The agreement shall enter into force when five of the seven signatories have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval with the Depositary, in this case, the government of Montenegro.

Background
The Regional School for Public Administration (ReSPA) was created in May 2006 to promote regional cooperation in the field of public administration. It followed the Thessaloniki conclusions of June 2003 which, inter alia, emphasized the need to support necessary reforms in the field of public administration, strengthening administrative capacity and developing human resources in the field.

A phased approach was adopted for the establishment of ReSPA: Phase 1 started as of 1 November 2006 and will last about two years. ReSPA’s work programme will consist of not only organising seminars for public administration professionals from across the Western Balkans region, but also to develop its own institutional and management set up in Podgorica, Montenegro.

The Phase 2, about to start, is planned to last at least three years, during which time ReSPA will evolve into a professional School, focusing on in-service training. During this Phase ReSPA will have its own legal personality, following ratification of the International Agreement, and will operate in the region. As part of its deliberations, in January 2008, the ReSPA Steering Committee selected Danilovgrad, Montenegro, as the future seat of the school. It is planned that the school will initiate its activities in its own facilities during the course of 2009.

Finally, in Phase 3, from 2012 onwards, and upon decision of the signatories, ReSPA may develop into a more comprehensive model combining both academic education and professional training dimensions. Additional information can be obtained from http://www.respaweb.eu.

Source: EC Press Release