Putting Citizens First: ReSPA Highlights the Importance of the Once-Only Principle at Serbia’s National Conference on User-Oriented Public Services
14 November 2025, Belgrade, Serbia
ReSPA participated in the national conference “Citizens First - Towards User-Oriented Public Services in Serbia”, within the project Western Balkan Enablers for Reforming Public Administrations - WeBER 3.0. Centre for European Policies (CEP), gathered representatives of public institutions, international partners, and civil society committed to advancing citizen-centric governance in Serbia and the wider region.
The conference opened with remarks by Črtomir Peter Fisinger (Delegation of the European Union to Serbia), H.E. Pernille Daler Kardel (Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Serbia), and Milena Mihajlović Denić (WeBER Team Leader, Centre for European Policies – CEP), who emphasised the importance of accessible, transparent, and user-friendly public services.
Bojana Bajić from ReSPA contributed to the panel on national and regional experiences with user-oriented public services, joining Ninoslav Kekić (Republic Secretariat for Public Policies), Deniz Hoti (VIDA agency), and moderator Milena Mihajlović Denić. The programme also featured a presentation of the latest citizen survey on public service delivery in Serbia by Miloš Đindić (WeBER), offering insights into user perceptions and priority areas for improvement.
Speaking from ReSPA’s perspective, Bojana Bajić highlighted that truly user-oriented public services depend on making the once-only principle a practical reality. “Citizens and businesses should provide their data only once, while administrations ensure secure data sharing, interoperability and strong safeguards for privacy and data protection. Achieving this is a governance and coordination challenge that requires clear roles, standards, and capacities across institutions and across borders.”
The afternoon session showcased examples of participatory local problem-solving from WeBER grantees Aleksandra Rabrenović, Marija Milošević Tanasijević, Marija Dražović, and Milan Krilović, moderated by Milica Divljak (WeBER).
The conference concluded with key messages and reflections delivered by Milica Škorić (WeBER), reinforcing the need for sustained collaboration and evidence-based solutions to advance user-oriented public administration in Serbia.
