LIBERALIZACIJA TRGOVINE USLUGA KAO KLJUČNI FAKTOR EKONOMSKOG RAZVOJA U ZEMLJAMA JUGOISTOČNE EUROPE SA POSEBNIM OSVRTOM NA BOSNU I HERCEGOVINU, MAKEDONIJU I HRVATSKU / SERVICES TRADE LIBERALIZATION AS KEY FACTOR OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WITH EMPHASES ON BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, MACEDONIA AND CROATIA

Abstract

Service sector has a great impact on the domestic economy as on the economy in general. Effective service sector is becoming a backbone of every development process in the economy. Countries with liberal service sector have faster and stronger economic growth than countries with closed and limited service sector. In theory most common service characteristics are: untouchable, no warehousing, short termed, invisibility, heterogeneity, united production. Besides these characteristics peculiar for the services, difference between goods and services is fluid and it is hard to separate these two terms. ‘’Liberalization’’ is most commonly explained as a process of removing legal and other barriers towards competition and free market approach. In the last decade significant liberalization was accomplished in the markets of BiH, Croatia and Macedonia. These countries have signed many international treaties and became members of the international organizations that proclaim free movement of the goods, services, capital and labor force. Liberalization is taking place, gradually, through many development phases Stabilization and Association Agreement conclusion, WTO membership, candidate status and possible start of the negotiations for EU entering. Service sector is one of the key factors for Balkans countries integration in the world trade system. BiH, Croatia and Macedonia state politics are quite open in many relevant sectors such as banking and finance, commercial and professional services and construction. Liberalization level of these sectors does not differ much from the level of more developed WTO member countries. There are still possibilities for accepting future initiatives within some service sectors liberalization, regulation institutions strengthening, competition growth, service users’ trust, and government barriers removal for foreign service providers entrance.