Nomenclature of statistical territorial units: Possibilities of application in Serbia

Abstract

NUTS classification of territorial units is a framework for presenting a standardized statistical data in geographical areas throughout the European Union (EU). The main purpose of the NUTS classification of geographic areas is to provide a framework for collecting and publishing standardized statistical information, which can be used for the analysis, as well as a framework for European policy initiative. According to the NUTS classification geographic areas are divided according to different hierarchical levels: NUTS 1 is the largest territorial unit, which includes territorial group of 3 to 7 million inhabitants. NUTS 2 has a range of 800 thousand to 3 million and NUTS 3 has a range of 150 to 800 thousand inhabitants. Serbia has classified their regions according to NUTS 2 classification, because this classification is adequate for institutional support in Serbia. NUTS 1 and NUTS 3 classification are less applicable in Serbia due to inadequate institutional support, lack of political will or the high costs of regionalization.