Press release from 42nd Cabinet session

Podgorica, Montenegro (28 September 2017) – At the session held earlier today, the Montenegrin Cabinet passed the Draft Law on water intended for human consumption. The proposed law for the first time regulates parameters of water intended for human consumption, obligations of legal entities performing public water supply activities, activities in case of deviation from the prescribed values of parameters, monitoring of water for human use safety, as well as other issues of importance for the provision of safe and healthy water for human use, in order to protect human health.

In line with Montenegro's NATO Integration Plan, the Cabinet adopted the Decision on the organisational structure and size of the Armed Forces of Montenegro in order to align its structure with missions and tasks within the NATO alliance. The decision determines the size of the Armed Forces of Montenegro of 1,950 formations, as well as that the army is composed of: General Staff, Infantry Battalion, Air Force, Navy, Logistics Battalion, Training Centre, Honorary Guard, Special Forces, Military Police and Communards. The defined organisation and formation structure and size of the army is appropriate to the needs and tasks of Article 129 of the Constitution of Montenegro, financially viable, or in line with the possibilities of Montenegro for its financing. This ensures the continuation of activities started in the process of further integration into NATO, as well as further capacity building with the aim of maintaining interoperability with allies and partners. Furthermore, the established structure ensures the continuation of rationalisation, increase of efficiency and rejuvenation of personnel.

Government also passed the Draft Law Amending the Law on the State Prosecutor's Office. Having in mind the need to improve the procedure for the election of members of the Prosecutorial Council from the rank of state prosecutors that expires in January 2018, the amendments are aimed at ensuring the full application of the provision according to which the Conference of State Prosecutors selects and dismisses members of the Prosecutorial Council from order of state prosecutors from all levels of state prosecutors' offices.

At today's session, the Draft Law Amending the Law on Customs Service was also passed, which creates conditions for more detailed regulation of the duties of customs officers in the exercise of their powers, especially in the part of issuing warnings and orders and monitoring, stopping, inspecting and searching for means of transport , passengers and luggage.

Government adopted the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Judicial Reform Strategy 2014-2018 (for the period 2017-2018). The plan defines measures for achieving strategic goals: strengthening independence, impartiality, accountability of the judiciary; strengthening the efficiency of the judiciary; the Montenegrin judiciary as part of the European judiciary; strengthening accessibility, transparency and public confidence in the judiciary; the development of judicial institutions, as well as other institutions in the function of the judiciary.

In order to improve the quality of life of users of social and child care and their empowerment for independent and productive life, the Government adopted the Strategy for the Development of Social and Child Care Systems for the period 2018-2022 with the Action Plan for 2018. Analysis of the current situation in the social and child care system led to conclusions that determine the direction of further development of social and child care. Among other things, the need has been identified for improving the normative framework and quality system, for the development and improvement of services, for reducing the number of users using the accommodation service in social and child care institutions. The planned activities will focus on the development of family accommodation - foster care, with a special emphasis on non-foster parenting, as well as greater participation of local self-governments, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations and companies in the provision of social and child care.

Strategy for the Development of the Social Protection System of the Elderly for the period 2018 - 2022 was adopted. The Strategy envisages the improvement of the normative framework, the further development of community support services and the improvement of the quality of social protection for the elderly and the increase in the participation of civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals in the provision of social protection services to the elderly, with the established direction of development of the social protection system in Montenegro.

Cabinet passed the Decision on determining ports according to its purpose, as well as the Decision on determining ports by type of maritime traffic. According to the purpose of the port, they are divided into: commercial ports - Port of Bar and Commercial port of Kotor; ports of nautical tourism - marinas: Port of Budva, Port of Tivat-Porto Montenegro and Port of nautical tourism - Bar Marina, and shipbuilding ports - Port of Bijela and Port of Bonići-Tivat. In relation to the type of traffic, there are ports for international maritime transport - Bar, Budva, Kotor, Tivat (Gat I and Gat II) and Zelenika, and the ports for inland maritime traffic - Bar, Budva, Kotor, Tivat (Gat I and Gat II) , Bonići - Tivat and Zelenika.

Information on the establishment of national structures for Montenegro's participation in territorial cooperation programmes with the EU Member States under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance 2014-2020 (IPA II) was adopted. In order to fulfil the obligations arising from participation in the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and the establishment of a system of governance and control at the national level, the Government instructed the Ministry of European Affairs to perform the role of the National Authority in territorial cooperation programmes with the EU Member States in which Montenegro participates, financed from IPA II Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance 2014-2020. In addition, the Government instructed the Ministry of Finance to establish the First Level Control Office and appoint controllers for trilateral and transnational co-operation programmes.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO