Western Balkans Competitiveness Outlook 2024: North Macedonia

Acronyms and abbreviations

5G	Fifth-generation technology standard for cellular networks
ADR	Alternative dispute resolution
AEC	Agency for Electronic Communications
AEOI	Automatic exchange of information
AFSARD	Agency for Financial Support of the Agriculture and Rural Development
AI	Artificial intelligence
AIFM	Alternative investment fund manager
AIFMD	Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive
AKIS	Agriculture knowledge and innovation system
ALMP	Active labour market programme
AMLD5	Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive
APERM	Agency for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship
API	Application programming interface
ASIPI	Agency for Foreign Investments and Export Promotion
B2B	Business-to-business
B2C	Business-to-consumer
BAN	Business angel network
BAU	Business Accelerator UKIM
BCRD	Broadband Cost Reduction Directive
BEPS	Base erosion and profit shifting
BEWOP	Boosting Effectiveness of Water Operators’ Partnerships
BITs	Bilateral investment treaties
CAP	Common Agricultural Policy
CBA	Cost-benefit analysis
CBAM	Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
CbC	Country-by-country
CDPS	Electronic system for customs and excise declaration
CEEPUS	Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies
CEFTA	Central European Free Trade Agreement
CEO	Chief executive officer
CERT	Computer emergency response team
CFCS	Centre for Cyber Security
CIT	Corporate income tax
CITES	Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CO	Competitiveness Outlook
CO2	Carbon dioxide
CP	Consumer protection
CPR	Central Population Register
DBNM	Development Bank of North Macedonia
DLT	Distributed ledger technology
DMMOs	Destination management and marketing organisations
DMOs	Destination management organisations
DSO	Distribution system operator
DTIDZ	Directorate for Technological Industrial Development Zones
EBRD	European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EC	European Commission
ECAA	European Common Aviation Area
ECEC	Early childhood education and care
EEA	European Environment Agency
EFSA	European Food Safety Authority
EFTA	European Free Trade Association
EIB	European Investment Bank
eIDAS	Electronic identification, authentication and trust services
ELA	European Labour Authority
EMD2	Second Electronic Money Directive
EMIS	Education management information system
ENER	Unique National Electronic Register of Regulations
ENISA	European Union Agency for Cybersecurity
ENTSO-E	European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity
EOSC	European Open Science Cloud
EPO	European Patent Office
EPR	Extended producer responsibility
EQF	European Qualifications Framework
ERA	European Research Area
ERC	Energy Regulatory Commission
ERI SEE	Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe
ERP	Economic Reform Programme
ESA	Employment Services Agency
ESFRI	European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures
ETF	European Training Foundation
EU	European Union
EUIPO	European Union Intellectual Property Office
EUR	Euros
EURES	European Network of Employment Services
EUSAIR	EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region
FAB	Functional airspace block
FADN	Farm accountancy data network
FAO	Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FDI	Foreign direct investment
FHTP	OECD Forum on Harmful Tax Practices
FINA	Financial Agency, Croatia
FiT	Feed-in tariffs
FITD	Fund for Innovation and Technology Development
FTAs	Free trade agreements
FVA	Food and Veterinary Agency
GAP	Good Agricultural Practices
Gbps	Gigabytes per second
GDP	Gross domestic product
GDPR	General Data Protection Regulation
GERD	Gross domestic expenditure on research and development
GFF	Green Financing Facility
GHG	Greenhouse gas
GI	Geographical indications
GIS	Geographical information system
GloBE	Global Anti-Base Erosion Rules
GMI	Guaranteed minimum income
GMO	Genetically modified organism
GO	Guarantee of origin
GRECO	Groupe d'États contre la corruption
GST	Goods and services tax
ha	Hectare
HE	Higher education
HEIs	Higher educational institutions
IACS	Integrated administration and control system
ICT	Information and communications technology
IFI	International financial institution
IFRS	International Financial Reporting Standards
ILO	International Labour Organization
IMF	International Monetary Fund
INNOFEIT	Centre for Technology Transfer and Innovations
IoT	Internet of things
IP	Intellectual property
IPA	Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance
IPA III	Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance III
IPARD	Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance for Rural Development
IPR	Intellectual property rights
IT	Information technology
ITF	International Transport Forum
ITS	Intelligent Transport Systems
JSC	Joint-stock company
JSI	Joint State initiative
LAG	Local action group
LPCCI	Law on Prevention of Corruption and Conflict of Interest
LPIS	Land parcel identification system
MAFWE	Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy
MAKSTAT	Macedonian Statistical Office
Mbps	Megabytes per second
MEDF	Macedonian Enterprise Development Foundation
MELQO	Measuring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes
MoES	Ministry of Education and Science
MiFID II	Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II
MiFIR	Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation
MISA	Ministry of Information Society and Administration
MKD	Macedonian denar
MKD-CIRT	Computer Incident Response Team of North Macedonia
MNE	Multinational enterprises
MoE	Ministry of Economy
MoEPP	Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning
MQF	Macedonian Qualifications Framework
MRL	Maximum residue levels
MSCA	Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action
MSE	Macedonian Stock Exchange
MW	Megawatt
NARDS	National Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development
NBCO	National Broadband Competence Office
NBRNM	National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia
NCTS	New computerized transit system
NDCs	Nationally determined contributions
NEA	National Extension Agency
NEC	National Export Council
NECP	National Energy and Climate Plan
NEMO	Nominated Electricity Market Operator
NGO	Non-governmental organisation
NI4OS	National Initiatives for Open Science in Europe
NIS2	Network and Information Security Directive
NISN	National information sharing network
NODE	North Macedonia Digital Economy
NOSCI.mk	National Open Science Cloud Initiative of North Macedonia
NPRD	National Programme for Agricultural and Rural Development
NQF	National Qualifications Framework
NTB	Non-tariff barriers
NTS	National Transport Strategy
OECD	Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OGP	Open government partnership
ÖREK	Österreichisches Raumentwicklungskonzept (the Austrian Spatial Development Concept)
ÖROK	Österreichische Raumordnungskonferenz (Austrian Conference on Spatial Planning)
OSH	Occupational safety and health
PDP	Personal data protection
PEM	Pan-Euro-Mediterranean
PES	Public employment services
PIRLS	Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
PISA	Programme for International Student Assessment
PIT	Personal income tax
POOCC	Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Corruption
PPPs	Public-private partnerships
PRO	Public Revenue Office
PSD2	Second Payment Services Directive
QDMTT	Qualified domestic minimum top-up tax
R&D	Research and development
R&I	Research and innovation
RAMS	Road Asset Management System
RBO	Register of Beneficial Owners, Croatia
RCC	Regional Cooperation Council
RECA	Registry of Encumbered Moveable Property
REMIT	Regulation on Wholesale Energy Market Integrity and Transparency
RES	Renewable energy sources
RIA	Regulatory impact assessment
RIMS	Rail Infrastructure Management System
RITTD	Research, innovation, technology transfer and digitalisation
S3	Smart Specialisation Strategy
SAA	Stabilisation and Association Agreement
SCPC	State Commission for Prevention of Corruption
SEPA	Single Euro Payments Area
SES	Single European Sky
SEZ	Special economic zone
SGIF	Strategic green investment fund
SME	Small and medium-sized enterprises
SOE	State-owned enterprise
SOIP	State Office for Industrial Property
SPIs	Safety performance indicators
SPoSC	Single-point of service centres
SPP	Single project pipeline
SPS	Sanitary and phytosanitary
SSC	Social security contributions
SSO	State Statistical Office
STI	Science, technology, and innovation
STP	Science and technology park
SWG RRD	Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group
TA	Tax Administration, Croatia
TALIS	Teaching and Learning International Survey
TE	Tax expenditure
TFA	Trade facilitation agreement
TFEU	Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
TFI	Trade facilitation indicators
TIDZ	Technological industrial development zones
TIMSS	Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
TPP	Third-party payment service providers
TSA	Tourism satellite accounts
TSO	Transmission system operator
TTO	Technology Transfer Office
UCITS	Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities Directive
UNDP	United Nations Development Programme
UNDRR	United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
UNECE	United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
UNFCCC	United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UNIDO	United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNOPS	United Nations Office for Project Services
USAID	United States Agency for International Development
VAT	Value added tax
VET	Vocational education and training
WB6	Western Balkan 6
WBIF	Western Balkans Investment Framework
WBL	Work-based learning
WEEE	Waste from electrical and electronic equipment
WEI	Water Exploitation Index
WHO	World Health Organization
WIPO	World Intellectual Property Organization
WTO	World Trade Organisation
WWTP	Wastewater treatment plant