Europeanization of the Western Balkans ― Environmental Governance in Bosnia-herzegovina and Serbia

Following the violent conflicts in the 1990s, the internationally-driven peace building missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia have been replaced by strategies to push both countries towards European Union accession.

The two states provide an interesting contrast. The complex, fragmented institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina resulted from an internationally imposed constitution, as part of an ambitious project to build a state from scratch. Serbia inherited its administrative and technical capacities from Yugoslavia, so the transformation is focused on adapting practices from the previous regime to comply with European standards.

Focusing on a particular policy domain – environmental governance – the book considers how new institutions are created and how they develop alongside existing structures on a national and EU level. It analyses consultative processes around major infrastructure projects in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia funded by international financial institutions such as the World Bank in order to ascertain to what extent international agencies and other governmental and non-governmental organisations have contributed to environmental governance in line with European best practice.

Adam Fagan is Professor of European Politics at Queen Mary, University of London, and Professorial Fellow at the London School of Economic and Political Science. He is the author of Environment and Democracy in the Czech Republic (2004) and Europe's Balkan Dilemma (2010).

Indraneel Sircar is a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the School of Politics and International Relations, Queen Mary University of London. His research focuses on the Europeanization of environmental governance and rule of law in the Western Balkans. He has published articles in European Union Politics, Party Politics, and Environmental Politics.