Ministry of Public Administration Team Supported by CEF Receives Montenegro Public Administration Award for EU Accession Contribution
We extend our congratulations to the team of Montenegro’s Ministry of Public Administration - Zorica Zeković, Nevena Zindović Rabrenović, Ljubica Radaković, Stela Bobot and Milena Popović Glavatović - on receiving the 2026 Public Administration Award in Category III: Contribution to the EU Accession Process.
Presented on the occasion of the International Day of Public Administration, the award recognizes public officials whose dedication, professionalism and commitment contribute to a more effective, accessible and accountable public administration. This year’s celebration was held under the slogan “Progress Begins with People”.
The award-winning team has played a key role in strengthening Montenegro’s public administration reform (PAR) coordination and advancing the country’s EU accession efforts. At the CEF, we are especially proud to have supported the Ministry’s PAR coordination team on this journey. Since September 2023, this support has been delivered through the EU-funded action “Support to Coordination, Monitoring and Reporting on Public Administration Reform Strategy and Public Financial Management Reform Programme 2022–2026” (the CEF Facility for Montenegro). Through this collaboration, the team has strengthened its coordination, monitoring and reporting capacities, contributing to Montenegro’s progress on its EU accession path.
Recognizing the impact of this cooperation on Montenegro’s PAR and public financial management (PFM) reform coordination capacity, the CEF recently agreed with the EU Delegation to Montenegro, the Ministry of Public Administration and the Ministry of Finance to extend support to the country’s PAR and PFM reform coordination structures until August 2028.
We are also pleased that two members of the award-winning team, Stela Bobot and Milena Popović Glavatović, further strengthened their leadership and policy development skills through the EU-funded “WeLead: EU Scheme for Young Professionals in the Western Balkans” project. Within the WeWrite component, they developed policy papers addressing key challenges related to talent retention in IPA structures and strengthening public administration capacities for EU funds. Their work was presented at the Bled Strategic Forum in 2025 and later shared with wider audiences in Montenegro.
Congratulations to the award-winning team, and all colleagues who contributed to this achievement by strengthening the team’s confidence, skills and capacity to support Montenegro’s progress on its European integration journey.