DPM Simović in Brussels: Montenegro achieves significant progress in field of agriculture and will have further strong EU support

Montenegro made significant breakthroughs in the areas of agriculture, food safety and fisheries, it was estimated during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Milutin Simović to Brussels. In the talks between DPM Simović and the European Agricultural, Food and Fisheries Commissioners, the continuation of strong EU support for alignment with EU policies and standards in these important areas is announced, with the aim of further development and an even greater contribution of these sectors to the growth of national economies and the improvement of living standards citizens of Montenegro. DPM Simović thanked for the continued support of EU partners, pointing to the commitment of the Government of Montenegro for the quality of the accession process.

IPARD will approach Montenegrin to European farmers

Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan particularly welcomed the start of implementation of the IPARD program in Montenegro and expressed the hope that Montenegrin farmers would use the available resources at full capacity, which would be significantly closer to the status of European farmers. Among other things, he congratulated himself on the achieved results in the field of quality policy. DPM Simović informed the commissioner that the first public call for granting non-refundable support to agricultural producers was announced at the beginning of this week, through the IPARD program, which relates to primary production, and that the call for the processing sector will soon be announced. DPM Simović stressed that this is a result of the valuable work of Montenegrin institutions in meeting the conditions for the start of the IPARD, as well as the strong and continuous support of the competent European institutions. Simovic told Commissioner Hogan that during this year, two additional support measures for accreditation through the IPARD program will be submitted, which refer to technical assistance and diversification of economic activities in rural areas. On this occasion, he expressed expectation that EC auditors accelerate the procedure for approving these measures, in order to provide additional opportunities for Montenegrin farmers. Commissioner Hogan pointed out that an additional good prospect for the further development of Montenegrin agriculture should be seen in the context of the current reform of the Common European Agricultural Policy for the period 2020-2027. The reform is directed towards additional support to small farms, which is a key determinant of Montenegrin agriculture, with additional incentives for young farmers. The Commissioner encouraged Montenegro to continue work on the final benchmarks in negotiating chapter 11 - Agriculture and Rural Development.

Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan particularly welcomed the start of implementation of the IPARD program in Montenegro and expressed the hope that Montenegrin farmers would use the available resources at full capacity, which would be significantly closer to the status of European farmers. Among other things, he congratulated himself on the achieved results in the field of quality policy. DPM Simović informed the commissioner that the first public call for granting non-refundable support to agricultural producers was announced at the beginning of this week, through the IPARD program, which relates to primary production, and that the call for the processing sector will soon be announced. DPM Simović stressed that this is a result of the valuable work of Montenegrin institutions in meeting the conditions for the start of the IPARD, as well as the strong and continuous support of the competent European institutions. Simovic told Commissioner Hogan that during this year, two additional support measures for accreditation through the IPARD program will be submitted, which refer to technical assistance and diversification of economic activities in rural areas. On this occasion, he expressed expectation that EC auditors accelerate the procedure for approving these measures, in order to provide additional opportunities for Montenegrin farmers. Commissioner Hogan pointed out that an additional good prospect for the further development of Montenegrin agriculture should be seen in the context of the current reform of the Common European Agricultural Policy for the period 2020-2027. The reform is directed towards additional support to small farms, which is a key determinant of Montenegrin agriculture, with additional incentives for young farmers. The Commissioner encouraged Montenegro to continue work on the final benchmarks in negotiating chapter 11 - Agriculture and Rural Development.

Commended the stronger attitude of the Government towards the fisheries sector

In a conversation with European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, efforts were enlightened made by Montenegro to develop this sector and align with the policies and standards of the EU Common Fisheries Policy. DPM Simović informed Commissioner about all activities on strengthening the fisheries sector, which has the potential to significantly contribute to the national economy. As a confirmation of a stronger focus on the sector, he pointed out activities to strengthen administrative capacities, through the establishment of a separate Directorate, and the creation of preconditions for providing additional support through projects whose implementation should soon begin. Simovic highlighted activities to strengthen inspection and control capacities, as well as to suppress illegal activities at sea, which, he said, already give positive results. Commissioner Vella praised the significant progress of Montenegro in the field of fisheries, both in terms of strengthening administrative and inspection capacities, as well as the fight against illegal fishing. The commissioner said that the EC will provide support to the further development of the fisheries sector and urged Montenegro to continue to participate actively in the GFCM and projects financed by the EC, such as ADRIAMED. The Deputy Prime Minister thanked the Commissioner Vella for the support she has so far, with the expectation that she will continue, especially in the field of equipping and training of the inspection, the construction of an efficient system for monitoring and controlling fishing activities, as well as supporting the association of professional fishermen and improving the traceability and health safety of fishery products and aquaculture. DPM Simović, in a conversation with Commissioner Vella, expressed the expectation that the EC and GFCM will, when making recommendations and plans for managing marine resources, take into account the size and current level of development of the Montenegrin fisheries sector, in order to treat it differently in relation to the fisheries sectors in the countries where there is excessive fishing effort and a negative impact on the state of marine resources.

Successful on the way to establishing an effective food safety system

In a conversation with the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis it was pointed out that the joint work of the Montenegrin and Brussels administration in the field of establishing a food safety system in Montenegro, according to EU standards, provides good results.
Deputy Prime Minister Simović thanked the Commissioner for the continued support of the EC in negotiating chapter 12, as well as recognizing all the efforts that Montenegro is undertaking in this very demanding area. DPM Simović underlined the realized activities represent the way to establish a stable and reliable food safety system, in favor of consumers and producers in Montenegro, as well as European perspectives, in terms of achieving standards and opening up the market for our producers. In that context, DPM Simović referred to obtaining EU export numbers for Montenegrin producers in the meat industry, as one of the important achievements. Deputy Prime Minister thanked the EC for continuing its previous and announced support, in the area of further strengthening of administrative capacities and education of personnel. He particularly pointed out the importance of the support that Montenegro has had in the fight against the disease of lumpy skin.
Commissioner Andriukaitis commended Montenegro's efforts in this area, pointing out that, as a small country, with the available administrative capacities it succeeds in completing all of its obligations in the negotiations with the planned dynamics and is thus the best example for other candidate countries.
Andriukaitis especially emphasized the efforts and achievements Montenegro has made in combating dangerous animal diseases and announced the continuation of full support from the European Commission and all relevant directorates in order to provide common responses to common challenges in that area.
Andriukaitis stressed that Montenegro was definitely a successful story and expressed the expectation that it would personally be able to welcome her joining the EU as the leader of the forthcoming enlargement process.

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DPM Simović's meeting with the representative of the European Parliament

The Deputy Prime Minister in Brussels also met with the President of the Committee on Agriculture in the European Parliament, Czesław Adam SIEKIERSKI who praised the progress of Montenegro in the field of agriculture and expressed the expectation that Montenegro will be the next EU member. During the conversation, he transmitted Poland's experiences from the EU negotiation process and pointed out numerous benefits from the pre-accession period, and especially after membership.
The interlocutors expressed satisfaction that the new Common Agricultural Policy will be simplified for farmers and more focused on supporting rural areas and young farmers.