Authors: Simon Commander, Fabrizio Coricelli

Published by World Bank Publications, 1995

ISBN 082132988X, 9780821329887

391 pages

When transition started in Eastern Europe and in Russia, it was clear that unemployment would emerge and that, at least initially, job losses were likely to be large given size of the shocks and the disruption to systems of production and trade. How large that unemployment would be and for how long it would persist was, and to some extent remains, an unknown. This book is a first attempt at examining this phenomenon and provides a coherent framework for thinking about changes to employment in the countries that are undergoing substantial transition.

Several important and general findings emerge. First, state and privatized firms have active sought to adapt the new relative prices and markets. Second, while there as been impressive growh in the private sector, in most of the countries, many of those who have lost their former state sector jobs. Third, steps to a more efficient allocation of labor resources in the transitional economies and to a well-functioning labor market depend very powerfully on a sound macroeconomic policy.

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Services trade in the Balkans

Author: Constantine Michalopoulos, Vasileios Panousopoulos

Publisher: World Bank Publications, 2002

ISBN 0821353365, 9780821353363

34 pages

Building Competitive Firms: Incentives and Capabilities explains how firms become competitive in language suitable for both technical and non-technical readers. A simple analytical framework integrates elements such as competition policy, corporate governance, foreign direct investment, innovation readiness, intellectual property rights, e-commerce and supply chain management. These 'behind-the-border' elements are pivotal to shaping the investment climate in any country and enhancing the benefits of trade liberalization. Each of these themes is discussed in detail with a focus on policy design and international best practice in implementation.

This study was prepared in support of the Working Group on Trade Liberalization and Facilitation of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, with the objective to provide an overview of policies affecting srvices trade in seven countries of the Balkan region that signed in June 2001 the Memorandum of Understanding on Trade Liberalization and Facilitation. These countries - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - have embarkeed in a process of broad liberalization of their merchandise trade.

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HIV/Aids in the western Balkans

Authors: Joana Godinho, World Bank, Dorothee Eckertz, Nedim Jaganjac

Edition: illustrated

Publisher: World Bank Publications, 2005

ISBN 0821363948, 9780821363942

195 pages

This study was undertaken to enable regional decisionmakers and Bank management to agree on the priorities for early action in the Western Balkans to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS - and its potential human and economic costs - in the framework of the UN "Three Ones": one national AIDS Strategy that drives alignment of all partners; one national AIDS authority to coordinate it; and one nationally-owned monitoring and evaluation system.

The study also aimed at informing the Bank's policy dialogue and operational work to control HIV/AIDS in the Balkans; and contributing to building up the regional partnership between governments, civil society, UN agencies, and multilateral and bilateral agencies to prevent HIV/AIDS, sexually-transmitted infections and TB; and to improve public health in this region.

The most striking feature in the Balkans is the high-risk environment. All major factors that could serve as contributing factors for the breakout an HIV/AIDS epidemic are present in the Balkans. Severe political instability, wars and consequent economc crisis and migration in this region over the last 10 years have generated poverty and presented overwhelming challenges which have affected all countries in varying degrees

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Western Balkan Integration and the EU

Author: Kathuria Sanjay, Sanjay Kathuria

Kontributor Sanjay Kathuria

Edition: illustrated

Diterbitkan oleh World Bank Publications, 2008

ISBN 0821374729, 9780821374726

224 halaman

The Western Balkans region is a key part of Eastern Europe. It comprises of a group of diverse countries at different stages of acession to the European Union (EU) - the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Croatia are candidate countries (with Croatia having started negotiations); Albania and Montenegro have signed Stabilization and Association Agreements (SAAs), an important step in the accession process; and Serbia, along with Bosnia and Herzegovina, has initiated a draft of SAA with the European Commission. The SAA process is also expected to be open to Kosovo, once its status issues are fully resolved.

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