Press release: Meetings held on the occasion of implementation of the Operational programme Regional Development 2012-2013

Representatives of the European Commission Directorate General for Regional Policy from Brussels paid a working visit to the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro from March 24-26 2015.

During the visit, a number of interactive working meetings, presentations and a training concerning the SFC2007 programme were organized.

On the first day of the visit, the European Commission Directorate General for Regional Policy and the National Fund of Montenegro organized in the premises of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism the training on the SFC2007 programme, concerning the exchange and introduction of financial data with the European Commission. The training was attended by representatives of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, representatives of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integrations and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. The lecturer at the training was Mrs. Sofia Geoffrey, representative of the Directorate General for Employment.

On the second day, in the premises of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, the European Commission Directorate General for Regional Policy from Brussels organized a presentation on experiences in implementation of the IPA Component III and risk management. The presentation was attended by representatives of the IPA Component III Operational Structure, comprising the representatives of: the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Transport and the Public Works Directorate, representatives of the National Fund and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integrations. During the presentation, Mr. Argyirios Klearchos Pisiotis, Head of Section, IPA component III, Accession Negotiations, Brussels, shared his experiences concerning the implementation of the IPA component III.

In the second part of the day, a meeting took place in the premises of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, where representatives of the IPA Component III Operational Structure presented the timeline of activities concerning the implementation of projects from the Operational Programme Regional Development 2012-2013, as well as the public procurements plan. Furthermore, at this meeting, the representatives of the Operational Structure informed the representative of the European Commission Directorate General for Regional Policy, Mr. Rastislav Prokopič, of all outstanding issues concerning the projects implementation.

On the third day, a meeting was organized in the premises of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, where the Operational Structure representatives presented to representatives of the European Commission Directorate General for Regional Policy the timeline of preparation of documents necessary for receiving the technical support from the European Commission, as well as the status of conclusions from the first Sectoral Monitoring Committee, held on 9 December 2015. Activities planned concerning the upcoming visit of the European Commission representatives and organization of the second Sectoral Monitoring Committee planned for June 2015 were agreed at the meeting.