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Developing a framework for sustainable regional development in the Western Balkans
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Besim Kamberaj 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
The Western Balkans continue to face persistent challenges, including fragmented economies, institutional fragility, and environmental vulnerability, despite decades of integration efforts. However, existing research often addresses regional cooperation, economic integration, or sustainability in isolation, creating a gap in understanding how these dimensions interact to shape long-term development (Sanfey & Milatović, 2019; Zeneli, 2014). This study addresses this problem by developing a multidimensional framework for sustainable regional development that systematically integrates these three interdependent pillars. Using qualitative document analysis of 39 policy reports, academic studies, and civil society contributions (Bowen, 2009), the research identifies key barriers including fluctuating political will, uneven governance, and policy fragmentation alongside opportunities in civil society engagement, innovative financing, and European Union (EU) aligned collaboration (Draçi et al., 2022; Bartlett et al., 2022). The findings demonstrate that economic integration cannot succeed without parallel governance reforms, and that sustainability must be embedded as a foundational principle rather than an add-on. By bridging this gap, the study contributes both a theoretical synthesis and a practical roadmap for policymakers and stakeholders to harmonize economic, institutional, and environmental reforms in the Western Balkans.
Keywords: Western Balkans, Regional Development, Regional Cooperation, Economic Integration, Sustainability
Authors’ individual contribution: The Author is responsible for all the contributions to the paper according to CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) standards.
Declaration of conflicting interests: The Author declares that there is no conflict of interest.
JEL Classification: F15, O18, R11, Q01, Z32
Received: 12.02.2025
Revised: 30.04.2025; 19.09.2025; 23.12.2025
Accepted: 06.01.2026
Published online: 07.01.2026
How to cite this paper: Kamberaj, B. (2026). Developing a framework for sustainable regional development in the Western Balkans. Corporate Governance and Sustainability Review, 10(1), 62–71. https://doi.org/10.22495/cgsrv10i1p6
