Original scientific paper
Good administration as a ticket to the European administrative space
Ivan Koprić
; Faculty of law, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Anamarija Musa
; Faculty of law, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Goranka Lalić Novak
; Polytechnic school of social sciences, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The last two decades have been marked by the extensive efforts of the European institutions and organisations, as well as the academic community, to define and describe the concept of the European administrative space. The concept was initially intended to serve to the candidate countries as a model for administrative reform. The process of the concept development can be traced by the analysis of Sigma’s
activity, ranging from modest beginnings focusing on legal requirements for professional and accountable civil service based on the principle of legality, to multiplicity of demands and criteria for institutional adjustments. Still, the primary importance is given to the concept of good administration, which stands in essence of the European administrative space and relates to the standards and procedural requirements aiming at the protection of citizens’ rights before administrative bodies as well as at the judicial control of public administration. The paper first explores the concept of European administrative space in theoretical and practical terms, and then presents the concept of good administration within the EU. The role of Sigma in defining and ’codifying’ the administrative principles and requirements is analysed as well as its areas of activity intended to define good administration. Finally, in relation to the above-mentioned concepts, the reflection on the problem of institutional and
legal adjustments is offered based on Croatian example.
Keywords
European administrative space; good administration; Europeanization of public administration; OECD Sigma; Croatia; EU membership; enlargement
Hrčak ID:
74548
URI
Publication date:
28.10.2011.
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