Collegium for Negotiations on Accession of Montenegro to EU: 2017 was successful in terms of European integration

PHOTO: Collegium for Negotiations on Accession of Montenegro to EU holds session

Collegium for Negotiations on the Accession of Montenegro to the European Union, chaired by Prime Minister Duško Marković, held its 19th session today. PM Marković assessed that by the opening of 30 and the provisional closure of 3 chapters, as well as the efficient round off of reforms in a number of areas, Montenegro has successfully completed 2017 in the field of European integration and is ready for the next steps.

Members of the Collegium have considered key activities for meeting the interim benchmarks in Chapters 23 and 24, focusing on the findings of the European Commission's Work Document on the Rule of Law. Also, the subject of the meeting was the programming of Ipa 2018 funds for the area of rule of law.

When it comes to Chapters 23 and 24, the Prime Minister stressed that a large part of the work has been completed within the last four years, i.e. since their official opening in December 2013. The legislative process is almost over, the institutional framework is established and is continually reinforced, and the balance of results and the implementation of the adopted reforms shows results in specific areas. He pointed to the importance of maintaining a good pace of reforms and results in 2018, particularly in the rule of law, dictating the progress of the whole process.

In this context, the members of the Collegium have agreed to intensify the work on meeting the provisional benchmarks in Chapters 23 and 24, by clearly defining the obligations and deadlines for the implementation of the priority activities. Further coordination of the work of all departments has been agreed to ensure further visible results and enable Montenegro to move into the next phase of negotiations, which means the provisional closure of the chapters.

Members of the Collegium also exchanged views on the financing of Ipa 2018 and agreed on priorities for funding from the rule of law and fundamental rights sector, for which EUR 13.3 million are available.
The sessions was attended by members of the Collegium, as well as Ministers of Interior, Labour and Social Welfare and Human and Minority Rights, Mevludin Nuhodžić, Kemal Purišić and Mehmed Zenka, President of the Supreme Court Vesna Medenica, Supreme State Prosecutor Ivica Stanković, Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić and President of the Judicial Council Mladen Vukčević.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO