Strategic Moves - Regional Environmental Center for Central and ...

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C H A P T E R 4
E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T A N D T H E E U A C C E S S I O N P R O C E S S
S T R AT E G I C M O V E S
On the institutional level, the tasks ahead include strengthening the administration
capacity of national and local authorities, clearly defining responsibilities,
identifying investment needs, developing financing strategies and implementation
plans, and strengthening the capacity of water and waste utilities.
Upgrading environmental infrastructure requires major capital investments as
well as joint efforts by local and national authorities. It is estimated that infrastructure
investments will represent more than 2 or 3 percent of SEE countries’
GDP (REC, 2005). National budgets in SEE are currently limited, and the share
allocated to the environment is usually small.
Political will is of great importance in the implementation of the wide reforms
needed. Governments in all SEE countries have committed themselves to this objective
and are, to varying degrees, implementing reforms. While public opinion in
SEE is largely in favour of EU integration, this support will rapidly be withdrawn
if governments fail to deliver. According to EC Communication 2008/127, societies
remain divided on a few key issues such as the integration of different communities
and also, in some cases, constitutional reform. Further efforts are therefore
needed in order to achieve consensus on such issues and to proceed with the necessary
political and economic reforms (EC COM [2008] 127). Delivering on environmental
infrastructure improvements is an aspect of the EU accession process
that is highly visible and that leads to tangible improvements in quality of life.
Experience from the EU accession process in CEE countries illustrates that the
adoption of the acquis raises the importance of the environment on the national
agenda. Lessons learnt show that early in the process focus should be placed on institutional
and administrative reform. Hasty and insufficiently coordinated transposition
of the acquis has been seen to lead to non-integrated, unclear, complicated
and low-quality legislation. Restructuring responsibilities among ministries can reduce
fragmentation and lead to good governance.
The road to accession
The EU enlargement process currently covers the countries of SEE, Turkey, and
more recently Iceland. In recent years, SEE countries have moved closer to the EU
and have embarked on political, administrative and legislative reforms (EC 2008,
IP/08/378). Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have
achieved the status of candidate countries. Accession negotiations with Croatia
started in October 2005. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia became a
candidate country in December 2005. In October 2009, the Commission recommended
that negotiations for EU accession should be opened. Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Kosovo (as defined under UNSCR 1244), Montenegro and Serbia
are all potential candidates that have the prospect of beginning EU membership negotiations
when they are ready. Albania submitted its application for candidate status
in April 2009 and Montenegro in December 2008 (EC COM [2009] 533).