Editorial

04/05/2010

In the recent times during discussions people often use the term “effective management”. This term is used in the context when people want to speak of complying the administration system of Armenia with the European one. As in all countries being in transition period, the implementation of effective management in the state administration system of Armenia is one of the priorities and most difficult issue of the government and society. From the formal and institutional point of view the state administration system of Armenia complies with the modern international, as well as European standards. However, the state institutions taken separately don’t work well and the level of efficiency of their management is very low, which results in reduction of trust toward the state institutions on part of the society. The authorities agree with this fact too and that is the reason why the development of the efficiency of the state administration as a goal is included in documents of different formats of cooperation with European institutions. However the most productive activity in this direction has been the EU Eastern Partnership project. Besides the declaration provisions and wishes it also includes specific steps to support the reforms in the Armenian state administration system, which are being implemented for around one year. It is more than one year that the European Union has more than a dozen permanent experts to provide expertise to different state institutions on the implementation of the European Neighborhood Policy action plan and strengthening of economic institutions. The experts provide advisory support specifically on the topics of anti-corruption strategy, development of a national concept on human rights protection, execution of a free trade agreement, and improvement of tax and customs policies. The Armenian party has established 21 working groups, which are working with the European experts in more than 20 directions. It is worth mentioning that the pattern of support to a country through a permanent representative is used for the first time in Armenia (in the past such groups worked only in countries, which had applied for EU membership) and in consideration of the benefits and success this project will be implemented in other countries of the Eastern Partnership Project as well.