ABSTRACT
The past two decades have brought about profound changes to the range of spheres of socio-economic life in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. Transition to a market economy, integration with the global economy and accession to the European Union (EU) have all offered significant opportunities, but have equally been sources of multiple challenges for public administrations at all levels of the administrative hierarchy. After initial years of considerable hardship and declining output, gradually these countries started recording successes in restructuring their economies, legal environments and institutional frameworks (Ivanička and Ivanička 2007). The period of initial downturn has been succeeded by growth years (curbed only recently by the global financial crisis), decreasing inflation, increased political stability and concurrent efforts fostering integration with the world economy.
