Challenges of Regularisation of Informal Settlements in South-East Europe

NALAS has published a new report addressing an issue of central importance to the social, economic and institutional development of local governments in South-East Europe. Challenges of regularisation of informal settlements of thirteen entities with diverse backgrounds in terms of economic management and political structure were assesed. Almost all are currently at different stages of a major socioeconomic transition which imposes new challenges for all sectors of economic management. Rapid urban growth has generated a dramatic increase in the need for land, services, credit and livelihood opportunities. Understandably, local governments have found it difficult to keep pace with the complexity and scale of these needs. As a result, people have resorted to self-help and various types of informal settlements have emerged in all the countries as observed by the local government associations that participated in the Study.

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Municipal Solid Waste Information System Model

There is a common understanding that waste management in the region of South-eastern Europe is burdened with a lack of relevant information on municipal waste at the local level, and consequently, often characterized by inadequate tariffs and inefficient service. The need for municipalities and Public Utility Companies (PUCs) to undertake efforts in order to provide services as efficient and affordable as possible is therefore clear. In order to improve service levels in municipal waste management policy at the local level, efficiency and quality must be enhanced under the umbrella of an affordable tariff structure. This makes continual analysis and planning essential. Service level evaluation, performance indicator comparison and planning needs require the development of standardized solid waste management calculation tools based on up-to-date information. The harmonisation of the information required for processing and comparison purposes is crucial, and is mirrored in the needs of waste management information tools. It is commonly recognized that solid waste management in South East Europe is weakened by the lack of reliable data at local, institutional and national level. The SWIS model is a tool designed for municipal waste management data collection and analysis and is intended for use by public entities in charge for the provision of this service. It will help local governments to collect and process relevant data on the most important questions in municipal waste management.

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Guidelines on Local Government Borrowing

This publication contains best experiences available in the region of South East Europe in debt financing and managing complex capital investment projects.
Improved information is intended also to lead to proposals for changes in laws and regulations that are restricting local borrowing in some countries. In this guide the project team analyzed recent trends (2010) in local government borrowing in Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Republika Srpska – BiH, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.

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ICT for Local Governments

The ICT for Local Governments is a guidance study based on best practices for establishment of Local e-Government services. It is aimed primarily for the South East Europe region, but can be used for all developing or transitional countries. It also contains an extensive list of references and resources that can mitigate the transition from basic ICT usage towards a connected local e-Government.

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Energy Efficiency Measures in South-East European Municipalities and The Role of National Associations and NALAS

A network-wide assessment of the needs and potentials for joint activities of the member associations promoting Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the local level has been compiled within the framework of a NALAS study. A total of 13 member associations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey participated in the study group, which was working under the auspices of the NALAS Task Force on Energy Efficiency. The study is available on the link below.

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Citizen Participation in the Urban Planning Process

Proper planning asks for citizens’ participation. This process may be a round table or workshops or a large public debate with stakeholders direct or indirect affected or interested. The general objective of the document is to contribute in stimulating “demand” for public participation in the planning process, inviting the local major stakeholders to navigate through the a large array of techniques which in long run certainly help for a good governance in the municipalities.

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Legislation and analysis of the implementation of spatial and urban planning

One of the most important and biggest competencies that have been transferred from the central to the local level is spatial and urban planning. Planning is a responsibility shared by central and local authorities. Spatial and urban planning is a continuous process that needs to be mutually coordinated in a complementary way. Likewise, it needs to be coordinated with the large number of priorities coming from different areas of competency, in particular economic and social development and environmental protection. This publication is an effort to analyse the legislation and implementation of the spatial and urban planning in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Republic of Srpska and Turkey.

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