22–23 October 2025, Belgrade, Serbia

ReSPA, in cooperation with the National Academy of Public Administration of Serbia, and with the support of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of France, organised the Community of Practice Workshop on Public Sector Integrity in Belgrade. The event brought together key integrity and governance experts, high-level officials, and representatives from anti-corruption agencies, ministries, and training institutions across the Western Balkans.

Integrity in the public sector remains a cornerstone of good governance and a crucial enabler of citizens’ trust in public institutions. Recognising its importance for the Public Administration Reform and EU integration of the region, ReSPA has been spearheading initiatives to strengthen ethical governance, prevent corruption, and promote transparency across the Western Balkans.

Opening remarks were delivered by Ivana Savićević, Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government of Serbia (tbc); Stanija Višekruna, Assistant Director at the National Academy of Public Administration of Serbia; Maja Handjiska Trendafilova, Director of ReSPA; Lydia Foster, Cooperation Attaché from the French Embassy in Serbia; and Mauro Di Veroli, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia.

Director Handjiska – Trendafilova welcomed participants, underlining: “This initiative empowers Western Balkans public sector professionals to embed integrity and corruption prevention standards in their daily work by developing practical digital training and communication resources, inspired by the best practices of the French Anti-Corruption Agency and strengthened through regional peer exchanges. By addressing key aspects such as asset declaration, conflict of interest, whistleblower protection, and ethics, we aim to reinforce the essential building blocks of public trust and ethical governance.”

Director Handjiska-Trendafilova also underlined the importance of the partnership with the French administration which has evolved from sharing best practices to direct collaboration on concrete tools that will support administrations in improving their institutional integrity frameworks: “These resources, soon to be integrated into the ReSPA Knowledge Management Portal, will contribute to building a sustainable integrity culture across the region. This workshop exemplifies the ReSPA approach—connecting Western Balkans administrations with EU Member States to share knowledge, strengthen capacities, and transform policy reform goals into tangible and lasting changes, in line with EU standards of transparency, accountability, and efficiency.”

Finally, Handjiska-Trendafilova emphasised that “strengthening integrity systems is not only about rules—it’s about values, leadership, and trust. Through this initiative, ReSPA continues to support our administrations in building transparent, accountable institutions that deliver for citizens.”

The workshop featured expert contributions by Olivier Salvador from the French Anti-Corruption Agency (Agence Française Anticorruption – AFA), who presented French experiences and digital resources in promoting integrity, ethics, and transparency in the public sector. Participants explored practical mechanisms for adapting French communication and educational tools to the regional context, focusing on key integrity elements such as conflict of interest, asset declaration, whistleblower protection, and ethics in public service.

The event also provided an important platform for peer exchanges among Western Balkans administrations, enabling practitioners to jointly shape the structure and content of a forthcoming regional online learning course on public sector integrity. This initiative aims to mainstream integrity into everyday public administration practices and enhance cooperation among institutions responsible for ethics, anti-corruption, and public service training.

The workshop marked another milestone in operationalizing the Community of Practice on Public Sector Integrity, established as a long-term mechanism for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and policy innovation. The CoP will facilitate regional pilot trainings, partnerships with academia and civil society, and promote a proactive integrity culture aligned with EU standards.

By fostering peer learning and regional cooperation, ReSPA once again reaffirms its commitment to advancing good governance and embedding integrity as a fundamental value within public administrations of the Western Balkans.