Montenegrin version of the EU acquis

The Ministry of European Affairs is responsible for coordinating the process of preparation of the official translation of the EU legislation into Montenegrin language, in line with the obligation taken through the general position of the Government of Montenegro for negotiations with the EU, adopted on 29 June 2012. Preparation of the national version of the EU acquis has proved to be the most demanding translation challenge for the majority of new member states of the EU, due to the large volume of legal acts published in the Official Journal of the European Union that need to be translated (currently around 190,000 pages). This process includes wide spectrum of experts of various profiles, including translators, terminologists, expert editors, proof-readers, IT experts, etc.

Taking into account that the EU acquis produces rights and obligations not only for member states but for their citizens and business entities as well, translation of the EU legislation is of key importance for respecting the regulation and providing legal security. Unified implementation can be ensured only provided that the regulations are available at the official language of a member state. Therefore, translation of the EU acquis has a very clear internal purpose. Obligation to complete this very demanding translation task lies with the government of the country aspiring to become an EU member state, which implies that Montenegro must rely on its own resources in preparing the Montenegrin version of the EU acquis prior to the accession to the European Union.