2nd SIGMA NETWORKING SEMINAR OECD Conference Centre Paris 27-28 November 2008

Experience on PAR in Croatia II SIGMA NETWORKING SEMINAR 27 November 2008 Experience on PAR in Croatia European Commission Experience on PAR in Croatia Constantino Longares European Commission

Constantino Longares Barrio EC official. Head of Operations section EC Delegation BiH Head of Operations section EC Delegation HR DG ELARG EC Delegation Poland UN and others in Bulgaria and Romania Constantino Longares Barrio - European Commission 2/25/2019

Public Administration Reform and Enlargement What are we talking about? PAR is a condition for accession As such it is not well defined But recent experiences show the potential problems PAR in the networked society Constantino Longares Barrio - European Commission 2/25/2019

The experience from previous enlargement Reforms should be undertaken well in advance in the enlargement process Cross cutting reforms very relevant Lack of clear indication about what this means Need to organize ideas and steps to be followed Constantino Longares Barrio - European Commission 2/25/2019

Candidate country’s perspective II SIGMA NETWORKING SEMINAR 27 November 2008 Candidate country’s perspective Reforms are needed, but only to some extent Why do Donors/EC push so much? Ready to accept assistance but then reluctant to implement the results Why is all this needed? Each country has its own structure and cultural setup, influenced by history, religion, identity, etc… Some resistance to change is normal It is already hard to modify laws that will change economic sectors. Shipbulding, key industries, agriculture, etc Constantino Longares Barrio European Commission 2/25/2019 Experience on PAR in Croatia Constantino Longares European Commission

II SIGMA NETWORKING SEMINAR 27 November 2008 Situation in Croatia Opinion on HR accession (2005) Subsequent progress reports highlight shortcomings Lack of strategic approach Lack of adequate resources Lack of political feasibility Opinion highlighted need for PAR reform PR in 2006 and 2007 insisted in that. Piecemeal approach was the key word. Only PR in 2008 has finally indicated that there is clear progress What is political will? It includes decisions and money. It is not always easy to go ahead. Constantino Longares Barrio - European Commission 2/25/2019 Experience on PAR in Croatia Constantino Longares European Commission

What did the EC do to help? II SIGMA NETWORKING SEMINAR 27 November 2008 What did the EC do to help? Financed projects Advocated for changes Engaged experts like SIGMA Tried to cooperate/coordinate action with other donors EC in an enlargement context will help and at the same time set conditions. In small countries and within an enlargement context, EC takes the lead. It would be different in other situations (Africa or L. America for example, even south mediterranean). Constantino Longares Barrio - European Commission 2/25/2019 Experience on PAR in Croatia Constantino Longares European Commission

II SIGMA NETWORKING SEMINAR 27 November 2008 IS THIS NEW? NO. The novelty is that we succeeded in helping. This is not always the case. Success stories are not so frequent. Constantino Longares Barrio - European Commission 2/25/2019 Experience on PAR in Croatia Constantino Longares European Commission

II SIGMA NETWORKING SEMINAR 27 November 2008 KEY SUCCESS ELEMENTS A clear initial assessment (SIGMA) Adequate timeline Adequate sequencing Coordination with other donors Strategic thinking is the key. Constantino Longares Barrio - European Commission 2/25/2019 Experience on PAR in Croatia Constantino Longares European Commission

What does it take to get there? II SIGMA NETWORKING SEMINAR 27 November 2008 What does it take to get there? Vision (MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT) Leadership Openness to different models/advices (Some) ownership Leadership at the level of Delegation, Brussels and also local authorities. It was key to have a CSOA which was trusted by the authorities and parliament. Don’t close your mind to different approaches. It cannot be as you think, compromise is the key word. Constantino Longares Barrio - European Commission 2/25/2019 Experience on PAR in Croatia Constantino Longares European Commission

Some challenging elements II SIGMA NETWORKING SEMINAR 27 November 2008 Some challenging elements Delays in implementation. First project for HR programmed in 2001 Law only adopted in 2005 and entered into force in 2006 EC programming and implementation cycle Our programming cycle requires an advanced work (3 years normally) Constantino Longares Barrio - European Commission 2/25/2019 Experience on PAR in Croatia Constantino Longares European Commission

Recommendations for potential candidate countries II SIGMA NETWORKING SEMINAR 27 November 2008 Recommendations for potential candidate countries Start from the beginning. SIGMA assessment or peer reviews. Plan several years ahead Don’t do everything yourself. Let other donors help Be pragmatic. Some ownership is enough to start Settle the ground. If possible in a consultative process, but if not, do it with the key decision makers Plan ahead. Denmark did most of the civil service training. WB a lot of functional reviews, we got out of it. UK financed breaching projects. Don’t expect the gov. or state officials to be overenthusiastic. They have to sell the idea to their constitutency. Constantino Longares Barrio - European Commission 2/25/2019 Experience on PAR in Croatia Constantino Longares European Commission

II SIGMA NETWORKING SEMINAR 27 November 2008 DID WE MISS ANYTHING? Linkage with fight against corruption Linkage with the conditions for accession related to rule of law More citizen information about changes We were not that strategic on fight against corruption. Work started later, less ownership, more imposed from outside, less well designed. It was not linked to the justice reform and access to justice. This is now turning into a problem. A more coherent framework would have helped both sectors at the same time. Top-bottom approach. I am not sure to what extent citizens know what is going on, how the PAR is changing and what will be the benefit for them. Should have been explained better. Constantino Longares Barrio - European Commission 2/25/2019 Experience on PAR in Croatia Constantino Longares European Commission

Thank you for your attention constantino.longares@ec.europa.eu Constantino Longares Barrio - European Commission 2/25/2019