As part of the Stabilization and Association Process, the eighth meeting of the Special Group on Public Administration Reform (PAR) has been held today in the form of a video conference, as one of the most important forums for dialogue between the representatives of the Republic of Serbia and the European Commission in the process of European integration on the topic of Public Administration Reform.
The Serbian administration has presented the most significant results of the reform in key areas, such as the PAR strategic framework, public financial management, policy development and coordination, accountability and human resource management.
The European Commission has welcomed the adoption of a new strategic framework in the field of Public Administration Reform in 2021, as well as the progress achieved in the past year. Special interest has been expressed in the results achieved in the first year of implementation of the Public Financial Management Reform Programme, investment prioritization mechanism, implementation of the Law on Planning System and the role of the Public Policy Secretariat of the Republic of Serbia, the process of establishing analytical units, monitoring reports of independent bodies, as well as in regards to the progress of the Human Resources Management System.
The most significant challenges and recommendations for further reform have been identified through a comprehensive discussion. At the beginning of the meeting, the State Secretary, Čedomir Rakić, had addressed the participants on behalf of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, thanking the EU for its continuous support to Public Administration Reform, as an essentially significant aspect of European integration of the Republic of Serbia.
The meeting was co-chaired by Michael Miller, Head of the Unit for Serbia and Montenegro at the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, on behalf of the European Commission, and Sanja Putnik, Assistant Minister for European Integration and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government. The operational conclusions of the meeting shall be harmonized as soon as possible and published on the MDULS website, in accordance with the practice so far.