The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs 21 January 2019 hosted the kick-off meeting of the project on “Advancing the know-how, skills and professional competence of civil and public servants for advocating national interests and aligning legislative proposals in the EU bodies”.
The project worth 7.3 million kuna is co-financed for the most part by the European Social Fund (ESF), with the ministry as the user, in cooperation with the Public Administration State School.
The goal of the project is to educate civil and public servants how to efficiently advocate national interests in the EU bodies as well as to prepare them for Croatia’s chairmanship of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2020. The project foresees the education of 800 civil and public servants.
State Secretary for European Affairs Andreja Metelko-Zgombić delivered the keynote address. Also in attendance were State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Pension System Majda Burić, Head of the Croatian Employment Service Ante Lončar, and Director of the College of Europe Development Office Jesus Ballesteros.
In her address, Metelko-Zgombić underlined that the goal of the project was not just training for Croatia’s upcoming Council of the EU presidency, but also long-term strengthening of the competences and know-how of Croatia’s public administration. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, as the main coordinating body, had recognized on time the need for a focused specialization and training of civil servants. We expect that the project, as well as the Council of the EU presidency itself, will transform Croatia’s state administration and strengthen its qualities and capabilities. A successful chairmanship of the Council of the EU hinges on the ability of the presiding country to ensure progress and achieve results regarding the legislative acts and outstanding issues on the Council’s agenda.
“The goal of this training is to prepare our chairpersons, their deputies and members of our professional teams for such challenges,” Metelko-Zgombić said.
The training will last for 276 days. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, as the main coordinator and user of the ESF funds, cooperates in the implementation of the project with the Council of the EU General Secretariat, the College of Europe and Projectus Group.