CROATIAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN THE 2010 REPORTS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND SIGMA - LIMITED PROGRESS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM

In its 2010 Progress Report, the European Commission has assessed the fulfilment of economic, legal and administrative criteria that are preconditions for Croatian accession to the European Union for the sixth time. At Commission's request, SIGMA has also published its own report as an annex to EC's Progress Report. Both reports are commented with regard to the assessment of the situation in the Croatian public administration. Although general tone of the EC Report is positive and there has been progress reported in numerous key areas of the accession partnership, public administration reform has made only limited headway. Considerable effort still needs to be made to establish a comprehensive and coherent legal framework and to ensure its successful implementation at all levels. In comparison to its previous reports, SIGMA has recorded considerable progress in certain areas, such as public procurement and anticorruption efforts, while other areas have been assessed as making limited or insufficient progress. Thus, public administration reform continues to be one of the greatest challenges for Croatia. The EC Report has stressed that stronger political will and better cooperation of the key actors at central, regional, and local levels are required in order to launch and implement a more consistent administrative reform.