It is time to unblock public administration reform and strengthen capacities for EU negotiations

Sarajevo, 18. June 2026. year – Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) organized a conference today in Sarajevo titled “Public Administration Reform in the Context of European Union Accession Negotiations”, with the support of the governments of the Kingdom of Sweden and the Kingdom of Denmark. The conference brought together representatives of institutions from all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), civil service agencies, international organizations, and experts in public administration reform and European integration, with the aim of examining the current state of public administration reform and its role in the European Union (EU) accession process.

The starting point of the discussion was that public administration reform represents one of the key areas of the European integration process and an integral part of the “Fundamentals” Cluster, which is the first to open and the last to close during accession negotiations. As a horizontal reform, public administration affects the ability of institutions to design and implement public policies, manage reforms, and apply the EU acquis in all areas. Therefore, its success directly impacts the success of all other reform processes necessary for EU membership.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Bosnia and Herzegovina Helena Lagerlöf emphasized that public administration reform is one of the key prerequisites for improving the quality of life of citizens and BiH’s progress on the European path:

“Public administration reform means real changes in the everyday lives of citizens—better quality public services, more efficient institutions, and building citizens’ trust in the public sector. Based on relevant reports and statistics, BiH is still in the early stages of public administration reform development and is ranked lowest among the Western Balkan countries. At the same time, building a modern, professional, and accountable public administration is crucial for BiH’s sustainable progress toward EU membership. We call on all levels of government to take concrete and coordinated steps to initiate the reform process and achieve visible progress.”

Particular attention was devoted to the concerning state of the reform process in BiH. According to the latest assessments by the European Commission and SIGMA, BiH is between the early stage of preparation and a certain level of preparation for public administration reform, while in most reform areas it ranks last among the Western Balkan countries. At the same time, the public administration reform process faces a serious standstill due to a lack of political support and the non-adoption of key strategic documents. The Revised Action Plan for Public Administration Reform 2023–2027 has been adopted only at the level of the Federation of BiH and Brčko District, while it has not yet been adopted at the BiH and RS levels. As a consequence, further development of the reform process has been blocked, including the operationalization of the Public Administration Reform Fund, which currently holds approximately 10 million BAM intended to support reforms.

During the first panel, dedicated to the readiness of public administration for accession negotiations, participants discussed the administrative capacities needed to conduct the complex process of negotiations with the European Union, including institutional coordination, public policy development, and reform management. It was particularly emphasized that the success of the negotiation process will largely depend on the ability of institutions to coordinate and implement the obligations arising from EU membership.

The second panel was dedicated to the professionalization of the civil service and the importance of recruitment, promotion, and human resource management based on merit principles. Participants emphasized that a professional, competent, and politically neutral civil service represents one of the fundamental prerequisites for efficient public administration, quality public policy design, and successful implementation of reforms.

The conference also presented TI BiH’s proposed initiative “EU Readiness Facility for Public Administration Reform”, which envisages unblocking and re-operationalizing the Public Administration Reform Fund and directing it toward strengthening the administrative capacities needed to conduct accession negotiations. Special focus was placed on developing the competencies of senior civil servants, who will play a key role in coordinating reforms, harmonizing legislation with the EU acquis, and managing the complex processes of European integration.

Conference participants agreed that it is necessary to urgently restore the political momentum of public administration reform, ensure political leadership, adopt the Revised Action Plan, and secure adequate financial and institutional preconditions for continuing the reform process.

Among the key recommendations highlighted were:

• adoption of the Revised Action Plan for Public Administration Reform 2023–2027 at all levels of government;
• unblocking and operationalization of the Public Administration Reform Fund;
• strengthening administrative capacities for conducting EU accession negotiations;
• development of special programs to strengthen the capacities of senior civil servants;
• improvement of the recruitment, promotion, and management system in the civil service in accordance with merit principles and European standards.

It was concluded that the success of the European integration process will not depend solely on political decisions and the adoption of regulations, but primarily on the ability of institutions to implement reforms in practice. Therefore, public administration reform must be returned to the priorities of all levels of government in BiH, so that the country is prepared to meet the obligations arising from the EU accession process.

Press rls_18_06_2026