The fourth meeting of the EU-BiH Public Administration Reform Task Force was held today via video conference.

The high-level political dialogue on public administration reform, held in the first part of the meeting, was co-chaired by Josip Grubeša, BiH Minister of Justice, and by Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, EU Director for the Western Balkans at DG NEAR.

The political dialogue at the ministerial level with the European Commission discussed, among other things, nationwide strategies for public financial management and public administration reform, coordination structure, and depoliticization and harmonization of civil service laws with the principles of professional administration.

It was pointed out that the completion of the necessary steps in public administration reform is one of the 14 key priorities from the Opinion of the European Commission. The Commission welcomed the adoption of the Strategic Framework for Public Administration Reform in BiH 2018-2020, which is one of the recommendations and part of the short-term priorities from the Analytical Report. Institutions in BiH are invited to adopt a nationwide strategy for public financial management, as well as action plans for public financial management and public administration reform. It is necessary to establish a political body and strengthen the technical coordination structure in order to improve the nationwide approach to public administration reform, and to establish a common performance-based monitoring framework and ensure financial sustainability. Also, it is necessary to change the laws on civil service in BiH by depoliticizing or ensuring that employment, promotion and dismissal is done on the basis of merit, and strengthen the capacity of civil service agencies.

The technical dialogue, held in the second part of the meeting, was co-chaired by BiH’s Dragan Cuzulan, Public Administration Reform Coordinator, and on behalf of the EU by Michel Matuello, Head of the Albania-BiH Unit in DG NEAR. Representatives of BiH institutions and the European Commission discussed an action plan for public administration reform, civil service and human resources management, and policy development and coordination. Among other things, it was pointed out that BiH should prepare and adopt a program for the adoption of the acquis, which is one of the key priorities of the Opinion.