Transition Process in the Western Balkans: How Much Successful Is This Story?

The last enlargement of the European Union put Western Balkans countries into focus of integration, and thus the countries became an area where future integration is expected. Future enlargement of the European Union depends on the success of the previous EU accession, as well as on the achieved results of the transition process in the Western Balkans, since these countries are not on the same level as the developed European countries or new member states. The region contains small countries that are at different stages on their road towards membership. Transition is a comprehensive process of economic and political reforms that creates many shocks in the economy, and when this process occurs in a politically unstable and war environment, as the case being with the Western Balkans, the results may be very unfavorable. Formal agreements improved the relations between these countries and the European Union, thereby had an influence on risk reduction and increased business transparency, resulting in a growing interest of foreign investors for the region. Despite increased investments in the region and rapid economic growth, Western Balkan countries have only 21 (Albania) and 52% (Croatia) of the average European Union Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, indicating the need for faster implementation of reforms and individual involvement of countries into the process of European integration. There is a significant development gap between Western Balkan countries, so observing the region as a whole and applying a singular strategy in the sense of its economic leveling and the process of EU accession would have a negative impact on Croatia, as the most developed country of the region.

Managing Health Risks during the Balkans Floods

Floods have always had and will continue to have significant consequences for society. In May 2014, there was widespread flooding in the Balkans affecting Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. The aim of this article is to show that resilient and proactive health systems that anticipate needs and challenges are more likely to reduce risks and respond effectively during emergencies, saving lives and alleviating human suffering. The method draws on multiple sources of information, including a Balkan case study questionnaire survey with public health professionals involved in response to floods (n = 18) from three affected countries, and focus group discussion results (n = 43) presented at the meeting on “Prevention, preparedness and response to reduce or avoid health effects of flood events”, held in Bonn, Germany, in October 2015. The proposed range of measures to protect population health, organized around flood prevention, preparedness, response and recovery listed issues and considerations largely corresponds to the identified needs by Member State requests, following the Balkan country experiences. The consideration of lessons for early warning, preparedness and response and the integration of research results would lead to improved preparedness measures to better prevent flooding risks. Experiences in the WHO European Region point to a need to shift the emphasis from disaster response to long-term risk management.

The Territory and the Respect for Borders,as a Condition for the Peace and Stability in the Balkans

States cannot be considered as such,if lacking these two elements:their population and their territory.The territory of a state consists of what is called the opportunity for development,advancement,and well-being of its citizens.But territories cannot be considered occupied or not,unless people live in them.Thus,people,not territories,are the object and subject of conquests and rulers,of governance and self-governance.All Balkan conflicts are caused by disputes over territories.They are often referred to as ethnic or religious conflicts,but,in fact,they were and they still remain conflicts over territories.These conflicts neither were nor appeared as civil wars for social or religious reasons,but they were ethnic wars.Therefore,the establishment and continuation of the peace process depends both on mutual respect of the Balkan states for their territorial integrity,as well as on respect for minorities.The current discussion on the modification of the Kosovo borders,as well as the tendency that Serbia gains territories from Kosovo in exchange for resolving the Albanian-Serbian conflict,is a precedent for a new chain of conflicts in the Balkans.The reasons why there can be no such solution to the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia are numerous.But the main one is that all states would gain the right to change borders in favor of creating ethnically purified societies.Any change of borders in Europe,but also elsewhere sets a precedent for further changes.The aim of this paper is to lay the argument why the modification of borders between Kosovo and Serbia has no ground in the international law and,to make clear the danger that such modification produces for the peace,stability,and security in the Balkans and beyond.

The Evolution of the EU‟s Security Model Through the Lenses of the Balkans

As the world stage evolves,the EU has faced multiple security challenges in terms of instability and geostrategic competition starting in its back yard.Since the end of the Cold War,the security model of Europe has been evolving as a response to internal as well as to external challenges.The Balkans has since played a key role in the European security system and governance.However,the Western Balkans remains fragile,and the external pressures and internal divisions could deliver fresh instability to the region.Thus,this scenario forms a fit-for-purpose case study to test the EU‟s future security model.It can be argued that the EU has the power of adaptation and growth,although its internal malfunctions have scrutinised its influence in the region and beyond,while other great powers urge to fill the power vacuum.As a result,a quantum leap forward in EU leadership appears to be critical.This article first outlines the EU‟s deepening and widening security sector.Second,it examines the weaknesses and strengths of the EU‟s current security model.It then observes the role and perspectives of the region's key strategic allies and competitors:the United States,Russia,and China.Finally,it discusses the EU‟s future model.

Archaeological Mineralogy and the Dawn of Gemmology:Prehistoric(7th-5th Millennium BC)Gem Minerals and Gold from the Balkans（South-East Europe）

The territory of the Balkan Peninsula in SE Europe is reviewed, from the point of gemmology, as the cradle of gem and decorative minerals and metals in European prehistory. During the local Neolithic period (end of 7 th -6 th millennium BC), as material for tools or for beads, nephrite (with the earliest known Balkan nephrite culture), jadeite-omphacite and quartz (different varieties) were introduced to make pendants and idols. Large quantities of copper and gold artifacts are known since the Chalcolithic period (5 th millennium BC)(unique for the region;the largest in number of gold artifacts is the Varna I Chalcolithic necropolis in Bulgaria). The gemmological materials in the Balkans are known for malachite, antigorite serpentinite, turquoise, rock crystal, carnelian, jasper, jet and obsidian. In the Varna I necropolis (mid 5 th millennium BC) are recorded the first known complex faceted carnelian beads with 32 facets, as well as some of the most important gemmological techniques and procedures such as faceting, tumbling, annealing, miniaturization and standardization. As pigments for pottery, cinnabar, graphite and gold were used in different prehistoric sites. The earliest salt production in the Balkans is known from sites in Romania and Bulgaria, and because of its trade, salt is positively linked to a population rich with prestigious goods. The introduced possible Chalcolithic weight unit “van”(2 carats) is supposed to be the earliest known in prehistoric times.

From Cooperation to Confrontation:The Collapse of the Reform Concept Led by Austria-Hungary and Russia in Macedonia(1903-1908)

As two major Great Powers in the geopolitics of the Balkans,the relationship between Austria-Hungary and Russia directly affected the stability of the political situation in Europe and the Balkans.At the beginning of the 20th century,the Austro-Russian cooperation dominated the Macedonian reforms,but with the deepening of the reforms,the structural contradictions between the two countries were fully exposed,and the original cooperative relationship went to a rupture.This drastically changed relationship became an important factor in the restructuring of relations between the Great Powers and the Balkan states before the First World War.

Geodynamics of the South Balkan and Northern Aegean Regions Driven by the Westward Escape of Anatolia

The Plio-Quaternary deformation pattern of the northern Aegean and south Balkan regions is interpreted as an effect of the interaction between the Anatolian-Aegean-Pelagonian system (Tethyan belt), undergoing westward extrusion and strong deformation, and the surrounding plates (Nubia, Europe and Adriatic). Since the middle-late Miocene, the collision of the Tethyan belt with the continental Adriatic domain has caused strong E-W shortening in the outer Hellenides and Albanides, also involving the southward extrusion of the Peloponnesus wedge, at the expense of the Ionian oceanic domain. The roughly E-W extension recognized in the western South Balkan zones (Macedonia and eastern Albania) is related to the divergence between the Pelagonian belt (Albanides and Hellenides) and the Rhodope-Moesia domain. Stressed by the westward displacement of the central Anatolian plateau and by the southward bowing of the Cycladic Arc, the northern Aegean zone has contemporaneously undergone E-W compression and N-S extension, which has generated a series of dextral shear faults, delimiting a number of slats. The westward displacement and deformation of such slats can explain the morphological features of the northern Aegean zone. During this phase, the push of the central Anatolian plateau also caused the separation of the Rhodope massif from the Moesian European domain, with the consequent formation of the upper Thrace basin. This hypothesis can explain the Plio-Quaternary compressional deformations recognized in a sector of the North Anatolian fault system, the Ganos-Gelibolu zone. The proposed geodynamic/tectonic interpretation may help to explain some features of the time-space distribution of major earthquakes in the study area.

Buildingtypolo of Albanian kulla stone houses in the Balkans

This paper aims to establish a unified typology for the culturally significant kulla stone houses built in the cross-border region of Kosovo,Albania,and Montenegro during the 18th and 19th centuries.Despite some attempts at typological categorisation on the national level,a joint typology for this region currently needs to be improved.Based on existing literature and field research,the paper identifies the specificities of different geographical locations while validating the core attributes common to all typological variations.The findings suggest that the joint typological classification of kulla in the Balkans should primarily be based on architectural elements and,to some extent,setting,building materials and techniques,while functional composition is consistent across all types.The paper argues that defining a common typology for the Albanian kulla stone houses in the Balkans is crucial for evaluating,preserving,and developing kulla as serial properties and for their future regional development.

Potential of Constructed Wetland for Wastewater Treatment in Rural Areas in Kosovo

Republic of Kosovo has 1,304 settlements from which only 37 are urban and 1,267 are rural. Shown in percentage, only 39.2% （765,125） of inhabitants live in urban areas. The focus is to work and find the best and cheap solutions for the 60.8% （1,173,370） of inhabitants of the country which live in rural areas. From this number only 42% of them have access to the sewage network while 60.8% of them have implemented individual solutions （latrines） without any treatment, leading to a large pollution of the water bodies. The existing rural sewage networks are built only with septic tanks, poorly designed and do not fulfill the wastewater treatment criteria. Regarding this issue, the Kosovan legislation concerns only urban areas （settlements of more than 2,000 inhabitants） and is expected to be completed in 2014 for rural areas according to the EU （European Union） directive for wastewater discharge. As a pilot project, the CDI （community development initiatives） started with WWTP （waste water treatment plants） based on the Vertical Constructed Wetland option （french model） as it appears to be the most adapted option in this rolling, rural, and temperate climate context, implementing this kind of treatment in 3 villages for the first time in Kosovo. Through this, it is interesting to take a perspective on all the phases of these projects starting from feasibility reports, project design to concept and modalities of implementation and options for operation and maintenance, in order to assess how this technical option is feasible and replicable in the country at a large scale. It finally appears that the potential for constructed wetland in the Balkan region is promising as it provides a simple solution for most of the regional constraints, but requires skills to be developed locally for designing and building as well as a deeper consideration in the national regulation.

Assessment of Impacts and Risks of Air Pollution Applying Two Strategies of Numerical Chemistry Transport Modelling

Assessment of harmful impacts and risks of air pollution in case of accidents as well as of long lasting exposition is an important challenge of chemical transport modeling. Sad confirmation of this statement unexpectedly has come from the nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima which occurred while this paper was finalized. Two strategies to comply with the task of impact and risk assessment in extended regions like Central Europe or the Balkans are described. The first one is characterized by application of a single model system to an extended domain. The other one is based on the combined application of several chemical transport models designed for the use in various sub-domains in the region under consideration. Advantages and disadvantages exist for both approaches. For instance, the single model strategy allows unified and harmonized assessment of risks in a larger region, whereas the combined model strategy may pro-vide faster and locally more specific response in emergency cases. The single model approach is treated exploiting applications of the EURAD model system. The combined model approach is a novel way of joint use of chemical transport model systems developed for the Balkans. The models are described and the accuracy of simulations carried out with them is briefly demonstrated by comparison of simulated and observed concentrations of air pollutants. Applications regarding the search of sources for high pollution events and the assessment of risks through known sources are exem-plarily discussed.

Transition along gradient from warm to mesic temperate forests evaluated by GAMM

Aims The aim of the study was to discover what set of variables best explains the transition from warm to mesic forest vegetation.Based on various variables grouped into sets(geomorphological,ecological,structural,soil characteristics and chorological),six models were built and tested by generalized additive mixed models(GAMMs).We assumed that each set of variables has different explanatory power.Our aim was to compare the six different models(sets of variables),to test which model best explains the species turnover in forest communities along the transition between warm and mesic temperate forests and to try to find reasons for the different explanatory power of the models.Methods The research took place in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula.Field sampling was done according to standard methods.The gradient from warm to mesic forests was defined as the turnover of species and evaluated by projection of samples on the first unconstrained DCA axis.Geomorphological,ecological,structural and soil characteristics,together with chorological sets of variables,were regressed on the turnover of species composition.Based on the five sets of variables,six models were constructed and tested by generalized additive mixed models.Important Findings Ecological conditions best explain the change of forest communities along the gradient;evolution and the development of vegetation reflected in chorotypes are also of high importance;geomorphology and structure seem not to change so dramatically and soil shows the least significant differences of all.Ecological variables are the most important set of variables in the transition between warm and mesic temperate forests but eco-evolutionary dynamics after the Pleistocene should also be taken into consideration.

Comparison of erosion and erosion control works in Macedonia,Serbia and Bulgaria

While soils are as essential to human society as air and water,soil degradation has not received nearly as much attention as the threats to these other elements.On the map of water erosion of Europe,Southern Europe is red"colored".Erosion in the Balkan countries,through both on and offsite effects is a major cause of soil and water degradation.This paper compares erosion control works in several countries from the Balkan region(Macedonia,Serbia,and Bulgaria).The basis for comparative analyses was various country reports as well as available published papers.Quantitative method-text analyze method was used for these study.Natural conditions in the Balkan countries contribute to the appearance of various erosion forms and the intensity of the erosion processes.Over the history of these countries,people who settled this region used the available natural resources to fill their needs(tree cutting,incorrect plugging,overgrazing),which contributed to soil erosion.Organized erosion control works in the Balkans started in the beginning of the 20th century(1905 in Bulgaria).The highest intensity of erosion control works were carried out during the period 1945-1990.Various erosion control works were launched.Bulgaria had a large anti-erosion afforestation,almost 1 million ha.Bulgaria's ecological river restoration approach has been in use for almost 50 years.Serbia contributed significant erosion and torrent control works on hilly agricultural areas.Specific screen barrages and afforestation on extremely dry areas are characteristic in Macedonia.A common characteristic for all countries is a high decrease in erosion control works in the last 20 years.

Genetic climatic regionalization of the Balkan Peninsula using cluster analysis

Sea Level Pressure（SLP） data for the period 1950–2012 at 61 stations located in or around the Balkan Peninsula was used. The main concept is that intra-annual course of SLP represents the best different air masses that are situated over the Balkan Peninsula during the year. The method for differentiation of climatic zones is cluster analysis. A hierarchical clustering technique–average linkage between groups with Pearson correlation for measurement of intervals was employed in the research. The climate of the Balkan Peninsula is transitional between oceanic and continental and also between subtropical and temperate climates. Several major changes in atmospheric circulation over the Balkan Peninsula have happened over the period 1950–2012. There is a serious increase of the influence of the Azores High in the period January–Marchwhich leads to an increase of SLP and enhances oceanic influence. There is an increase of the influence of the north-west extension of the monsoonal low in the period June–September. This leads to more continental climatebut also to more tropical air masses over the Balkan Peninsula. Accordinglythe extent of subtropical climate widens in northern direction. There is an increase of the influence of the Siberian High in the period October–December. This influence covers central and eastern part of the peninsula in October and Novemberand it reaches western parts in December. Thusthe climate becomes more continental.