EU Twinning Project Strengthening Capacities in Agricultural and Rural Development Sector for Common Agricultural Policy Implementation in Montenegro

Overall Project objective
Increase the competitiveness of the Agricultural and Rural Development sector of Montenegro by gradually building an agricultural sector capable of competing with market forces and progressively aligning with the CAP and EU legal framework in the field of agriculture and rural development.

Project purpose

To strengthen the institutional capacities of national public institutions Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (MAFWM), the Directorate for Agriculture, the Directorate for Rural Development and the Directorate for Payments, support the main actors in the agricultural and rural development sector to bring Montenegro significantly closer to the closing of chapter 11 of the EU aquis and set the conditions for a fully functioning Paying Agency.

Project duration: 30 months, from 1^st of February 2024 until 31^st of July 2026

EU funded budget: 1.900.000 EUR

Project Components and expected results

COMPONENT 1

Capacity building and strengthening of the MAFWM in CMO, Direct Payments and Rural development analysis and policy assessed for compliance with the EU acquis.

• Policy design and legislation for CMO fully developed in compliance with EU acquis.
• Development of policies, procedures and capacity building of the direct payment measures and area-based rural development measures.
• Capacity building, implementation and control of rural development measures, cross- compliance (enhanced conditionality) and organic production, quality schemes, beekeeping, olive sectors and CMO.

COMPONENT 2

IACS and formulation of correlated EU guidelines

• Support the establishment of the Geo-spatial aid application system.
• Assessment and improvement of implementation of Farm register and Land Parcel Identification system (LPIS) to be compliant with national and EU legislation.
• Support the development of functional and technical specifications in GSAA, Integrated Administrative and Control system (IACS), control mechanisms and monitoring based on Copernicus new technologies including geo-tagged EGNSS4CAP application.

COMPONENT 3

Institutional development of MAFWM with specific emphasis on developing the Directorate for Payments in to a fully functioning Paying Agency.

• Implementation of improved information security in line with ISO 27001 and ISO 27002.
• Capacity building in the sector for accounting, budget and execution for preparation of financial management of EU funds according to the new delivery model of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
• Assessment and proposals for an upgrade of IT solutions for financial sector.
• Assessment of long-term training needs of the MAFWM staff, emphasising on the accreditation process and the development of the Directorate of Payments into a fully functioning Paying Agency.

Key actors

• Nadia KYUCHUKOVA, Programme Manager Agriculture and Rural Development, EUD
• Sonja SCHALUD, Member State Project Leader, AT
• Marko RADONJIĆ, Beneficiary Project Leader, MNE
• Jean-Louis BUER, Junior Project Leader, FR
• Marton BITTSANSZKY, Junior Project Leader, HU
• Mateja NEMANIC MARKUS, Junior Project Leader, SI

Member State Resident Twinning Advisor:

• Maria RATH, RTA, AT
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Counterpart:

• Igor NISAVIC,  MNE

Leader Component 1

• Jean-Louis BUER (CMO), MAFS, FR
• Viktor NAGY (RD), MoA, HU
• Miroslav CIMBALJEVIĆ, MAFWM, MNE
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Leader Component 2

• Franz FRIEDL, AMA, AT
• Darka PAJOVIC, MAFWM, MNE

Leader Component 3

• Mateja NEMANIC-MARKUS, AAMRD, SI
• Vladimir JEVTIC, MAFWM, MNE
•  

This Twinning Project is implemented by the following key partners

Montenegro:

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (MAFWM)

Republic of Austria:

AgrarMarkt Austria (AMA)

Federal Ministry of Agriculture Forestry, Regions and Water Management (MAFRWM)

Republic of France:

Ministry for Agriculture and Food Sovereignty (MASA)

FranceAgriMer

Regional Chamber of Agriculture of Normandy

Republic of Hungary:

Ministry of Agriculture (MOA)

Treasury (Paying Agency)

Republic of Slovenia:

Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Food (MAFF)

Agency for Agriculture Markets and Rural Development (AAMRD)