The impact of Europeanisation on the Nature Protection System of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Example of the Establishment of Multi-Level Governance System of Protected Areas Natura 2000

Abstract

The Europeanization of South Eastern Europe led to the pre-accession process of Bosnia and Herzegovina joining the European Union. Bosnia and Herzegovina entered the pre-accession process as part of the Stabilization and Association Process with the European Union, which lasted from 1999 to 2015. Then, in 2016, Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted an official bid for entry into the European Union. This paper examines the impact of Europeanization during this period on the nature protection system in the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina while establishing multi-level governance of Natura 2000 protected areas.
An analysis of the establishment of multi-level governance is performed as a case study in three cycles according to Archer’s morphogenetic model. The case study is organized with the help of interviews and a desk analysis of the relevant documents. The first cycle explains Natura 2000 implementation projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its changing impacts on national legislation in the area of nature protection. The second cycle explains the role of the main actors in the establishment of multi-level governance of Natura 2000. The third cycle outlines the contributions to the establishment of multi-level governance of Natura 2000 in the nature protection system of Bosnia and Herzegovina and future challenges of the nature protection system of Bosnia and Herzegovina.