The article examines the legal status of civil servants in Ukraine and identifies the prospects for its modernization taking into account modern European standards of public administration. The essence of civil service is analyzed as a professional activity of persons who implement the tasks and functions of state bodies and local self-government bodies, ensuring the satisfaction of public needs within the legally defined legal field. The basic structural elements of the legal status of public servants have been identified: rights, obligations, restrictions on certain types of activities, guarantees and mechanisms for exercising powers, social and material security, and responsibility.
The article analyzes modern approaches to the organization of public service in Ukraine and the legal mechanisms of its functioning. The effectiveness of regulatory and legal regulation, international recommendations and practices that contribute to increasing the professionalism of civil servants, ensuring political neutrality, accountability and transparency of the activities of government bodies is assessed. The international recommendations of SIGMA/OECD on the modernization of public service are considered, including increasing the professionalism and competence of civil servants, ensuring political neutrality, accountability and transparency of the activities of government bodies, the use of modern electronic management tools and raising ethical standards.
It is emphasized that effective reform of the public service in Ukraine is possible only under the conditions of a systematic approach to the selection and assessment of employees, rational distribution of functions, professional training and the introduction of modern management technologies. Specific areas of modernization are proposed, including improving legal regulation, professionalizing the staff, increasing social and legal protection, as well as forming an ethical and transparent environment in public administration.
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