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TRAINING OF CIVIL SERVANTS IN SERBIA ON THE EU
Europeanization of public administration in
Since 2004, when it was founded, the European Integration Office has had a central role in organizing the training of civil servants in the field of European integration.
The Office implements specific, cross-sector training on the EU, as well as training organized on topics under the jurisdiction of individual ministries.
All seminars and workshops that the Office implements are specifically developed according to the needs of target groups and cover a vast number of various topics chosen in relation to European partnership, and furthermore on the basis of training needs analysis, which is carried out annually – through a questionnaire sent to members of working groups/sub-groups (35) and EU departments in all ministries, after which the Office analyzes the answers and selects the priorities in accordance with the NPI and the Annual Report of the European Commission. Topics are updated during the year in agreement with the same, aforementioned, target group. The training is developed in accordance with the evolution of relations between Serbia and the European Union, wherefore that there has been a change in topics, frames, target groups and methodological approaches.
Duringthe first period (2004-2005) training mainly covered topics related to the European Partnership priorities. A part of this training focused on the functioning of the European Union, institutions, law and procedures, as well as on the preparation of negotiations on Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).The target group was relatively narrow, including mostly civil servants from the ministries’ EU units, the Commission for the Coordination of European Integration and civil servants engaged in the preparation of various reports.
During the second period (2006-2007), following the outset of SAA negotiations, training was further modified and the target accordingly expanded.Training (in addition tobasic) covered the topics related to the SAA, sectoral policies and the European Union acquis and was based largely on the exchange of experiences, practical and specific knowledge with "old" and especially "younger" countries - members of the European Union.
During the third period (2007-2008), given the conclusion of the SAA and the beginning of its implementation, the number of sectoral issues was increased in the training.
They discussed specific issues related to the harmonization of national law to certain areas of acquis communautaire, the experiences of countries in the region the joined the EU, special aspects of the implementation of harmonized legislation and institutional strengthening, foreign and domestic coordination of European affairs. Techniques of negotiation and lobbying were discussed in particular.
In 2009, training was organized on a priority basis under the NationalProgramme forIntegrationofSerbiainto the EU (special attention was given to issues such asinternal market, state aid, energy policy, genderequality, managing twinning projects, the European Court of Justice ...), while the target group, in addition to members of sub-groups of the Expert Group for the Coordination of the Accession Process and Legislative Institutions, was extended to members of working groups that dealt with the development of certain laws (including representatives of civil society), inspectors, judges, prosecutors, translators, employees in the sectors of education, economy, culture, media and so forth because the success of the accession process depends not only on the adoption of the acquis communautaire, but above all on its application. Particular support in capacity building was extended to the Department for the Coordination of Translation with the European Integration Office.
The focus of the last period of training was on particular aspects in the implementation of harmonized legislation and institutional strengthening, specific and almost individualized forms of expert specialization, acquisition of specific, narrow expertise in certain areas of the acquis communautaire. The target group has also been extended to employees of local self-government agencies.
In 2010, the accession to the EU was supported with a new project whose offical title was “European Integration - scholarship program”, which was funded from the IPA 2008 Fund (Project Reference: Europe Aid/128558/C/SER/RS).
The Office organized training in cooperation with numerous national and international partners, using different sources of financial assistance for the implementation of training. Some of the numerous partners are: Belgrade Open School, G17 Institute, Institute for European Policy in Berlin, the consulting firmBrussels Office,EIPA Luxembourg, Bled School of Management in Slovenia, the Office of Technical Assistance to Balkan countries of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECI) -Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID) - Oficina Técnica de Cooperación con los Balcanes (OTC Balkanes),Slovak University Komenius from Bratislava, the National School of Public Administrationof the Republic of France (ENA), the Center for European Studies, University of Szeged, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Hanns Seidel, numerous embassies,ministries of Member States and others.
During the entire period of training, data were stored in a record database and regularly updated. According to statistical data referring to the period from 2005 to 2010, inclusive, the Office for European Integration has, independently or in cooperation with national and international institutions, organized 263 training courses (seminars, workshops, round-tables, conferences, study visits...), covering close to 184 different topics from the field of European integration. In the same period, 831 days of training were organized with 10,638 participants (mainly civil servants, as well as employees in local self-governments, but also from the National Bank of Serbia and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce; certain seminars were attended by representatives of non-government organizations and media, directors of secondary schools, representatives of trade unions and the Union of Employers, while specific training was provided for employees in judicial institutions, expert reviewers and translators engaged in translation of the acquis communautaire) and 9,194 participants per day.
The success and quality of training organized by the Office for European Integration is regularly assessed and monitored.
The organization of training improved the building of strong inter-administrative networks, increased awareness of the necessity and relevance of training, enhanced communication and cooperation between various state institutions, as well as cooperation with institutions of the European Union and member states and other national and international partners, which is additionally confirmed by the role of the Office in promoting European ideas and increasing interest among Serbian citizens for European integration.
It is of great relevance to point out the need for strengthening EU units under the auspices of the ministries. Having regard to the fact that EU units are formed in all ministries and that their employees possess horizontal, as well as specific knowledge on the EU, and that they are engaged daily in affairs related to the European Union, the EU units have a central role not only in training, but also in the general process of strengthening administrative capacities.
The Office has participated in all phases of development of the Regional School for Public Administration (Respa), while a representative of the Office is from 2007 officially deputy member of the Supervisory Board. The Office is involved in affairs concerning the training needs analysis on the basis of which the annual working plan of Respa is prepared.
The Office for European Integration is the national coordinator for TAIEX. According to official data from TAIEX, from 2008 to 2010, TAIEX organized a large number of events in cooperation with Serbian institutions, including 181 in Serbia and 505 events that were attended by 8,657 participants from Serbia, out of which 95% were civil servants. In the same period, 385 applications were submitted for TAIEX.
Brochure "The Training of Civil Servants on the EU Matters 2001 - 2010" can be downloaded here.
