Montenegro opens tomorrow Chapters 12 and 13

Podgorica, Montenegro (29 June 2016) – Montenegro will open tomorrow negotiations on chapters 12 – Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy and 13 – Fisheries at the Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels.

Montenegro's state delegation will be led by the State Secretary for European Integration and Chief Negotiator Ambassador Aleksandar Andrija Pejović.

The goal of EU policy in Chapter 12 – Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy – is to ensure a high level of public health, animal health, animal welfare and plant health in order to provide the highest quality products to the citizens. This section, therefore, includes regulations, standards and measures relating to the whole chain of production that takes place under adequate supervision by the competent authority of the processing and distribution of food to the consumer.

Chapter 13 – Fisheries – is regulated by the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union and encompasses issues of exploitation and management of fishery resources, policy oversight and control, as well as international cooperation in fisheries. The objective of this policy is to provide long-term sustainable use of marine living resources. Membership in the European Union gives Montenegro direct access to the EU's single market, one of the world's largest importers of fishery products.

The opening of chapters is preceded by dedicated and intense work of all institutions to the alignment with European regulations and practices in these areas. According to the European Commission's estimates, Montenegro has achieved good level of alignment and administrative capacity necessary for the opening of negotiations in these areas.