Kosovo and the European Union held the 13th Special Group meeting on Public Administration Reform (PAR) in Prishtina, co-chaired by Bardhyl Dobra, Acting Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Kosovo, and Julien Crampes, Deputy Head of the Directorate-General for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy at the European Commission, Unit for Serbia and Kosovo.
The meeting focused on plans and progress made by Kosovo authorities to ensure a professional civil service with greater accountability and stronger legal certainty in delivering services to citizens and businesses.
According to the statement:
- The EU encouraged Kosovo to accelerate the implementation of the PAR strategy and public finance management reforms, including regular consultations with the public and civil society.
- With the revised legal framework for Kosovo’s civil service, which introduces comprehensive reforms being implemented gradually, the EU highlighted the importance of addressing ongoing challenges, such as launching a centralized recruitment system, reducing interim managerial appointments, and completing steps for pay reform implementation.
- Progress in the digital agenda and e-governance strategy was acknowledged as a step to improve citizen-oriented services and reduce administrative burdens.
Kosovo presented its 2024 Human Resources Management report, published for the first time in September 2025, showing an increase in recruitment of women and youth compared to 2023 and higher applicant engagement in recruitment procedures.
Kosovo and the EU agreed to strengthen cooperation, including at a technical level, to ensure reforms are fully implemented promptly.
The Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) provides the framework for regular discussions between the EU and Kosovo on technical and policy issues related to EU-aligned reforms. SAA bodies include the Stabilisation and Association Council, the SAA Committee, and various SAA Subcommittees, covering a wide range of EU acquis areas.
Key points from SAA subcommittee meetings:
- Kosovo’s reform implementation is monitored, and the EU identifies ways to support the process.
- Seven sectoral areas are covered: Justice, Freedom & Security; Innovation & ICT, Social Policies, Education & Culture; Trade, Industry, Customs & Taxation; Internal Market, Competition, Consumer & Health Protection; Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Food Safety; Transport, Environment, Energy, Climate Change, Regional Development; Economic & Financial Affairs, Statistics.
- Two additional areas handled by special groups are public administration reform and normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
- Meetings are co-chaired by the EU and Kosovo, with follow-up actions agreed jointly, allowing time between meetings for implementation.
Kosovo remains committed to fully implementing PAR and public finance management strategies to achieve their objectives according to plan.
