Regional Development in the Republic of Macedonia in accordance with the Law on Balanced Regional Development

Abstract

Regional development is a contemporary issue not only for the
Republic of Macedonia, but also for the European Union. This
problem has just started to attract attention in the Republic of
Macedonia. Europe urges for and favours the idea that the
development should not be addressed only locally, within the
municipality, but should also get attention from another, higher,
level, that is, regionally. Nowadays, the European Union spends a
substantial part of its Budget on the Regional Policy and Cohesion
Policy of its member states. In each European country
individually, depending on the state system and the level of
development, the policy on regional development is implemented
differently and is implemented by different bodies. The modest
beginnings and the level at which the Republic of Macedonia is
now should not hinder or obstruct the efforts for supporting and
further developing the regions by national and local authorities.
Without strong regional policy, Macedonia will not accede to EU.
In this context, institutions must be harmonized with EU
requirements. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explain the
institution in charge of the implementation of the regional policy
of the Republic of Macedonia, the Bureau for Regional
Development, and its current position in the system, and to give
recommend that the Bureau change its status, and become an
agency for regional development, assuming all the powers which
would belong to it, if the example of certain European states is to
be followed.