preuzeli u okviru Agende povezivanja. Isti želi da skrene pažnju na potrebu uspostavljanja mehanizama nadzora na regionalnom nivou, kako bi se obezbedila blagovremena primena ovih prioritetnih investicionih projekata na međugraničnom nivou i unapredila vidljivost, podigla svest i transparentnost prema domaćoj javnosti. Na kraju, cilj je da se u izveštaju identifikuju konkretne preporuke kako da se poboljša situacija u smislu infrastrukturnog povezivanja Albanije, Kosova i Srbije u kontekstu privrednog rasta i budućeg prosperiteta, koji će olakšati sam proces integracije u EU, naglašavanjem prioritetnih oblasti i potencijalnih rezultata povoljnih po sve uključene strane.