Cooperation Between Civil Society and Public Administration in Public Consultations

Analizira se suradnja javne uprave i organizacija civilnog društva u procesu odlučivanja. Snaženje koncepta regulacijske države mijenja ulogu javne vlasti u procesu odlučivanja. To se posebno očituje kroz širenje broja akera koji sudjeluju u izradi politika i odluka. Europska unija razvija mogućnosti i načine putem kojih razne organizacije civilnog društva imaju priliku dati svoje mišljenje o donošenju određene odluke. Republika Hrvatska pokušava slijediti taj trend definiranjem odredbi o postupcima savjetovanja sa zainteresiranom javnošću i uspostavljanjem mehanizama suradnje s organizacijama civilnog društva i drugim akterima na izradi zakona, drugih propisa i akata. Također se analiziraju formalne mogućnosti i stvarna participacija civilnog društva u postupcima savjetovanja sa zainteresiranom javnošću te odnos s javnom vlasti u izradi odluka. Analiziraju se instrumenti savjetovanja sa zainteresiranom javnošću u EU-u i Hrvatskoj. Upozorava se na određene probleme u regulaciji i provedbi instrumenta te se predlažu rješenja za poboljšanje.The strengthening of the regulatory state concept in recent decades has changed the role of public authorities in the decision-making process, rendering them just one of the many different participants involved in policy-making and the decision-making process. As regulation became their primary function, public authorities began to emphasise the quality of the decision-making process and the decisions it engenders in order to encourage the establishment of a suitable environment for economic development. Therefore, supranational organisations and many countries are implementing regulatory reforms in an attempt to create better regulation, and in the context of these reforms they are using instruments of civil society participation in decision-making. As a result of various circumstances, creating relations with civil society based on cooperation and partnership is often a relatively slow and gradual process, yet progress is notable. The European Union is constantly evolving opportunities and ways in which various civil society organisations can convey their opinions about the adoption of certain decisions at the EU level. Croatia has also, particularly over the last seven years, tried to follow this trend by defining the legal provisions and procedures of public consultations, and by establishing mechanisms for cooperation with civil society organisations and many other stakeholders in the drafting of laws and other regulations. The paper analyses the role of civil society and the opportunities for public consultations in the European Union and Croatia. The analysis results indicate progress as well as problems. The author suggests improvements with regard to the cooperation between civil society and public administration in public consultations