Reform of the Lithuanian civil service system in 2004-2018: the aspect of europeization

Lietuvos narystė ES implikavo pokyčius įvairiose valstybės valdymo srityse, taip pat ir valstybės tarnyboje. Straipsnyje aptariami narystės laikotarpiu vykę arba inicijuoti pokyčiai Lietuvos valstybės tarnybos sistemoje vertinant jų atitiktį bendriems Europos administravimo principams. Daugiausia dėmesio skirta XVII LR Vyriausybės iniciatyvai reformuoti valstybės tarnybos sistemą, kurią per visą narystės laikotarpį galima pavadinti vienu ryžtingiausių žingsnių vykdant reformą. Vis dėlto ne visi Vyriausybės pasiūlymai valstybės tarnybos žmogiškųjų išteklių administravimo klausimu artimi proeuropietiškų administracinių principų ir vertybių institucionalizavimui. XVII LR Vyriausybės iniciatyvomis valstybės tarnybos optimizavimo, darbo užmokesčio ir priėmimo į valstybės tarnybą klausimais siekta depolitizuoti valstybės tarnybą, akcentuojant profesionalizmą, taip atliepiant bendrus Europos viešojo administravimo principus. Tačiau vykdomosios valdžios politinis elitas, nors ir įžvelgė valstybės tarnautojų mokymo efektyvumo trūkumą, nebandė ieškoti galimybių, kaip gerinti mokymo kokybę, o į įstatymo projektą įtraukė pataisas, mažinančias mokymų valstybės tarnyboje prieinamumą ir būtinumą, be to, nepateikė jokių reikšmingų pasiūlymų, kaip tobulinti aukštesniosios valstybės tarnybą.Lithuania’s membership in the EU implied changes in various areas of public administration including the civil service. The article discusses change initiatives or changes in the civil service system of Lithuania during the membership period assessing their compliance with the general principles of the European administrative space. The membership has naturally demanded continuous improvement of the civil service system by integrating pro-European standards and values. However, the review of the process of the reform reveals that the improvement of the system did not show significant changes, suggesting that the institutional and value integration into the common European administrative space was consistently pursued. The 17th Government of the Republic of Lithuania has adopted a new law on civil service that can be considered as a certain political breakthrough after a long period of stagnation. However, it is not only the adoption of the law that matters, but also its content. The aim of this article is to discuss the process of improvement of the Lithuanian public service system in the context of Europeanization during the membership period. This article first of all describes the EU recommendations on the improvement of the member state civil service systems and the most important improvement initiatives in Lithuania during the first decade of its membership, and also evaluates the compliance of proposals of the 17th Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the positions of the reform on the civil service to the general principles of the European public administration. Political initiatives to reform the Lithuanian’s civil service system in the first decade of the membership were close to pro-European administrative principles and values but did not receive political support. Initiatives of the 17th Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the optimization of civil service, salary system and recruitment to the civil service were aimed to depoliticization and professionalization of the civil service and it has responded to the common principles of the European public administration. As for the lack of efficiency in the existing system of civil servants training the governmental political elite has indicated the problem but, at the same time, has not suggested any significant issues to improving it. Moreover, the politicians have not made any significant suggestions for the improvement of the Lithuanian senior civil service too