CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN CONCEPTS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND THEIR LEGAL FRAMEWORK

Vita Tkachenko; Yurii Kotviakovskyi; Svitlana Zinchenko

doi:10.36690/2674-5216-2025-1-99-109

Authors

Vita Tkachenko Sumy National Agrarian University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5432-4981
Yurii Kotviakovskyi Sumy National Agrarian University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4684-4623
Svitlana Zinchenko Sumy National Agrarian University https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7124-2152

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36690/2674-5216-2025-1-99-109

Keywords:

public administration, European law, legal framework, digital transformation, classical model of management, new public management, good governance, e-government

Abstract

This article presents an in-depth exploration of conceptual and legal approaches to public administration reform in European countries amid the digital transformation of the public sector. The primary aim is to analyze how classical administrative traditions, the New Public Management paradigm, and the emerging model of Good Governance are evolving under the influence of digital technologies and to determine how legal frameworks support this transition. The study is grounded in the need to understand how institutional modernization can balance efficiency, accountability, and democratic legitimacy in rapidly changing information environments. The research applies a comparative legal and administrative methodology, synthesizing structural-functional analysis with systematization of legal norms and institutional practices. The analysis considers regulatory developments at both the European Union and national levels, as well as structural adjustments in public administration aimed at incorporating digital innovations. The methodology includes the classification of governance models, critical assessment of legislative instruments, and contextual evaluation of their operational impact in practice. The findings of the study reveal that the digital transformation of public administration in Europe does not replace traditional governance models but rather stimulates their hybridization. The classical model remains relevant where legal stability and procedural formality are essential, but it has been enhanced through digital document management and automation. New Public Management, while facilitating efficiency and performance orientation, integrates digital tools such as e-services and online performance metrics, though it faces criticism for potentially undermining democratic inclusivity. Good Governance emerges as a value-based response, incorporating digital platforms for transparency and participation, supported by robust legal safeguards like data protection, identity verification, and open data regulations. Each model shows adaptability when reinforced by targeted legal provisions that enable responsiveness to technological advancements while upholding the principles of rule of law and administrative justice. The study concludes that the future of European public administration lies in combining legal robustness with technological flexibility, ensuring that digital transformation serves public interest through transparent, inclusive, and accountable governance systems.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Vita Tkachenko, Sumy National Agrarian University

Ph.D. in Laws, Associate Professor, Department of Administrative and Information Law, Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy

Yurii Kotviakovskyi, Sumy National Agrarian University

Ph.D. in Laws, Associate Professor, Head of Department of Justice and Philosophy, Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy

Svitlana Zinchenko, Sumy National Agrarian University

Lecturer, Department of Administrative and Information Law, Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy

References

Bolotina, Ye. V. (2017). Suchasni zakhidni kontseptsii upravlinnia ta modeli publichnoho administruvannia [Modern Western governance concepts and models of public administration]. Ekonomichnyi visnyk Donbasu, (1), 96–100.

Bolotina, Ye. V., & Shyrkova, A. D. (2019). Transformatsiia modeli administratyvno-derzhavnoho upravlinnia [Transformation of the administrative-state governance model]. Ekonomichnyi visnyk Donbasu, (1)(55), 118–123.

Bosak, O. Z. (2010). Publichne upravlinnia yak nova model upravlinnia u derzhavnomu sektori [Public administration as a new model of governance in the public sector]. Derzhavne upravlinnia: teoriia ta praktyka, (2).

European Commission. (2021). Digital Europe Programme (2021–2027). https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/digital-programme

European Parliament and Council. (2014, February 26). Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/984_052-14#Text

European Parliament and Council. (2014, July 23). Regulation (EU) No. 910/2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market (eIDAS). https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/984_016-14#Text

European Parliament and Council. (2016, April 27). Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (GDPR). https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/984_008-16#Text

European Parliament and Council. (2018). Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 on financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union. https://www.kmu.gov.ua/storage/app/sites/1/55-GOEEI/es-evratom-20181046.pdf

European Parliament and Council. (2019, June 20). Directive (EU) 2019/1024 on open data and the re-use of public sector information. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/984_036-19#Text

Gellert, R. (2021). Understanding the notion of risk in the General Data Protection Regulation. Computer Law & Security Review, 41, 105529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clsr.2020.105529

Huk, A. (Ed.). (2018). Benchmarkinh dobroho vriaduvannia: Navchalnyi posibnyk [Benchmarking good governance: A textbook]. Kyiv: Yuston.

Janssen, M., Charalabidis, Y., & Zuiderwijk, A. (2012). Benefits, adoption barriers and myths of open data and open government. Information Systems Management, 29(4), 258–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/10580530.2012.716740

Kloza, D., van Dijk, N., Gellert, R., & de Hert, P. (2020). Data protection and digital government in the European Union. In A. M. Capuano & L. Gatt (Eds.), Digital Government: Managing Public Sector Reform in the Digital Era (pp. 111–134). Palgrave Macmillan.

Kolodii, A. F. (2013). Kontseptsiia publichnoho (novoho) vriaduvannia v yii zastosuvanni do demokratychnykh i perekhidnykh system [The concept of public (new) governance in application to democratic and transitional systems]. Demokratychne vriaduvannia: Naukovyi visnyk LRI DU NADU.

Kukhareva, H. P. (2015). Nalezhnе uriaduvannia yak shliakh do stanovlennia diievoi systemy publichnoho upravlinnia v Ukraini [Good governance as a path to an effective public administration system in Ukraine]. Teoriia ta praktyka publichnoho upravlinnia, (3), 76–83.

Kukhareva, H. P. (2016). Klasychna (traditsiina) kontseptsiia publichnoho upravlinnia – yii diievist u svitovomu prostori ta dotsilnist podalshoho zastosuvannia v publichnomu upravlinni Ukrainy [The classical (traditional) concept of public administration—its effectiveness in the global space and applicability in Ukraine]. Teoriia ta praktyka derzhavnoho upravlinnia, (3), 54–61.

Lindgren, I., & Jansson, G. (2013). Electronic services in the public sector: A conceptual framework. Government Information Quarterly, 30(2), 163–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2012.10.005

Mergel, I., Edelmann, N., & Haug, N. (2019). Defining digital transformation: Results from expert interviews. Government Information Quarterly, 36(4), 101385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2019.06.002

Ølnes, S., Ubacht, J., & Janssen, M. (2017). Blockchain in government: Benefits and implications of distributed ledger technology for information sharing. Government Information Quarterly, 34(3), 355–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2017.09.007

Pollitt, C., & Bouckaert, G. (2017). Public management reform: A comparative analysis—Into the age of austerity (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Sæbø, Ø., Rose, J., & Flak, L. S. (2008). The shape of eParticipation: Characterizing an emerging research area. Government Information Quarterly, 25(3), 400–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2007.04.007

Shliakhtun, P. P. (2005). Vzaiemozviazok derzhavy i hromadianskoho suspilstva: Politolohiia (teoriia ta istoriia politychnoi nauky) [The relationship between the state and civil society: Political science (theory and history of political science)] (Textbook). Kyiv: Lybid.

Siomych, M. (2019). Osoblyvosti suchasnykh modelei publichnoho upravlinnia [Features of modern models of public administration]. Aspekty publichnoho upravlinnia, 4(7), 44–52.

Solovykh, V. P. (2010). “Good Governance” yak odna z suchasnykh modelei derzhavnoho upravlinnia [Good Governance as one of the modern models of state administration]. Naukovyi visnyk Akademii munitsypalnoho upravlinnia, (1), 112–120.

Strilets, Yu. P. (2011). Pryntsyp pidkontrolnosti v konteksti kontseptsii “Good Governance” [The principle of accountability in the context of Good Governance]. Aktualni problemy derzhavnoho upravlinnia, (2), 319–325.

Wirtz, B. W., Weyerer, J. C., & Geyer, C. (2019). Artificial intelligence and the public sector—Applications and challenges. International Journal of Public Administration, 42(7), 596–615. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2018.1498103

Zbirnyk dyrektyv YeS z pytan derzhavnykh zakupivel [Compilation of EU procurement directives]. (2015). Harmonizatsiia systemy derzhavnykh zakupivel v Ukraini zi standartamy YeS [Harmonizing Ukraine’s procurement system with EU standards]. 637 pp.