The observatory for spatial planning and environment in South East Europe: Comments and contribution of Yugoslav side

One of major initial results of the ESTIA project1 is the common idea on the ESTIA Spatial Observatory (O.S.P.E.), the system for monitoring spatial development and planning policies of six partner countries in the project. The basic idea is to have a 'qualitative and quantitative framework of data' with a data-base constructed with available, reliable and comparable data for the six countries' spatial planning system. The Observatory for Spatial Planning and Environment in South East Europe (O.S.P.E.) we deem as a major step towards better understanding and cooperation among countries in this unstable region of Europe. A number of clashes between neighboring countries have been the result of uncoordinated, even opposed actions in spatial terms. An attempt in the direction of a common check point for registering, analyzing, coordinating and monitoring of existing systems policies and, as a result, their planned actions, might be of substantial use for creating a new kind of understanding and joint way of thinking in South East Europe in the future. Therefore, we estimate that Yugoslav proceedings prepared for the Bucharest 3. ESTIA meeting (Stojkov, Vujošević, Subotić, Petovar, Stojanović 1999.) could be referent for the further elaboration of the O.S.P.E. idea