REGUALTORY REFORM IN FIVE WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES: EVIDENCE AND PERSPECTIVES

This Paper analyses the importance of regulatory reform for the creation of an effective legal and regulatory system in Western Balkan countries. The authors explore the progress achieved in this reform area, arguing that regulatory reform was mostly partial, focused on specific sectors and areas, and lacked a strategic approach. It was focused on the simplification of existing regulation and the implementation of Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA).The paper concludes that in order to secure the sustainability of the regulatory reform progress, especially in the period of economic crisis, the countries in the region should apply a strategic approach in this area, focusing on the improvement of the quality of regulations and the reduction of unnecessary administrative burdens that affect business activities and investments. The process of the establishment of a competitive legal and regulatory environment should be strongly correlated with the continuation of the EU harmonization process and with the regional cooperation among the countries in the region.