Bilateral Trade Between Eu and Western Balkan
1. INTRODUCTION
The paper focuses on the bilateral trade between Western Balkans countries and the EU and enfaces on agreements, regularity of the trade, scope and analysis of the trade flow. It also explains which are the Western Balkans countries, economical characteristics, contractual connection with the EU. It is consisted of three parts. In first part is explained the definition of the Western Balkan countries, out bilateral trade exchange between the EU and Western Balkans as a common region. Second part analyses agreements between the EU and Western Balkans countries regarding trade and EU perspective. Finally, third part focuses on the key indicators and trade balance of each country of the region with the EU.
2. WESTERN BALKANS IN GENERAL
Western Balkans is a region in Europe which includes Albania and states of Former Yugoslavia without Slovenia. Those countries are Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo (as defined as UNMIK 1244), Republic of Macedonia and Albania. The surface of this region is approximately 265.000 square kilometers and total population within is 24 million inhabitants.
Historical background of those states is that all of them had socialistically government. Albania was self-isolated state and under iron curtain after Second World War. It was also a member of Warsaw pact until Sino-Soviet split (worsening relations between Soviet Union and PR China). On the other hand, Yugoslavia had unique socialist model in the world called “self-management”, which had limited openness to the western countries. All countries had turnout to capitalist system in the nineties, with high inflation, high rate of corruption, suffering economies and higher unemployment rate. After wars in Yugoslavia were established five new countries: Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Macedonia and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Republic of Macedonia had a name dispute of Greece (which is part of European Union) and has
The paper focuses on the bilateral trade between Western Balkans countries and the EU and enfaces on agreements, regularity of the trade, scope and analysis of the trade flow. It also explains which are the Western Balkans countries, economical characteristics, contractual connection with the EU. It is consisted of three parts. In first part is explained the definition of the Western Balkan countries, out bilateral trade exchange between the EU and Western Balkans as a common region. Second part analyses agreements between the EU and Western Balkans countries regarding trade and EU perspective. Finally, third part focuses on the key indicators and trade balance of each country of the region with the EU.
2. WESTERN BALKANS IN GENERAL
Western Balkans is a region in Europe which includes Albania and states of Former Yugoslavia without Slovenia. Those countries are Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo (as defined as UNMIK 1244), Republic of Macedonia and Albania. The surface of this region is approximately 265.000 square kilometers and total population within is 24 million inhabitants.
Historical background of those states is that all of them had socialistically government. Albania was self-isolated state and under iron curtain after Second World War. It was also a member of Warsaw pact until Sino-Soviet split (worsening relations between Soviet Union and PR China). On the other hand, Yugoslavia had unique socialist model in the world called “self-management”, which had limited openness to the western countries. All countries had turnout to capitalist system in the nineties, with high inflation, high rate of corruption, suffering economies and higher unemployment rate. After wars in Yugoslavia were established five new countries: Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Macedonia and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Republic of Macedonia had a name dispute of Greece (which is part of European Union) and has