Course objectives: The aim of the course is to introduce students to the environmental policies of the countries of Southeast Europe in the historical and contemporary context. Mutually connected by shared experiences of political and ideological, economic and social changes, the countries of this region also possess individual specificities, which will provide a context for the analysis of environmental problems and the development of environmental policy in this region. Relying on an interdisciplinary humanistic-social (historical-sociological) approach, and based on scientific and professional literature as well as statistical indicators and case studies, students will critically consider the effectiveness of existing environmental policies in these countries. In addition, the policies for the protection and preservation of nature and the environment in this region will be compared to other countries / regions of Europe and the world.

Enrolment requirements and/or entry competences required for the course:  

Learning outcomes at the level of the programme to which the course contributes:   

(1) Critically assess and apply theoretical perspectives to the analysis of phenomena and processes in Southeast Europe

(2) Recognize and explain the ways in which local, national and transnational processes influence social structures in Southeast Europe

(3) Explain, analyse and compare the main historical events, processes and structures in Southeast Europe

(4) Evaluate the empirical validity of statements and conclusions in various types of texts

Expected learning outcomes at the level of the course (3 to 10 learning outcomes):    

(1) Analyse environmental issues as well as measures and policies for the protection and preservation of nature and the environment in Southeast Europe

(2) Identify which local, national and transnational processes influence the development of environmental policies in Southeast Europe

(3) Compare the environmental policies of Southeast Europe with other countries / regions of Europe and the world

(4) Evaluate the effectiveness of environmental policies in the countries of Southeast Europe based on theoretical and empirical sources

Course content (syllabus):   

(1) Environmental issues in medieval Southeast Europe

(2) Environmental issues in early modern Southeast Europe

(3) Environmental issues in Southeast Europe in 19th century

(3) Environmental issues and the development of environmental policies in Southeast Europe in the late 20th and early 21st century

(4) Effectiveness of environmental protection and conservation measures in Southeast Europe – a comparative perspective

Format of instruction: lectures, seminars and workshops 

Student responsibilities:

Monitoring student work: class attendance, essay, seminar paper

1. Südosteuropa. Zeitschrift für Politik und Gesellschaft (Southeast Europe. Journal of Politics and Society) 2015 (3); speciall issue “Environmental Politics in Southeastern Europe”         
2. Börzel, T. & Fagan, A. (2015). Environmental governance in South East Europe/Western Balkans: Reassessing the transformative power of Europe. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 33. DOI: 10.1177/0263774X15608985.
3. Domazet, M. & Marinović Jerolimov, D. (eds.). (2014). Sustainability perspectives from the European semi-periphery. Zagreb: Institute for Social Research Zagreb & Heinrich Böll Stiftung.
4. Economic- and Ecohistory (Ekonomska i ekohistorija) – selected articles.
5. Hrvoje Petrić and Ivana Žebec Šilj (eds.), Environmentalism in Central and Southeastern Europe. Historical Perpectives, New York & London: Lexington books (2017)
6. Traian Stoianovich, Balkan Worlds: The First and Last Europe. Armonk, New York, and London, England: M.E. Sharpe (1994)
7. Peter Štih and Žiga Zwitter (eds.), Man, Nature and Environment Between the Northern Adriatic and the Eastern Alps in Premodern Times, Ljubljana: Filozofska fakulteta (2014)   

1. Telešiėne, A & Gross M (eds.). Green European. Environmental Behaviour and Attitudes in Europe in a Historical and Cross-Cultural Comparative Perspective. London & New York: Routledge.
2. Carmin, J A (2010) “Civil society capacity and environmental governance in Central and Eastern Europe”. Acta Politica, 45(1/2): 183–202.
3. OECD (2018), “Environmental policy in South East Europe”, in Competitiveness in South East Europe: A Policy Outlook 2018, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264298576-18-en.
4. Available data for the countries of Southeast Europe in databases of the United Nations, OECD, European Commission, European Union, European Environment Agency (e.g. on energy policy, protection of biodiversity, adaptation to climate change, etc.).
5. Bruno Šišić, Dubrovnik Renaissance Gardens, Dubrovnik: HAZU (2008)
6. People and Nature in Historical Perspective, ed. Jozsef Laszlovsky and Peter Szabo, Budapest: Central European University Department of Medieval Studies (2003)