Decentralisation and local development in Western Balkans: convergences and divergences among different contexts by Raffaella Coletti with the collaboration of Andrea Stocchiero Second research report June 2011 SeeNet Programme: A trans-local network for the cooperation between Italy and South East Europe Horizontal Action C - Research In partnership with Piazza Margana 39 – 00186 Roma (Italia) – Tel. +3906 6990630 – Fax +3906 6784104 – e-mail:
[email protected] - web: www.cespi.it TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW……………………………………………………………………………………….3 ALBANIA: REGION OF SHKODRA……………………………………………………………….29 BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: MUNICIPALITY OF TRAVNIK……………………………………...49 BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: MUNICIPALITY OF TREBINJE……………………………………..63 CROATIA: REGION OF ISTRIA………………………………………………………………….83 KOSOVO: MUNICIPALITY OF PEJË/PEĆ………………………………………………….…….99 MONTENEGRO: MUNICIPALITY OF BUDVA……………………………………………..…….109 SERBIA: AUTONOMOUS PROVINCE OF VOJVODINA………………………………….…….…121 2 OVERVIEW Executive summary This general introduction to the second SeeNet report, focussed on decentralisation, includes four sections. The first section is dedicated to the “state of the art” in the European Union’s support towards decentralisation in the Countries included in the research activity: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia. Decentralisation is a key topic in the Western Balkan Countries in light of the enlargement perspective and the multilevel institutional architecture adopted in many European Countries for the management of structural funds. The decentralization process in Albania, despite delays, has been consensual and steady since 1998. Nowadays, the overall regulatory framework is almost complete while the real transfer of function is still to be consolidated. Croatia, that might join the EU as the 28th Member State in 2013, is forced to put a strong commitment towards the decentralisation process, particularly with the aim of preparing local government units to manage the funds that will be available within the Community Cohesion Policy after enlargement.