British Council Speak European programme -  public sector officials sit in a circle at a meeting
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Sonja Zugic

Clients European Union
Value €2.49 million
Lifecycle
2010 to 2012
Country Serbia

Through the Speak European project, we helped strengthen the Serbian government’s capacity to prepare for the country’s accession to the European Union. 

Working with the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) and the College of Europe (CoE), we provided training courses and internships to support the professional development of public administration employees and to help key ‘community multipliers’ raise public awareness of the accession process. 

Civil service training and internships

Over 180 civil and public servants undertook targeted training programmes on European legislation and the integration process at the EIPA and CoE, while 29 carried out three-month internships in countries across the European Union, including Belgium, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK.

Enabling ‘community multipliers’

A total of 54 professionals from key academic and cultural institutions, the media, civil society and businesses received training to enable them to raise public awareness on issues relating to European Union accession and the effects it will have on society.

Formal recognition for internships

The Serbian European Integration Office was supported in accelerating the process to recognise internships as an integral part of development and to build them into the official human resources development strategy in government.

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'An outstanding experience...it was like I lived the career of a European civil servant.'

Internship participant, City of Valjevo, Serbia

'After this training I feel like a modern civil servant.' 

Programme participant, Ministry of Environment, Serbia

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