“Public administration reform is the basic precondition for a successful EU integration, as well as successful membership. It is important at that that the EU member states and countries of the Western Balkans cooperate,” said Assistant Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Hrvoje Marušić at a conference on Building Human Capacities for EU Accession in the SEE Countries, held 13-16 October in Cavtat.
The conference presented cooperation instruments at the disposal of all interested states for a faster and more successful EU integration. Apart from Croatia’s bilateral instruments such as the Transition Processes Council, the Centre of Excellence or the Diplomatic Academy, all interested parties can also take advantage of joint EU instruments such as macro-regional strategies and territorial cooperation programmes.
Remarks on Croatia’s experiences, good practice, challenges of the pre-accession period and lessons from the first year of membership were delivered by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, State School of Public Administration, Government’s Office for Cooperation with NGOs and Institute of Development and International Relations.
Marušić reiterated Croatia’s commitment to EU enlargement towards the countries of the region, underlining the transformation potential of the Euro-integration process. “Strengthening administrative capacities and implementing the principles of European administrative space is the basis for a successful implementation of the acquis communautaire. The reason for setting this condition for all the countries interested in joining the EU is to build institutional and administrative structures that would offer equal level and quality of public services to the citizens,” said the assistant minister.
The conference saw the participation of representatives of state administration and local self-government of the region’s countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia), and was organized by the MFEA Centre of Excellence in cooperation with the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).