DOI:10.24193/tras.SI2018.2 Published First Online: 2018/12/28 THE THORNY ROAD TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM IN MONTENEGRO Abstract Dražen CEROVIĆ Montenegro and the EU signed the Stabili- zation and Association Agreement committing Gordana GASMI the country to harmonize its legislation with the EU acquis communautaire. In reference to pub- Dragan PRLJA lic administration, the Agreement’s provisions emphasize the development of an efficient and accountable public administration with the goal Dražen CEROVIĆ (Corresponding author) of modernizing the Montenegrin administration Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, in line with standards and principles of the Eu- University of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro ropean Administrative Space. In 2003, Monte- negro adopted the PARiM Public Administration Tel.: 00382-20-238.604 Reform Strategy 2003-2009 with two priorities: E-mail:
[email protected] institutional and legal consolidation of the ad- ministrative system and the harmonization of Gordana GASMI the existing legislation with European and inter- Professor, University ‘Dositej’, Belgrade, Serbia national standards (EU, CoE, UN, OSCE). How- Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Comparative Law, ever, the PARiM project met resistance and was Belgrade, Serbia not fully realized. The following administrative Tel.: 00381-11.32.33.213 reform strategy, called Agenda of Administrative Reforms in Montenegro 2011-2016 (AURUM), E-mail:
[email protected] states that Montenegro is determined to become part of the European system of values and that Dragan PRLJA public authorities should fully harmonize the na- Research Fellow, Institute of Comparative Law, tional legal framework with the acquis commu- Belgrade, Serbia nautaire. In the 2016-2020 Public Administration Tel.: 00381-11-32.33.213 Strategy, it was noted that AURUM had achieved E-mail:
[email protected] limited effects and that the EU candidate coun- tries need to establish an effective and efficient public administration.