Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• OECD
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,

Titel

OECD Development Pathways Multi-dimensional Review of the Western Balkans Assessing Opportunities and Constraints

Ort / Verlag

Paris : OECD Publishing,

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Link zum Volltext

• OECD iLibrary

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Intro -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- Editorial -- Abbreviations and acronyms -- Facts and figures of the Western Balkans -- Executive summary -- Amid a COVID-19 pandemic, learning from and with each other in order to tackle challenges and find innovative and timely solutions is more necessary than ever -- Nine shared strategic priorities for the region -- Education and competences -- Social cohesion -- Green recovery energy and air pollution -- Digitalisation -- Migration, brain drain and diaspora engagement -- Creating opportunities for women -- Land management and property rights -- Local governments -- In the end, progress comes down to implementation and reliability -- Part I Assessing opportunities and constraints in the Western Balkans: Regional overview -- Assessing opportunities and constraints in the Western Balkans: Regional overview -- 1 Overview: Identifying strategic opportunities for the Western Balkans -- Vision and opportunities -- Key trends shaping development of the Western Balkans -- Rapid population ageing -- Climate change -- Democratisation process -- Digital transformation -- Assessing well-being performance and constraints to sustainable development in the Western Balkans -- Well-being -- Major constraints to sustainable development -- People -- Prosperity -- Partnerships and financing -- Peace and institutions -- Planet -- COVID-19 in the Western Balkans -- Shared strategic opportunities and challenges as avenues for peer learning -- References -- Note -- 2 Multi-dimensional analysis of development in the Western Balkans -- People -- Social cohesion is limited, and many people are left behind -- Employment opportunities are inadequate, especially for women and the young -- Attending education in the Western Balkans does not yield the skills needed to succeed -- Health systems are ineffective and understaffed, resulting in poor health outcomes -- Social protection needs a more sustainable financing model and does not always reach those most in need -- Prosperity -- GDP growth is weaker but more balanced -- Domestic enterprises, particularly SMEs, face a challenging institutional and business environment -- The lack of a skilled workforce impedes the growth of investment, job creation, innovation and technology adoption -- Infrastructure gaps impede trade and global value chain integration, and unreliable access to electricity and other utilities deter investment -- Partnerships and financing -- Western Balkan economies rely heavily on external financing for growth -- Fiscal performance varies, but the fiscal space in most Western Balkan economies is limited or has narrowed considerably in the post-crisis period -- Weak public-sector revenue performance limits the scope for improvement of public services -- High and rising current expenditures crowd out public investment -- SMEs face considerable difficulties accessing financing -- Peace and institutions -- Western Balkan economies have not yet struck the right balance of power between levels of government -- Imperfectly defined land rights undermine the functioning of land markets -- The judiciary in the Western Balkans is often biased and inefficient -- SOE governance is a source of large inefficiencies -- The EU integration process and the role of informal institutions -- Planet -- Air pollution: high levels of pollution pose a threat to biodiversity, human health and the economy across the Western Balkans -- Levels of air pollution are high across regional economies -- Poor waste management and inadequate wastewater treatment are major sources of ambient and water pollution across Western Balkan economies -- Biodiversity: the region's rich biodiversity and abundant forest coverage is threatened by pollution and not sufficiently protected -- Energy sector: energy efficiency levels are low across Western Balkan economies, and most economies rely heavily on coal for electricity generation -- Governance inefficiencies: tariffs set below operational costs threaten the financial sustainability of public utilities -- Water: water management, access to drinking water and water scarcity are challenges in some Western Balkan economies -- Natural hazards: most Western Balkan economies are vulnerable to natural hazards -- References -- Part II Assessing opportunities and constraints in Albania -- Assessing opportunities and constraints in Albania -- 3 Overview: Identifying strategic opportunities for Albania -- Towards a vision for Albania in 2030: an attractive society with high quality of life and strong human capital, built on reliable, resilient and efficient institutions, a dynamic economy and integration into Europe and the region -- Assessing Albania's development performance -- Sustainable development: summary of Albania's performance and major constraints -- Suggestions for strategic priorities for Albania -- References -- Note -- 4 Impact of COVID-19 in Albania -- Evolution of the pandemic -- Policy responses and economic impact -- Dimensions of vulnerability to further socio-economic impact from COVID-19 -- Material well-being and social protection -- Health and non-material well-being -- References -- 5 Multi-dimensional analysis of development in Albania -- People towards better lives for all -- Improving well-being for all, everywhere -- Strengthening the productive potential and equal participation of all citizens -- Many women and youth are excluded from the labour market and wider society -- Labour market institutions do not address job quality and demand-supply imbalances -- Boosting education quality to increase well-being and quality employment -- Improving health and social protection coverage -- Health outcomes are comparatively good, but the healthcare sector places a high cost burden on patients and suffers from lack of access and resources -- Social protection benefits are too modest and need to be integrated with care services -- Prosperity boosting productivity -- Albania's growth model requires new drivers to accelerate structural transformation and boost productivity -- Albania's tradable sector needs more investment, diversification and upgrading -- The contribution of exports to GDP has improved but leaves room for progress -- Albania has attracted significant amounts of FDI, mostly for energy, extractives and non-tradeable services and less for manufacturing and ICT -- The skills gaps and skills mismatches affect productivity and growth -- The institutional and administrative constraints limit domestic and foreign investment -- Corruption increases the cost of doing business in Albania -- Contract enforcement is lengthy and political, and regulatory instability is relatively high -- Obtaining construction permits is lengthy and expensive -- The large infrastructure gap limits investment, particularly manufacturing FDI -- Partnerships and financing financing sustainable development -- Remittances are an important source of finance in Albania -- The fiscal space is limited -- Revenue performance is lagging behind, and expenditures need to increase in key areas -- Improved tax collection and a broader tax base are needed to improve revenue performance -- Access to financing is constrained by weak property rights and informality -- Peace and institutions strengthening governance -- The fragmented structure of the public administration can stand in the way of implementation -- Albania has numerous and sometimes overlapping strategic documents -- The fragmentation of agencies poses a challenge to implementation capacity -- The courts are short of capacity and still exposed to unlawful external influence -- Property rights are still insecure, affecting land productivity and sustainability -- Land rights in Albania remain insecure -- Path-dependent and incomplete legislative frameworks leave land-related issues unresolved -- Corruption remains a challenge -- Albania has taken steps to fight corruption, but more coherence and co-ordination is required -- Vote buying, obscure party financing and patronage in the public administration are other forms of corruption -- The limited local fiscal and administrative capacity and the unclear regional development framework may exacerbate regional inequalities -- The decentralisation process is ongoing, but local fiscal and administrative capacities remain limited -- The regional development framework has been separated from the decentralisation process -- The.
• statistical capacity has improved significantly, but the access to administrative data and sound quality-management frameworks lag behind -- Planet conserving nature -- Albania is vulnerable to natural hazards -- Albania faces earthquakes, floods, droughts and extreme temperatures -- Albania has improved disaster-prevention legislation, but implementation remains a challenge -- Preserving the quality of Albania's environmental resources is crucial for development -- Air pollution is a serious concern -- Solid waste management and recycling are lacking -- Managing water services is a considerable challenge and will increase in importance -- Better enforcement and implementation of environmental legislation is key -- Transparent decision-making processes in environmental matters and an open dialogue with civil society and other stakeholders are important -- The high reliance on hydropower gives Albania the most renewable energy profile in the region, but it cannot be expanded without environmental burden -- References -- Notes -- Part III Assessing opportunities and constraints in Bosnia and Herzegovina -- Assessing opportunities and constraints in Bosnia and Herzegovina -- 6 Overview: Identifying strategic opportunities for Bosnia and Herzegovina -- Assessing Bosnia and Herzegovina's development performance -- People towards better lives for all -- Prosperity boosting productivity -- Partnerships and financing financing sustainable development -- Peace and institutions strengthening governance -- Planet conserving nature -- Suggestions for strategic priorities for Bosnia and Herzegovina -- References -- 7 Impact of COVID-19 in Bosnia and Herzegovina -- Evolution of the pandemic -- Policy responses and economic impact -- Dimensions of vulnerability to further socio-economic impact from COVID-19 -- Material well-being -- Health and non-material well-being -- References -- Note -- 8 Multi-dimensional analysis of development in Bosnia and Herzegovina -- People towards better lives for all -- Improving well-being for all -- Strengthening the productive potential and equal participation of all citizens, especially women and youth -- Young people and women find themselves outside the labour market -- Women's participation in society is not yet equal -- Labour market institutions need to be strengthened and working conditions improved -- Boosting education quality -- Improving health and social protection outcomes -- Healthcare governance is fragmented, inefficient and not financially sustainable, leading to subpar and inequitable health outcomes -- The social protection financing model is unsustainable and does not provide equal access to benefits for the most needy -- Prosperity boosting productivity -- Weak investment and productivity have constrained economic growth in the post-crisis period -- A fragmented internal market and high bureaucratic burden create a challenging environment for private-sector development -- The large and inefficient SOE sector creates unfair competition for private enterprises -- Infrastructure gaps impede connectivity with the Western Balkans and beyond -- The lack of a skilled workforce and the lack of technology adoption limit the potential for economic upgrading and expansion of the tradable sector -- Partnerships and financing financing sustainable development -- Low domestic savings and limited external financing have constrained investment -- Strong fiscal performance has created ample fiscal space for combatting the COVID-19 crisis -- Strong revenue performance has not translated into quality public services and infrastructure due to high expenditures on wages and transfers and low investment -- Access to finance is limited for SMEs, particularly start-ups and microenterprises -- Peace and institutions strengthening governance -- The decentralisation framework is asymmetric -- Overly complex institutional design undermines the independence, efficiency and transparency of the judiciary -- Personal connections are inevitable in getting things done but may create social exclusion, distort the labour market and weaken administrative capacity -- Fragmented law enforcement and incoherent legislation frustrate anti-corruption efforts -- Poor governance can explain poor SEO performance -- Bosnia and Herzegovina's statistical capacity requires improvement -- Planet conserving nature -- Bosnia and Herzegovina is vulnerable to natural hazards and climate change -- Bosnia and Herzegovina's rich biodiversity and forest coverage is not sufficiently protected -- High levels of air pollution threaten human health, the economy and the environment -- Inadequate waste management poses a risk to the environment and damages natural resources -- Water management must be improved in Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure a stable drinking water supply in the long run -- Management of public utility services is too fragmented, and prices are set below operational costs -- Bosnia and Herzegovina's environmental legislation is improving, but enforcement remains a challenge -- Bosnia and Herzegovina's high carbon intensity and low energy efficiency are reflected in high GHG emissions -- Bosnia and Herzegovina is heavily reliant on subsidised coal and does not sufficiently incentivise renewable energies -- Outdated energy infrastructure, SOE monopolies and lengthy procedures are key challenges in the energy sector -- References -- Notes -- Part IV Assessing opportunities and constraints in Kosovo -- Assessing opportunities and constraints in Kosovo -- 9 Overview: Identifying strategic opportunities for Kosovo -- Towards a vision for Kosovo in 2030: strong economic growth and rising living standards contributing to healthier and longer lives built on equal access to quality education, strong human capital, respect for the environment and democratic and effect ... -- Assessing Kosovo's development performance -- Sustainable development: summary of Kosovo's performance and key constraints -- Suggestions for strategic priorities for Kosovo -- References -- 10 Impact of COVID-19 in Kosovo -- Evolution of the pandemic -- Policy responses and economic impact -- Dimensions of vulnerability to further socio-economic impact from COVID-19 -- Material well-being and social protection -- Health and non-material well-being -- References -- 11 Multi-dimensional analysis of development in Kosovo -- People towards better lives for all -- Improving well-being for all -- Regional inequalities are evident in access to basic infrastructure, and minority groups risk being left behind -- Prioritising quality jobs for all -- Young people and women find themselves outside the labour market -- Labour market institutions need to be strengthened and working conditions improved -- Boosting education quality -- Improving health and social protection coverage -- Kosovo's health system fails to deliver quality results and access to care -- The equity and targeting of Kosovo's social protection schemes can be improved -- Ensuring social inclusion of women beyond the labour market -- Achieving social cohesion -- Prosperity boosting productivity -- Kosovo's growth model over the past decade has undermined competitiveness and discouraged productivity-enhancing investment and job creation -- Domestic demand has largely driven economic growth over the past decade -- Investment has supported the growth of non-tradable services and real estate -- Low productivity and high wage growth have limited job creation and weakened competitiveness -- Towards more sustainable growth -- A more reliable electricity supply can improve investment prospects -- Strengthening governance and improving the business environment will reduce the cost of doing business in Kosovo and enhance trust in institutions -- Corruption and weak contract enforcement -- The administrative and bureaucratic burden remains high -- Partnerships and financing financing sustainable development -- Kosovo's economy needs more diversified financing for investment and growth -- Revenue performance has been weak on account of the low tax rates, limited tax base and inefficient tax collection -- Government current expenditures have crowded out investment in priority areas for development -- Access to finance is particularly constrained for SMEs -- Peace and institutions strengthening governance -- An overly complicated structure and.
• political interference may undermine the effectiveness of the public administration -- The current form of decentralisation creates incentives for patronage instead of spending on public goods -- The judicial system is formally strong but remains inefficient and too exposed to interference -- Lack of accountability and financial mismanagement in POEs may undermine macroeconomic stability -- Property rights need to be strengthened through better registration procedures and greater awareness about existing laws -- Faster procedures, better institutional design and awareness campaigns about land rights can enhance property registration -- Securing property rights is paramount to future development -- Lack of human resources and harmonised methodological standards impede the quality of statistical products -- Planet conserving nature -- Mismanagement of natural resources could hamper Kosovo's future development path -- Kosovo's rich ecosystem and biodiversity are threatened -- Serious gaps exist in the sustainable management of minerals -- Environmental quality of life must be improved -- Air pollution is a serious threat -- Waste management remains a challenge -- Water mismanagement could hurt Kosovo's development -- Implementation and enforcement of environmental legislation remains weak -- The energy supply is unsustainable, insufficiently diverse and inefficient -- A high dependency on domestic and heavily polluting coal production -- Energy supply is unreliable -- Energy efficiency needs to be improved and the social and environmental impact of energy production reduced -- References -- Notes -- Part V Assessing opportunities and constraints in North Macedonia -- Assessing opportunities and constraints in North Macedonia -- 12 Overview: Identifying strategic opportunities for North Macedonia -- Towards a vision for North Macedonia in 2030: high quality of life, including access to quality education and health care for all citizens, built on sustainable economic development through an innovative local industry in combination with environment ... -- Assessing North Macedonia's development performance -- People towards better lives for all -- Prosperity boosting productivity -- Partnerships and financing financing sustainable development -- Peace and institutions strengthening governance -- Planet conserving nature -- Suggestions for strategic priorities for North Macedonia -- References -- Notes -- 13 Impact of COVID-19 in North Macedonia -- Evolution of the pandemic -- Policy responses and economic impact -- Dimensions of vulnerability to further socio-economic impact from COVID-19 -- Material well-being and social protection -- Health and non-material well-being -- References -- 14 Multi-dimensional analysis of development in North Macedonia -- People towards better lives for all -- Improving well-being for all -- LGBTI communities face continued discrimination and little acceptance in a rather conservative society -- Prioritising quality jobs and equal participation for all -- Young people and women are excluded from the labour market and society as a whole -- Labour market institutions need to be strengthened -- Boosting education quality at all levels -- Improving health and social protection coverage for all -- The rising burden of lifestyle diseases and adverse child health outcomes need to be addressed by increased healthcare funding and more efficient organisation, especially in public PHC -- Despite recent reforms, the current social protection system is not fully financially sustainable due to a low formal worker contribution base -- Prosperity boosting productivity -- Weak linkages between the FDI sector and the rest of the economy have mitigated the structural transformation of the economy -- Weak FDI spillovers and productivity growth have negatively affected economic growth and job creation -- Strengthening human capital can help turning FDI into stronger economic growth and quality jobs -- Firms face significant skills gaps and weak capacities for innovation and technology adoption -- North Macedonian firms do not invest sufficiently in innovation or meet quality standards necessary for GVC integration -- Boosting skills is essential for productivity growth and GVC integration -- Political and regulatory uncertainty and corruption discourage investment and enterprise growth -- Partnerships and financing financing sustainable development -- The fiscal space has narrowed, limiting the scope for further provision of economic stimulus -- Revenue performance is constrained by high informality, low tax rates and high exemptions -- Current expenditures are high and crowd out capital spending -- Financing is constrained, particularly for SMEs -- Peace and institutions strengthening governance -- Lagging fiscal capacity, a complex system of transfers and inefficient territorial organisation may hamper decentralisation reforms -- The approach to regional development is confusing and creates inefficiencies -- The judicial system suffers from undue external interference -- Agricultural land is still very fragmented, undermining productivity and sustainability -- North Macedonia has made significant progress in strengthening statistical capacity, but the lack of a census and prevailing gaps in social statistics prevent accurate policy design -- Planet conserving nature -- North Macedonia is highly exposed and vulnerable to multiple hazards -- North Macedonia is vulnerable to earthquakes, floods and extreme temperatures -- Complex institutional organisation for disaster management and lack of disaster risk reduction (DRR) integration into sectoral planning produce inefficiencies in practice -- The environmental quality of life of all Macedonians is deteriorating -- Air pollution is a serious threat -- Waste management remains a challenge in North Macedonia -- The efficiency of water management needs to be improved -- The enforcement and implementation of environmental legislation remains weak -- North Macedonia is highly dependent on coal, and energy supply is not sufficiently secure and efficient -- North Macedonia highly depends on domestic and heavily polluting coal production, and energy imports -- Energy supply is unreliable in North Macedonia -- Energy production is not efficient and has an environmental impact -- References -- Notes -- Part VI Assessing opportunities and constraints in Serbia -- Assessing opportunities and constraints in Serbia -- 15 Overview: Identifying strategic opportunities for Serbia -- Towards a vision for Serbia in 2030: a healthy, cohesive, more inclusive and equal society and a clean environment built on economic and social development through education, skills and digitalisation in combination with good governance, democracy, d.
• Assessing Serbia's development performance -- People towards better lives for all -- Prosperity boosting productivity -- Partnerships and financing financing sustainable development -- Peace and institutions strengthening governance -- Planet conserving nature -- Strategic priorities for development in Serbia -- References -- Notes -- 16 Impact of COVID-19 in Serbia -- Evolution of the pandemic -- Policy responses and economic impact -- Dimensions of vulnerability to further socio-economic impact from COVID-19 -- Material well-being and social protection -- Health and non-material well-being -- References -- 17 Multi-dimensional analysis of development in Serbia -- People towards better lives for all -- Improving well-being for all, everywhere -- Strengthening the productive potential and equal participation of all citizens of Serbia -- Young people and women need better labour market integration -- Women's participation in Serbian society is not yet equal -- Labour market institutions need to be strengthened -- Boosting education quality -- Improving health and social protection outcomes -- Quality of health care has deteriorated amid austerity measures and reliance on frequently evaded social contributions -- Pensions and social assistance schemes fail to prevent poverty -- Prosperity boosting productivity -- Stronger investment, productivity growth and income convergence -- Investment is hampered by weaknesses in the administrative and regulatory environment, corruption and weak competition -- Regulatory and administrative burden -- Corruption -- Competition -- Economic upgrading and smart specialisation are constrained by weaknesses in the skills profile of the workforce -- Skills -- Innovation and technology adoption -- Partnerships and financing financing sustainable development -- Low domestic savings have constrained domestic investment, an impact only partially offset by external financing inflows -- Public debt dynamics have improved, but risks persist -- Stronger growth in capital expenditures is needed, alongside more binding limits on current spending -- More diversified financing options are needed to support SME innovation and growth -- Peace and institutions strengthening governance -- Checks and balances on the executive are weakening -- The judiciary lacks institutional guarantees of independence and has limited capacity -- Fragmented decentralisation and regional development frameworks undermine the balanced development of local communities -- After initial dynamism, the decentralisation process in Serbia lost momentum -- Serbia lacks a harmonised regional development framework -- The public administration continues to be exposed to political influence -- The state has not yet developed the capacity to plan and prioritise strategically -- The implementation of anti-corruption strategies has been slow -- Serbia has seen stark improvement in statistical capacity but can still strengthen statistical independence and processes to ensure confidentiality -- Planet conserving nature -- Serbia is exposed and vulnerable to multiple natural hazards -- The deterioration of the environmental quality of life of all citizens of Serbia -- Air pollution is a serious threat, and the level of some pollutants, especially acidifying gases, remains unchanged since 1990 -- Waste management is a challenge in Serbia in terms of collection, treatment and reporting -- Poor-quality drinking water and water pollution affect public health in Serbia -- Governance issues and inefficiencies undermine the quality of the water supply -- Enforcement and implementation of environmental legislation remains weak, and the decision-making process and funding for environmental matters lack transparency -- Serbia is highly dependent on coal and lacks a coherent long-term strategy that combines energy and climate targets -- High dependency on domestic and heavily polluting coal production continues to be prioritised, despite existing environmental and climate challenges -- Serbia has moved to diversify its energy mix through hydropower, wind, solar, biomass and biogas, but electricity production still takes a toll on the environment -- Serbia should aim to make its energy supply more reliable -- Energy efficiency policies, including in electricity generation, should complement shifts in the energy mix -- References -- Notes.
• The Western Balkans region has come a long way over the last two decades in achieving economic and social progress. With a population of 17.6 million, the region today boasts a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of close to EUR 100 billion, an average GDP per capita of about EUR 5 400 and a comprehensive process of integration with the European Union.
• Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.