Continuation of Cooperation with the Media in the Field of Public Administration Reform

A media briefing held at the European House in Belgrade, as part of the EU for public administration reform project (EU4PAR), gathered journalists from local and national media. Together with representatives of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and the EU4PAR project, they discussed the progress of public administration reform (PAR) in Serbia and upcoming activities.

This was the first media briefing within the EU4PAR project, which continues the successful cooperation with national and local media initiated during the previous EU-funded project dedicated to enhancing visibility and communication on public administration reform. The aim of the event was to further strengthen media cooperation with institutions implementing the reform, ultimately improving citizens' awareness of its results.

The event began with a working breakfast between journalists and the Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Snežana Paunović. Journalists shared their experiences in covering public administration topics, discussed the challenges and opportunities in reporting, assessed the progress of public administration reform in Serbia, and highlighted the media’s essential role in promoting transparency and accountability.

The discussion underscored the importance of aligning Serbia’s public administration and its regulatory framework with EU standards, while also adapting legal solutions to meet local needs.

The second part of the event focused on future plans for strengthening cooperation between the media and public administration through media campaigns. These campaigns will cover various topics related to the reform and will be defined in the Annual Communication Operational Plan.

The event concluded with an agreement on the schedule for upcoming media briefings, which are planned for the end of August, October, and December 2025.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government is the main coordinator of the public administration reform process in Serbia. However, the contributions of other key institutions are also vital—namely, the Ministry of Finance, the Republic Secretariat for Public Policies, the National Academy for Public Administration, and other Government institutions represented in the Council for Public Administration Reform.