[Excerpt] Since Eurofound engaged in more systematic research on the public sector, defining central public administration has become a necessity. While there is a branch of research dedicated to employment and working conditions in the sector, linked particularly to the waves of privatisation of various public services, there have been few systematic studies of working conditions and industrial relations at its core, what can be called central public administration (CPA). The aim of this paper is to deliver a working definition of CPA.