Press release from 149th Cabinet session

Podgorica, Montenegro (20 December 2019) – At yesterday’s 149th session, the Montenegrin Cabinet chaired in the first part by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy and Financial System Milutin Simović, and in the second part by Prime Minister Duško Marković, passed the Draft Law on Military Intelligence and Security Affairs. This law regulates the competencies, powers, status issues, manner of supervision and control of the work of the Intelligence and Security Directorate of the Ministry of Defence.

The Cabinet passed the first Annex to the Report of the European Commission on Montenegro for the period 1 January - 1 November 2019, which contains an overview of activities against political and economic criteria and 33 negotiation chapters. The Twenty-Third Quarterly Report on Total Activities in the Process of Integration of Montenegro into the European Union for the Period July - September 2019 was also adopted. This document, which is forwarded to the members of the Committee on European integration of the Parliament of Montenegro, for the purpose of regular and comprehensive information on the negotiation process and exchange of views on current topics and challenges of the negotiation process, covers the most important events in the accession process, related to political dialogue with the EU, accession negotiations, informing the public about the accession process, activities of the Committee on European Integration of the Parliament of Montenegro, harmonisation of the Montenegrin legislation with the acquis communitarian and the Instrument for the Pre-Accession Assistance - IPA.

The Cabinet passed an Information on the European Union Support Programs to Montenegro for 2019. On the occasion of presenting the Information, it was pointed out that during 2019, the implementation of the remaining projects under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance 2007-2013 (IPA I) continued and the preparation and implementation of projects covered by the 2014-2020 perspective (IPA II).

The Cabinet approved the Information on the Financing Agreement between the European Commission, the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro for 2018 and the Partnership Agreement on the implementation of the Technical Assistance Priorities under the IPA II Serbia-Montenegro Cross-border Cooperation Program 2014-2020 and adopted the text of the Financing Agreement. As the discussion highlighted, between 2007 and 2013, Montenegro and Serbia benefited from a cross-border co-operation program under IPA I, totalling EUR 8, 4 million. The total estimated cost is EUR 1,411,764 for 2018, with the EU maximum contribution set at EUR 1,200,000, while project co-financing is provided by grant beneficiaries, amounting to at least 15% of the total eligible costs at project level. The total budget of the Technical Support Project, which runs until 30 April 2022, is EUR 360,000 for both countries, representing a contribution of the EU.

The Cabinet passed the Information on the conclusion of the Loan Guarantee Agreement between the Public Company "Regional Water Supply of the Montenegrin Littoral" and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), for the implementation of the project, Extension of the Regional Water Supply System. The project for the extension of the regional water supply system includes three components: construction of a pipeline for connection of the municipality of Herceg Novi to the regional water supply system; construction of Phase II of the regional water supply system by installing a new pipeline from Budva to Tivat, which will increase the capacity of the water supply system to the municipalities of Kotor, Tivat and Herceg Novi and the construction of water and sewerage infrastructure in the settlements of Dobre Vode and Veliki Pijesak in Bar Municipality. The value of the loan arrangement for the implementation of the Project is EUR 24 million, and it will be implemented through two tranches, which will amount to EUR 12 million. The Budget Law for 2019 provides, for the issuance of a state guarantee for the aforementioned loan arrangement, in the amount of EUR 12 million, which is equal to Tranche 1 of the Project.

For full press release click here.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO  

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