The Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA) was officially opened today in Danilovgrad, Montenegro, by European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle and Milo Djukanovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro.

The school is to reinforce regional cooperation and strengthen administrative capacity in the Western Balkans. It follows the principles of the ’European Administrative Space’ in which public servants in European countries meet to exchange views and best practices on the implementation of EU legislation. The establishment of an institution to train civil servants from candidate countries and potential candidates was first discussed at the Thessaloniki Summit in June 2003.

The European Commission and its partners in the region have conceived and established ReSPA. The EU has provided more than € 7 million in technical assistance and equipment and is planning to finance another € 7 m of technical support, adding to the foreseen contributions of national authorities.

Commissioner Füle stated that the opening of ReSPA : ‘marks the beginning of a new phase in the development of human resources in the region’.

The official opening of the premises is part of a week of activities including ReSPA training and a Multi-Beneficiary Coordination meeting on the Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA). The meeting will bring together representatives from the Commission and national authorities to discuss EU projects. A ReSPA Open Day has also been planned for Saturday 13 November when the public is invited to visit the premises and learn about EU activities in the region.