Continuation of the Reform: Work on the Action Plan Begins

As part of the ongoing public administration reform, the first meeting of the Special Working Group responsible for drafting the new Action Plan was held. This plan will cover the period from 2026 to 2030 and will focus on implementing the Public Administration Reform Strategy, particularly in three key areas: local self-government system reform, public policy management, and public finance management.

During the opening session, Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Jelena Žarić Kovačević, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Plamena Halacheva, and Head of the SIGMA/OECD Program Gregor Virant discussed the progress of the reform, expectations, and new challenges.

Highlighting that the development of a strategic framework is a crucial part of this complex reform process and that the domestic administration faces a year of intensive work and dialogue, Žarić Kovačević emphasised that public administration is one of the most well-structured planning areas. She also noted that significant progress has been made in implementation, stating that modernization efforts have saved citizens over 350 million hours of waiting in queues.

“It is very important for us not only to develop a high-quality strategic framework but also to ensure its efficient implementation and achieve tangible results that benefit our citizens. A testament to the fact that we are on the right track is the recent SIGMA monitoring report, which showed that the Republic of Serbia is a regional leader in three of the six key areas of public administration reform: the Strategic Reform Framework, Service Delivery and Digitalization, and Organization, Accountability, and Oversight,” said Žarić Kovačević.

“The public administration is the first point of contact between citizens and their state and represents the foundation of governance,” stated Deputy Head of the EU Delegation Plamena Halacheva.

“It is about institutions operating in a transparent and accountable manner, capable of serving the needs of their citizens. That is why public administration reform is one of the key pillars in the broader context of Serbia’s EU integration process. There is still much work to be done in aligning with EU legal standards, establishing or strengthening relevant institutions, and ensuring implementation capacity. To achieve the reform’s goals, it is essential to enable all stakeholders to actively participate in the reform and policymaking process by ensuring an inclusive, structured dialogue on reform priorities with the involvement of an empowered civil society,” said the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia.

Head of the SIGMA mission Gregor Virant emphasized that Serbia’s public administration has made significant progress in service delivery and digitalixation, approaching the European average in some aspects.

“There is still room for improvement in practical implementation, which is, among other things, due to the fact that political and administrative culture changes much more slowly and with greater difficulty than laws. SIGMA recommends that plans for the coming years focus on key challenges such as strengthening competencies and stability in top managerial positions, increasing the transparency of government decision-making, improving the quality of regulations through consultations with relevant stakeholders, and rationalizing the organization of public administration,” said Virant, adding that a major issue, from the standpoint of transparency, procurement efficiency, and corruption prevention, is the exemption of large projects from the public procurement system.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government is the main coordinator of the public administration reform in Serbia, with significant contributions from other key institutions involved in the process, including the Ministry of Finance, the Republic Secretariat for Public Policies, and the National Academy for Public Administration.