One of the priorities for relations between Armenia and the European Union is the strengthening of democratic structures and the rule of law. An important aspect of this is regulating the work of central government ministries and agencies. Public administration reform has reached a new stage with the adoption of a Public Service Law. Further reforms are required to constantly improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and openness of the public service system by bringing it closer to European standards – it will become more citizen-orientated, more accountable and more transparent.

The EU Advisory Group works closely with the Prime Minister’s Office to enhance the functioning and transparency of the Armenian public administration system. Priority steps for public administration reform have already been identified and are discussed in an on-going dialogue with the Armenian authorities. Specific areas of support to the Prime Minister’s Office include:

• Reviewing the Laws on Civil Service and on Public Service and making recommendations for improvement in line with EU best practices;
• Assisting in the implementation of the Law on Public Service through development of policies and draft regulations on conflicts of interest and mechanisms for monitoring assets;
• Developing regulations facilitating consultation between government agencies and civil society;
• Policy advice on the introduction of citizen centered delivery mechanisms;
• Development of a quality control system for measuring the quality of governmental services       provided for the business community and for civil society;
• Support to identify funding streams and modalities for implementation of reforms.