This chapter aims to focus and further develop the issue of the importance of the EU integration process for the improvement of the regulatory quality and rule of law in Western Balkan countries. The process of legislative reforms started in parallel with their transition process from socialist...

The development of trade relations between Western Balkan countries represents very complicated and long-term process, including regional and trade integration. In this chapter we analysed foreign trade performances and various factors that used to affect on trade results between Western Balkan...

Since 2000 perspectives of European integration for the West Balkan countries became realistic. Long period of conflicts was finally behind and through Pact for Stability in South-East Europe the EU tries to provide political and other assistance for affected countries. The main goal is their...

The main objective of this chapter is to affirm the importance of the branding process and creating a positive image of Serbia which, for many years, was faced with negative image. As a result of this fact, Serbia occupied a low position on the world map of country brand values, as presented by...

Access to finance has been identified as the most important factor that determines the survival and development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME). Depending on the financing needs, different sources of funding are available to SMEs. However, most of their external financing sources...

Natural disasters are one of the main sources of risks and economic losses in modern time. The annual economic damage for the European Union from climate change is from 0.1% to 1% in terms of gross domestic product (GDP). The projected climate change in EU can increase the economic losses of EU...

The Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) initiative aims to establish a single market for retail payments in euro, for which major progress has been made. Understanding the effects of financial innovation and new payment media on the demand for money is very important in this context. The aim of...

In this work we analyse framework for debt sustainability assessment (DSA), which is used by IMF country teams for the projections of mid-term debt-to-GDP ratio. Comparative analysis of DSA application to WB countries shows that under the baseline scenario, fiscal solvency of countries seems to...

Since its creation in 1957, the European Union (EU) has 27 member states today. The process of the enlargement of the EU is not finished yet, and the EU opens its doors to the other countries, mainly Western Balkan countries – so Serbia is the part. We present here the actual situation of the...

Portugal was the first country in Europe to join Great Britain in the Gold Standard, in 1854, having abandoned the principle of free gold convertibility in 1891. By elucidating the historical choice of the Gold Standard by the Portuguese authorities, and analysing its macroeconomic behaviour, we...