Implementation of civil service principles as a condition for effective public administration

Abstract

Based on current legislation, this article provides a comprehensive examination of the implementation of civil service principles as a prerequisite for effective public administration. The roadmap for public administration reform regarding Ukraine’s accession to the European Union under Cluster 1, «Foundations of the EU Accession Process», calls for improving the effectiveness of public administration, which is directly linked to the civil service, including the principles embedded in this legal institution and the norms of European standards for public administration. The implementation of these principles in the activities of the civil service requires a scientific rationale, which underscores the relevance of the topic. The object of the study is the social relations that exist in the sphere of public administration and the civil service. The subject of the study is the provisions of current legislation and the regulatory acts of the European Union regarding public administration and the civil service. The methodological framework consists of general and specific methods for studying legal phenomena, including the systemic, structural-functional, comparative-legal, and formal-legal approaches, among others. It is noted that the principles of the civil service, as a functional foundation, form the general basis for the legal regulation of civil service relations, as enshrined in the provisions of the Law of Ukraine «On the Civil Service». The following principles are examined: the priority of human and civil rights and freedoms; the stability of the civil service; interaction with public associations and citizens; professionalism and competence; and the protection of civil servants from unlawful interference in professional activities and integrity. A comprehensive analysis of general legal and sector-specific principles within the civil service system makes it possible to identify new trends in the development of this legal institution and to propose scientifically grounded approaches to implementing these principles with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of public administration through the meritocratic principle and the principle of integrity in procedures, the digitalization of public service and human resources management, in accordance with European standards and principles of public administration.