Montenegro's Cabinet session

Podgorica, Montenegro (22 April 2016) – At its yesterday’s session, the Montenegrin Government approved the Draft Amendments to the Law on State Administration in order to comply with the provisions of the new Law on Administrative Procedure. The proposed amendments are aimed at improving the application of the provisions of the Law on Civil Servants in terms of termination of the term of office and dismissal of the head of an administration, as well as their rights and obligations. In addition, the solutions concerning the appointment of the acting heads in administrative bodies and Government’s services, position of heads of administration or the higher management staff are also being advanced by the draft amendments.

The session approved the Draft Amendments to the Family Law. The proposal will improve the current solutions and harmonise them with modern European standards, with full respect for human rights, especially the rights of the child. The key novelty is further affirmation of the principle of "best interests of the child" and the prohibition of corporal punishment of children. The amendments’ adoption is prescribed by the Action Plan for Chapter 24 and the Judicial Reform Strategy, and the text of the law complies with the relevant European directives.

Bearing in mind that the Municipal assembly of Gusinje does not perform duties within its jurisdiction longer than six months, the Government adopted a decision on warning the Municipal Assembly to hold a meeting within 15 days and issue a decision on the municipal budget and other decisions important for the smooth functioning of the municipality.

The Cabinet adopted yesterday the spatial planning for 2016 containing a significant number of planning documents, which drafting has been underway, as well as the plan of developing and adopting new planning documents and their implementation. The discussion highlighted the need for gradual changes to the concept of spatial development and its compliance with modern methods of spatial planning adjusted to development needs and interests of the state.

The Cabinet also adopted the program of encouraging the development of clusters in Montenegro for 2016, which continues to support the networking of companies in the wood processing, food processing and other manufacturing industries, as key stakeholders of balanced regional development in order to boost their competitiveness.

The government adopted an operational plan to improve energy efficiency in 2016. The plan contains an overview of energy efficiency measures whose implementation is planned at 45 facilities under the jurisdiction of the state administration, with a total estimated budget in the amount of EUR 10.837,114.

The Cabinet appointed Željko Stamatović Consul General in New York, and Sead Čirgić Director of the Health Insurance Fund of Montenegro.