Montenegro Cabinet's meeting

Podgorica, Montenegro (25 April 2014) -- At yesterday’s meeting, the Government of Montenegro adopted the Contribution to the European Commission's Progress Report for the period from September 2013 untill April 2014. Within this period, Montenegro opened five negotiation chapters: Chapter 23 – Judiciary and fundamental rights, Chapter 24 – Justice, freedom and security, Chapter 5 – public procurement, Chapter 6 – company law and Chapter 20 – Entreprise and industrial policy. Montenegro has also temporary opened Chapter 7 (Intellectual property law) and Chapter 10 (Information society and media). The meeting also adopted quarterly reports on the implementation of action plans related to the negotiation chapters 23 and 24, stateing the requirements implemenation is estimated at approximately 60%.

Information on the establishment of the Directorate for IPARD – IPARD Agency was also adopted at the Cabinet’s meeting. During the implementation of IV MIDAS Public call, the Directorate has strengthened human resources capacity through intensified process of controls and procedures aimed at meeting the IPARD requirements.

The Government also adopted the Information on the planned activities in departments of agriculture, food safety and fishing, defined by the negotiation chapters 11, 12 and 13. The meeting particularly discussed food safety and made a conclusions which tasks the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to propose solution for the establishment of central food safety authority. This authority will communicate with the European Commission and other relevant authorities, particularly with the central authority for risk management in this area.

The Montenegrin Cabinet also adopted Information on causes and consequences of floods in the basin of Skadar Lake and the River Bojana, which contains data on joint activities of Montenegro and Albania. The Information emphasises the significance of short-term activities of cleaning the riverbeds of Bojana and defining height safety points on Montenegrin and Albanian river coast. The meeting underlined that the two countries will jointly participate in financing project for long –term solution of this issue.