Giancarlo Cotella

Abstract

Just Green Transitions (JGT) have become a central pillar of the European Union’s response to climate change, seeking to reconcile its environmental ambition with social and spatial justice. While extensively debated within Member States, less attention has been paid to how this policy paradigm unfolds in candidate and neighbouring countries. This editorial introduces a thematic issue that critically examines the translation of JGT principles into governance arrangements, instruments and practices in the Western Balkan Region, a particularly fertile context in which to explore opportunities, tensions and limits. It situates the thematic issue within broader debates on Europeanisation, spatial justice, and sustainability transitions, outlining the conceptual framework and key challenges shaping JGT in the region. It argues that understanding how green transitions are negotiated under conditions of structural disadvantage and political fragmentation is essential to assessing whether Europe’s green transition can also be just beyond the EU borders.

This issue and its contribution are framed in the research project European HORIZON – WIDERA 2021-ACCESS-02-01, Foster Research Excellence for Green Transition in the Western Balkans – GreenFORCE Twinning of the Western Balkans, grant number: 101059411.

Keywords: Just Green Transitions, European Union, Western Balkan Region, European Green Deal, Europeanisation

Giancarlo Cotella [giancarlo.cotella@polito.it], Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), Politecnico di Torino 39 Viale Mattioli, 10125 Turin: Italy
Marjan Nikolov [info@cea.org], Center for Economic Analyses Bul. Jane Sandanski 63/3; 1000 Skopje: North Macedonia
Merita Toska [merita_toska@universitetipolis.edu.al], Co-PLAN Institute for Habitat Development
Zora Živanović [zora.zivanovic@gef.bg.ac.rs], Department for Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade Studentski Trg 3/III, 11000 Belgrade: Serbia

Citation

APA: Cotella, G., Nikolov, M., Toska, M., & Živanović, Z. (2025). Editorial: Unfolding Just Green Transitions in the Western Balkan Region. Europa XXI, 49, 5-19. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2025.49.12
MLA: Cotella, Giancarlo, et al. "Editorial: Unfolding Just Green Transitions in the Western Balkan Region". Europa XXI, vol. 49, 2025, pp. 5-19. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2025.49.12
Chicago: Cotella, Giancarlo, Nikolov, Marjan, Toska, Merita, and Živanović, Zora. "Editorial: Unfolding Just Green Transitions in the Western Balkan Region". Europa XXI 49 (2025): 5-19. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2025.49.12
Harvard: Cotella, G., Nikolov, M., Toska, M., & Živanović, Z. 2025. "Editorial: Unfolding Just Green Transitions in the Western Balkan Region". Europa XXI, vol. 49, pp. 5-19. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2025.49.12

Abstract

Book Review: Spatial Planning Systems in Central and Eastern European Countries. Review and Comparison of Selected Issues.

By Maciej J. Nowak, Andrei Mitrea, Gunta Lukstiņa, Alexandru-Ionuţ Petrişor, Krisztina Filepné Kovács, Velislava Simeonova, Pavel Yanchev, Evelin Jürgenson, Kätlin Põdra, Vít Řezáč, Kristina Mikalauskaite, Birute Pranevičienė, Zuzana Ladzianska, Martin Baloga, Cham, Springer, 2023, 100 pages, ISBN 9783031427220

Giancarlo Cotella [giancarlo.cotella@polito.it], Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), Politecnico di Torino 39 Viale Mattioli, 10125 Turin: Italy

Citation

APA: Cotella, G. (2024). Book Review: Spatial Planning Systems in Central and Eastern European Countries. Review and Comparison of Selected Issues. Europa XXI, 46, 125-127. https://doi.org/10.7.7163/Eu21.2024.46.10
MLA: Cotella, Giancarlo. "Book Review: Spatial Planning Systems in Central and Eastern European Countries. Review and Comparison of Selected Issues". Europa XXI, vol. 46, 2024, pp. 125-127. https://doi.org/10.7.7163/Eu21.2024.46.10
Chicago: Cotella, Giancarlo. "Book Review: Spatial Planning Systems in Central and Eastern European Countries. Review and Comparison of Selected Issues". Europa XXI 46 (2024): 125-127. https://doi.org/10.7.7163/Eu21.2024.46.10
Harvard: Cotella, G. 2024. "Book Review: Spatial Planning Systems in Central and Eastern European Countries. Review and Comparison of Selected Issues". Europa XXI, vol. 46, pp. 125-127. https://doi.org/10.7.7163/Eu21.2024.46.10

Giancarlo Cotella [giancarlo.cotella@polito.it], Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), Politecnico di Torino 39 Viale Mattioli, 10125 Turin: Italy
Tomasz Komornicki [t.komorn@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Science Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw Poland; Committee for Spatial Economy and Regional Planning Polish Academy of Sciences Palace of Culture and Science, 1, 00-901 Plac Defilad, Warsaw: Poland
Barbara Szejgiec-Kolenda [b.szejgiec@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organisation, Polish Academy of Sciences Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw: Poland

Citation

APA: Cotella, G., Komornicki, T., & Szejgiec-Kolenda, B. (2023). Geography and the power of empathy. Exploring places through friendship. Editorial. Europa XXI, 44, 5-13. https://doi.org/10.7.7163/Eu21.2023.44.14
MLA: Cotella, Giancarlo, et al. "Geography and the power of empathy. Exploring places through friendship. Editorial". Europa XXI, vol. 44, 2023, pp. 5-13. https://doi.org/10.7.7163/Eu21.2023.44.14
Chicago: Cotella, Giancarlo, Komornicki, Tomasz, and Szejgiec-Kolenda, Barbara. "Geography and the power of empathy. Exploring places through friendship. Editorial". Europa XXI 44 (2023): 5-13. https://doi.org/10.7.7163/Eu21.2023.44.14
Harvard: Cotella, G., Komornicki, T., & Szejgiec-Kolenda, B. 2023. "Geography and the power of empathy. Exploring places through friendship. Editorial". Europa XXI, vol. 44, pp. 5-13. https://doi.org/10.7.7163/Eu21.2023.44.14

Abstract

Territorial governance is an extremely heterogeneous activity. Each European country is characterised by a complex system of legal acts, tools, discourses and practices that had consolidated through time, as a consequence of peculiar path-dependent processes. At the same time, since more than 30 years the European Union is developing territorially relevant actions and interventions, ultimately aiming at achieving the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the continent. The mutual relations entangling domestic and supranational territorial governance remain unclear: on the one hand, the European Union is required to produce a framework for delivering its policies that is flexible enough to accommodate domestic differences; on the other hand, domestic territorial governance and spatial planning systems should adapt in order to allow room for cross-fertilization with supranational interventions. This contribution builds on the evidence collected by the research project ESPON COMPASS to frame and explore this issue. In doing so, it serves as an introduction for this special issue that, in the following contributions, presents a number of concrete examples of interaction between EU spatial policies and domestic territorial governance and spatial planning.

Keywords: EU cohesion policy, territorial governance, spatial planning, cross-fertilization, ESPON

Giancarlo Cotella [giancarlo.cotella@polito.it], Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), Politecnico di Torino 39 Viale Mattioli, 10125 Turin: Italy

Citation

APA: Cotella, G. (2018). Editorial: EU cohesion policy and domestic territorial governance. What chances for cross-fertilization?. Europa XXI, 35, 5-20. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2018.35.1
MLA: Cotella, Giancarlo. "Editorial: EU cohesion policy and domestic territorial governance. What chances for cross-fertilization?". Europa XXI, vol. 35, 2018, pp. 5-20. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2018.35.1
Chicago: Cotella, Giancarlo. "Editorial: EU cohesion policy and domestic territorial governance. What chances for cross-fertilization?". Europa XXI 35 (2018): 5-20. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2018.35.1
Harvard: Cotella, G. 2018. "Editorial: EU cohesion policy and domestic territorial governance. What chances for cross-fertilization?". Europa XXI, vol. 35, pp. 5-20. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2018.35.1

Abstract

The field of policy transfer is highly complex. This is particularly true when it comes to territorial governance which is a process integrating several context-dependent policy fields rather than a policy per se. The contribution adopts a conceptual framework developed within the project ESPON TANGO to reflect upon this matter. In particular, it conceptualises distinct modes of policy transfer in the EU, explaining many ways through which a certain territorial governance practice in a given domestic context can reach other context(s) that may apply it. The presented framework is expected to help define what to transfer, how and through whom; in other words (i) what territorial governance elements may be effectively transferred, (ii) what interactive resources may favour the transfer and (iii) what ‘receiving’ stakeholders’ group(s) may constitute the target. Building on this assumption, the contribution reflects upon the potential transferability of territorial governance ‘features’, intended as practical manifestation of good territorial governance in real cases.

Keywords: teritorial governance, policy transfer, good practicies, European Union, Europeanization, ESPON

Giancarlo Cotella [giancarlo.cotella@polito.it], Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), Politecnico di Torino 39 Viale Mattioli, 10125 Turin: Italy

Citation

APA: Cotella, G. (2014). Transferring territorial governance in the European Union: Why, what, how and through whom?. Europa XXI, 26, 37-53. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2014.26.3
MLA: Cotella, Giancarlo. "Transferring territorial governance in the European Union: Why, what, how and through whom?". Europa XXI, vol. 26, 2014, pp. 37-53. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2014.26.3
Chicago: Cotella, Giancarlo. "Transferring territorial governance in the European Union: Why, what, how and through whom?". Europa XXI 26 (2014): 37-53. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2014.26.3
Harvard: Cotella, G. 2014. "Transferring territorial governance in the European Union: Why, what, how and through whom?". Europa XXI, vol. 26, pp. 37-53. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2014.26.3