The purpose of the article is to identify the concepts of the functioning of public service systems based on the generalization of the institutional environment for the transformation of the concepts of public service in the countries of the European Union. The institutional conditions for the transformation of the civil service in the EU countries are revealed. It is proved that under the new conditions there is an urgent need to identify the institutional prerequisites and factors of the transformation of the civil service in the context of European integration in order to understand the vector of movement of the civil service institute in Ukraine. On the basis of the study of the modernization experience, it has been determined that even minor changes in the structure of public authorities are accompanied by negative consequences, namely, the costs of conducting liquidation or reorganization measures. The main strategies of the modernization processes carried out are outlined. It was found that the institutional preconditions for the transformation of the civil service in the EU originate from constitutional mechanisms that are deeply rooted in the cultural, social and political values that are united around the basic provisions of democracy. It is shown that the prerogatives of functional measures emphasizing the powers of civil servants are an important institutional precondition for the transformation of the civil service. The generalization of the factors of transformation of the civil service in the context of European integration provides an understanding of the vector of the movement of the civil service in Ukraine through the creation of a common European administrative space.