ETHICS AND LEGAL REGULATION OF PUBLIC SERVICE: INTERCONNECTION AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the relationship between ethical and legal components in the professional activities of civil servants and to identify effective ways to integrate them to enhance administrative efficiency and increase public trust in government institutions. The research is relevant due to the growing need to establish a transparent, ethical, and accountable public administration system that meets modern challenges. The research methods include a comprehensive analysis of Ukrainian regulatory and legal acts governing the activities of civil servants and an examination of international experience in ethical regulation of public service. Comparative, systematic, and inductive methods were applied to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the implementation of ethical standards in public administration. Significant attention was given to the analysis of scholarly publications on integrity, prevention of conflicts of interest, responsibility of public officials, and mechanisms to ensure transparency in the public sector. The research findings indicate that most contemporary studies focus on specific aspects, such as avoiding corruption risks, resolving conflicts of interest, or the accountability of officials. However, the holistic integration of ethical and legal standards into public administration remains insufficiently explored. It was found that the lack of a systemic approach to implementing ethical principles limits the effectiveness of public service. The article offers several practical recommendations, including the development of specialized ethics training programs for civil servants, strengthening internal and external control, and improving personnel policies to attract highly qualified and ethical professionals to the public sector. The conclusions demonstrate that the integration of ethical and legal components is a key condition for improving the efficiency of administrative processes and ensuring transparency in the work of public institutions. This not only contributes to increased public trust but also lays the foundation for institutional resilience and a higher overall level of integrity in the public sector. The proposed recommendations can be adapted to the conditions of different countries and institutions, taking into account their specific legal and ethical environments. The prospects for further research include a deeper analysis of professional training methods for civil servants in leading countries, studying the impact of digital technologies on the formation of ethical culture in the public sector, and developing effective control mechanisms to ensure compliance with ethical and legal norms. Furthermore, an important direction is assessing the impact of the proposed reforms on the effectiveness of public service and the level of public trust in government institutions.