Analysis of the agricultural and rural development policies of the Western Balkan countries

Sabahudin Bajramovic (), Natalija Bogdanov (), Jakub Butkovic, Dragi Dimitrovski, Emil Erjavec (), Grigor Gjeci, Ekrem Gjokaj, Bekim Hoxha Hoxha, Ivana Janeska Stomenkovska, Darko Konjevic, Ana Kotevska, Aleksandra Martinovic, Iliriana Miftari, Marina Nacka, Dragana Ognjenovic, Miroslav Rednak, Emelj Tuna, Tina Volk () and Edvin Zhllima
Additional contact information
Sabahudin Bajramovic: University of Sarajevo
Natalija Bogdanov: University of Belgrade
Jakub Butkovic: Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dragi Dimitrovski: Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food – Skopje
Grigor Gjeci: Albanian Ministry of Agriculture
Ekrem Gjokaj: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Kosovo
Bekim Hoxha Hoxha: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Kosovo
Ivana Janeska Stomenkovska: Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food – Skopje
Darko Konjevic: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Directorate Rural Development, Podgorica, Montenegro
Ana Kotevska: Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food – Skopje
Aleksandra Martinovic: University of Donja Gorica
Iliriana Miftari: University of Pristine
Marina Nacka: Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food – Skopje
Dragana Ognjenovic: University of Sarajevo
Miroslav Rednak: Agriculture Institute of Slovenia
Tina Volk: Agriculture Institute of Slovenia

No JRC101320, JRC Research Reports from Joint Research Centre

Abstract: This report was prepared by a team of academic experts from Western Balkan (WB) countries coordinated by the Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group (SWG) in South-East Europe. The study targets EU candidate and potential candidate countries from the Western Balkan region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo*). The main objectives of the study is the monitoring and evaluation of agricultural policies in the period 2012-2014 and assessment of the related key EU integration issues of the region. The study also outlines policy recommendation relevant in the wider regional context of the agricultural sector development as well as with respect to the region's EU integration process. The study results reveal that no major shifts in production and farm structure took place in the region in the study period, however, some expansion of WB agricultural trade, which are mainly a result of stronger exports, are reported. All study countries have prepared and most have also adopted a new strategic framework for the future of agricultural policies with more elaborated focus on EU harmonisation process. However, there were not observed pronounced changes in the actual structure and the volume of budgetary transfers related to agricultural policies in the region in the study period 2013-2015. Compared with the support granted under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in EU, the total budgetary support in WBs is still relatively low. Direct payments linked to specific production sectors (coupled support) are the main type of agricultural support implemented in WB countries. The type of direct payments and supported sectors are under constant adjustment. However, the policy instruments' alignment of WB countries to CAP-like policy is limited. As a general rule, agricultural budgets are not development-oriented. The institutional limitations in the implementation of the IPARD pre-accession support, the lack of clear action plans for policy reforms and the absence of the evidence based policy approach to policy-making are a few areas constraining a better design and implementation of agricultural policies in WB and for which policy recommendations and future tasks are outlined in this study

Keywords: Agricultural policy; Western Balkans; Rural development; EU integration; pre-accession support; Monitoring and evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 144 pages
Date: 2016-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-tra
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc101320

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