21 April 2026, Budva, Montenegro

Director Handjiska-Trendafilova, Mr René Troccaz, French Special Envoy for the Western Balkans and Anne-Marie Maskay, French Ambassador to Montenegro, officially launched the “BRIDGE to EU – France for Good Governance in the Western Balkans” Programme yesterday at the High-Level Berlin Process Meeting in Budva.

“BRIDGE to EU is more than a cooperation programme - it is a practical investment in people, institutions, and trust. By connecting public servants across the Western Balkans and France, we are building a living bridge of knowledge and experience that turns reform ambitions into real administrative capacity. Strong institutions are not built in isolation; they are built through partnership, learning, and shared commitment to European values,” underlined Director Handjiska-Trendafilova on launching the Programme.

Anne-Marie Maskay, French Ambassador in Montenegro, stressed that “France is proud to support public administration reforms in the Western Balkans through a pragmatic and cooperative approach that places human development and peer exchange at its core, strengthening a truly collective dynamic alongside our excellent partner ReSPA."

Implemented with the support of ReSPA and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the two-year programme is designed to provide long-term support to public administration reform across the region. It aims to strengthen institutional capacities, enhance administrative cooperation, and promote the exchange of experience and best practices among administrations in the Western Balkans.

Mr Troccaz underlined: “On the French side, the BRIDGE to EU programme brings together a wide range of French institutions and public service schools, ensuring a broad mobilisation of expertise and experience. This collective engagement creates a dynamic framework for policy dialogue, knowledge transfer, and mutual learning, reinforcing our shared commitment to stronger, more resilient public administrations across the Western Balkans. The aim of this programme is to concretely accompany and facilitate their integration into the European context and networks.”

The Programme is firmly rooted in a partnership-based and peer-learning approach. Through active cooperation among institutions, it aims to: facilitate the exchange of experiences and solutions to shared reform challenges; strengthen professional and institutional networks and connect them with European counterparts, and encourage joint initiatives and sustainable regional cooperation. As such, BRIDGE to EU seeks to contribute to more professional, efficient, and citizen-oriented public administrations that are fully aligned with European governance standards.

The programme’s first-year activities will lay the foundation for sustainable impact by strengthening leadership capacities among senior officials, supporting public administration schools, and improving preparedness for EU integration processes. In its second year, the programme will expand its focus to cross-cutting reforms, including public financial management and multilevel governance.

At its core, the initiative reflects a shared conviction: public administration is not only the backbone of democratic governance, but also a key driver of economic development, social cohesion, and citizens’ trust in institutions.

This vision is structured around two key pillars:

• A high-performing, service-oriented administration capable of strategic planning, evidence-based decision-making, crisis response, and effective service delivery focused on citizens’ needs;
• A professional, merit-based civil service grounded in transparency, integrity, and accountability, where recruitment, career development, and skills-building follow clear and fair rules.

The programme places civil servants at the centre of transformation efforts, ensuring reforms translate into practical and sustainable improvements.

Find more about the Programme HERE