SPATIALITIES OF EUROPEANIZATION IN THE WESTERN BALKANS

Project Information

EURoWEB

Grant agreement ID: 101028592

DOI

10.3030/101028592

Project closed

EC signature date 11 March 2021

Start date 1 October 2021

End date 31 March 2024

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 186 167,04

EU contribution

€ 186 167,04

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAET GRAZ
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EURoWEB (SPATIALITIES OF EUROPEANIZATION IN THE WESTERN BALKANS)

Reporting period: 2021-10-01 to 2023-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Europeanization is a contested term, especially in the Western Balkans undergoing a complex transformation. Most of the research and debates about the Balkans focus on nation-states, their relationship with the EU, and ethnic conflicts in the region, leaving aside other processes occurring in the context of Europeanization elsewhere. The main objective of the Marie Curie EUROWEB project was to illuminate how Europeanization in the Balkans unfolds through a direct collaboration of cities via transnational urban networks. To achieve this goal the project opened a dialogue between urban studies and Southeast European studies and developed a new framework for analysing Europeanization broad enough to encompass its various manifestations at different spatial levels.
The findings are significant for the society as they point to the continuous Europeanization efforts among urban actors in the Western Balkans, despite the slowing pace of the European Integration of the region. They can inform EU enlargement and cohesion policies and influence urban policymaking in the Western Balkans and beyond.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Main project activities included: 1) Training to develop my research profile and enhance my knowledge in Europeanization, social network analysis (SNA), and qualitative network analysis (QNA) as well as to develop my professional competencies; 2) SNA and QNA research, analyzing interurban networks in the Balkans and conducting interviews with urban actors to understand Europeanization dynamics 3) Dissemination through two conference presentations (Regional Studies Association in Leipzig and the European Urban Research Association in Reykjavik), two articles (one published in the East European Politics and one submitted to the Urban Research & Practice) workshop Europeanization and Urban Transformation in Southeast Europe (Figure 2), preparation of the monograph "Spaces of Europeanization in Balkans: Cities, Networks and Urban Epistemic Communities," and a special issue of the Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, both contracted for publication by Routledge; 4) Outreach through a LinkedIn account and website, blog article, two MSCA Ambassador events, MSCA Fellow of the Week as well as the participation in the European Researchers Night in Vienna.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

This project had a profound impact on my career trajectory. Despite facing challenges such as relocating to a new country with my family during the pandemic, the project provided me with valuable opportunities for professional development and networking. It enabled me to establish myself as an independent researcher with internationally recognised expertise in Europeanization and urban studies. This is proven by the main project results: a published article, a submitted article, a special issue and a monograph in preparation, all of which introduce the new paradigm for studying the Europeanization process in the Balkans region and beyond. The key innovation produced by the project is a new spatially sensitive conception of the
Europeanization of the Balkans, which diverts attention from conflicts at the national level and redirects it to the insufficiently illuminated practices of cooperation that take place at the
subnational and supranational levels. Since the project involved numerous urban practitioners from the Balkans as participants, it provided them with a better understanding of the Europeanization of cities arising from direct collaboration with European networks and cities within the European Union.

Fellow of the week

Workshop Europeaniztion and Urban Transformation in the SEE

European researchers nigh poster

Balkans cities in the European interurban networks