THE USE OF ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS IN TRANSITIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES AS A TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY: CASE STUDY OF MACEDONIAN PATH TO MEET GLOBALIZATION CHALLENGES

The demand for harmonization of domestic policies across countries is seen as a precondition for globalization. Does globalization conflict with environmental protection? The relationship between two of them is too complex. From the viewpoint of its protection, the environment must be seen as a whole. In the same time, the utility function based on income and pollution, is not identical and homothetic across different countries. It appears that the diversity in environmental protection is legitimate. In order to provide a sustainable environmental policy in transitional circumstances, the R. of Macedonia needs a balance between the goals of social development, economic progress and environmental protection. So far, because of the institutional development gap, only few economic instruments have been implemented in environmental protection in Macedonia. Consequently, the environmental policy including economic instruments should be considered with a view to balance the environmental achievements with its social and economic implications.