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The present paper intends to provide an overview and a critical assessment of the administrative simplification policies implemented in Portugal over the past 20+ years. Throughout these decades, the major instruments for administrative simplification have been: (i) Decree-Law n. 135/99, of 22 April; (ii) the Simplex programme; (iii) the 2015 new Code of Administrative Procedure and its 2021 amendment; and (iv) the COVID-19 legislation. Although Decree-Law n. 135/99 (i) was the first attempt to specifically address simplification, it was a very thin one. The Simplex programme (ii), created in 2006, was the first cross-sectoral robust policy of simplification; its motto is “the simpler the better” and it encompassed reforms in all government areas aiming at cutting red tape, promoting administrative efficiency, and making the citizens’ and the corporations’ lives easier when dealing with State. The new Code of Administrative Procedure (iii), approved in 2015, brought about specific normative solutions to simplify procedures, namely, prior communications, administrative assistance, procedural conferences, and the electronic one-stop shop. Finally, the COVID-19 legislation (iv) was made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic and by the fact that public health restrictions made it impossible for citizens to establish personal contact with the administration in many cases.

Administrative simplification is a particular approach that is considered a key aspect to ensure the quality of regulations and legislation. The appropriate organizational and structural approach to managing, coordinating, and monitoring administrative simplification is an important factor. The institutional framework for managing and coordinating administrative simplification initiatives has been the subject of discussions in the Government of Kosovo for several years. The objective of this paper is therefore to analyze the institutional set up in the central administration, as well as gaps and challenges, and their implications for the implementation of such reforms in Kosovo. It also presents the context of the reforms implemented by the Kosovo state administration to simplify administration and reduce administrative burdens. Particular attention is paid to the importance, status of implementation, and administration of the Law on General Administrative Procedures. Several recommendations and options have been made based on the findings of this study, the authors’ first-hand experience, and best comparative international practice.