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Minister Gvozdenović meets with EU Commisioner Vella: Duration of negotiations on environment depends on obligations fulfillment speed

Published on: Jul 5, 2016 11:00 PM Author: PR Service
Podgorica, Montenegro (5 July 2016) – Montenegro has made progress in meeting the initial criteria for opening negotiations for Chapter 27, it was concluded at today's meeting of Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Branimir Gvozdenović with European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella. 

The special emphasis was on the process of the adoption of the National Strategy and Action Plan for alignment with the EU acquis in the field of environment and climate change by 2020, as well as on the key elements of the document. The implementation of the Strategy, which was compiled by the macroeconomic analysis, foresees investments in the amount of 1.492 billion EUR in order to achieve full compliance with the EU acquis. In this context, Minister Gvozdenović expressed Government's full readiness to ensure the implementation of this strategy, and briefed EU Commissioner about the active participation of all ministers in the drafting of the Document and the support received from the NGO sector. 

Minister Gvozdenović also stresses that forthcoming adoption of the strategy by the Government was very important for planning budgetary resources for implementation of planned activities over the next year.

The two officials agreed on further finalisation of activities to meet initial benchmarks, noting the importance of the soonest adoption of the Strategy. Commissioner Vella pointed out that the EC is ready to provide support to Montenegro in the process of implementation of this document, and that the duration of the negotiations depends on the speed Montenegro meets the planned obligations. The first steps in the implementation of the Strategy will be to strengthen the administrative structure and establish permanent national mechanisms for financing in the field of environment and climate change. 

Both sides noted that the opening of negotiations for Chapter 27 is mutual interest, bearing in mind the complexity of the obligations to be implemented within the Chapter, and that it should take advantage of the current momentum and political will to continue at an accelerated pace and to ensure continuity in the further progress.
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