LSEE-KFG Research Workshop

"Environmental Governance in South East Europe and the Western Balkans: The Transformative Power of Europe?"

May 6, 2011 in Berlin

 

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Keynote speakers:

Prof. Liliana Andonova - Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva
Prof. Miranda Schreurs - Freie Universitat Berlin
Prof. Tanja Borzel - Freie Universitat Berlin

Other speakers:

Dr. Matthew Gorton - University of Newcastle, UK
Dr. Adam Fagan - Queen Mary, University of London / LSEE
Dr. Cristina Parau - University of Oxford
Dr. Aron Buzogany - German Research Institute for Public Administration, Speyer
Dr. Claudiu Craciun - SNSPA, Bucharest
Prof. Mina Petrović - University of Belgrade

Draft Workshop Programme:

A draft version of the workshop programme is available here.

 

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Establishing effective environmental governance across the new member and contender states of South Eastern Europe represents one of the most complex challenges for the EU. In terms of the prospects of future enlargement, and the continued transformative power of Europe, the environmental perspective provides an invaluable empirical and conceptual vantage point to consider whether lessons of previous enlargements have been learnt; to assess the implementation of soft, non-binding forms of regulation; to examine the realities of weak states and limited statehood; and to consider the extent to which limited success, or indeed outright failure, will impact upon the normative authority of the EU. In addition, the nexus of Europeanization, environmental regulation and energy security provides an interesting perspective from which to consider whether EU regulation and conditionality remain relevant in the context of significant non-EU (Russian) investment in regional energy sectors.

 

At the level of domestic politics, not only is formal compliance with the environmental acquis extremely costly and administratively burdensome, but effective implementation ultimately depends upon radical new forms of governance and interaction. Perhaps more than any other policy area, success is contingent upon governments engaging local as well as trans-national non-state actors and fostering regional co-operation in order to respond positively to global agendas on climate change, global warming and a reduction in GHGs. The extent to which the Commission is effectively driving environmental governance within South Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans also offers a valuable optic on the capacity of the EU to act as the key global player in driving climate change governance.

 

This workshop aims to bring together scholars and practitioners, both within Western Europe and the region, working on aspects of environmental governance and regulation in new member states (Bulgaria and Romania as well as CEE states), and candidate and potential candidate states within the region (Albania, Montenegro, FYROM, BiH, Serbia and Croatia). Comparative papers and perspectives are particularly welcome, as are contributions focusing on institutional as well as network analysis, or multi-level governance.

 

The specific aims of the workshop are: (i) to map and critically analyse emergent regional and inter-state co-operation; (ii) to examine the impact of Europeanization via enlargement on environmental governance (institutions and networks) in the context of weak civil societies and limited statehood; (iii) to critically assess the extent to which new forms of multilateral governance and regulation are emerging within the region; (iv) to consider “local” environmental regulation and regional responses in the context of energy sector development, climate change and ‘global’ trans-national environmental agendas and initiatives.