The (new) role of public forest administration in Western Balkans: Examples from Serbia, Croatia, FYR Macedonia and Republika Srpska

Public forest administrations in the Western Balkans were challenged when facing novel forest policies following the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990â s. To answer (i) what (formal) goals lead public forest administrations nowadays? and (ii) how do public forest administrations fulfil these goals? we have evaluated the implementation of forest policy goals in Serbia, Croatia, FYR Macedonia and Republika Srpska by using existing criteria and indicators, and the 3L Model as a theoretical basis. Survey and document analysis focused on the effects observable in state and private forests. In state forests all public/state forest enterprises were able to reach goals of being multifunctional and profitable by prioritising marketable goods. Sustaining forest stands is important, but it is met differently in practice. Performance in private forests is much weaker and the influence of ministry departments/sectors is weak. In conclusion, the potential for a new, stronger role of public forest administration exists: (i) the supply of marketable and nonâ marketable goods could be increased, whereas securing sustained forest stands remains a permanent challenge; (ii) efficiency and profits could be improved if internal and external pressures grow; (iii) joining forces of forestry actors could strengthen the currently weak political role and enable a strong forestry representative to emerge in the future.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author