14.07.2025.
The Director of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption, Dejan Damnjanović, and his associates met today with Milena Milojević, Acting Director of the European Union Audit Office and representatives of the Office. The European Union Audit Office was designated as the audit authority by the Regulation on the Management of the Reform and Growth Instrument.
The topic of the meeting was the preparation for the arrival of the mission of the Directorate-General for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG ENEST), planned for October 2025.
The meeting focused on the obligations arising from the Reform Agenda of the Republic of Serbia, a document adopted on October 3, 2024, in response to the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. The Reform Agenda represents a key strategic framework for accelerating European integration and using funds from the European Growth Fund.
Director Milojević presented the Reform Agenda, which envisages the implementation of 98 specific measures or steps in four areas: business environment and private sector development, green and digital transition, human capital and the rule of law. She also highlighted the importance of timely recognition of irregularities and fraud, as well as the role of internal auditors, which is crucial for the overall assessment of the functioning of the management and control system. The instrument is based on the principles of responsible governance, which implies the absence of potential conflicts of interest and corruption, double financing and a system for managing irregularities. She noted that through many years of work on fulfilling the requirements under Chapter 32, the institutions of the Republic of Serbia have provided the basis for the functioning of the instrument and that we will contribute to the adequate implementation of measures or steps through inter-institutional cooperation.
Director Damnjanović expressed the Agency's readiness to participate in all activities that would contribute to the realization of the mutual interest of both the Agency and the Office, which is responsible for implementing the Reform Agenda and enabling further progress of the Republic of Serbia on the path to membership in the European Union.
He emphasized the importance of preventing corruption, i.e. resolving conflicts of interest of public officials, introducing and implementing integrity plans, the importance of analyzing corruption risks in particularly sensitive areas, including other preventive mechanisms in order to improve institutional integrity in public administration, as well as the integrity of public officials.
A plan for the next steps and the manner of future cooperation between all relevant institutions was agreed upon, so that through joint, coordinated efforts we could contribute to faster progress in numerous reforms necessary for the negotiation process, i.e. the accession of the Republic of Serbia to the European Union.
