Press release from the 69th Cabinet session

At its 69th session held today, chaired by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, the Montenegrin Cabinet adopted the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Civil Servants and State Employees. The primary goal of these amendments is to enhance professionalism, the merit-based system, and transparency in the employment and responsibilities of civil servants. The proposed changes aim to strengthen the legal status of inspectors, clarify the position of presidents and members of state commissions, refine their selection process, define post-mandate rights, and ensure competence and expertise within these commissions. The amendments also align with European Commission recommendations regarding employment conditions. During the discussion, it was emphasized that the proposed solutions will contribute to depoliticizing and optimizing the public administration, with a focus on improving quality. 

Key amendments include: raising experience requirements for civil service positions, reinforcing professionalization and expertise within the public sector; mandatory selection of the top-ranked candidate for non-senior positions based on merit and qualifications, further depoliticizing public administration; permanent reassignment within state bodies (with consent), allowing for better workforce allocation and efficiency; ensuring institutional memory and continuity, setting clear conditions for early termination of mandates; permanent employment for inspectors, replacing the previous five-year mandate, in line with the International Labour Organization’s principles on labour inspector stability; revised severance policies, limiting entitlement to a one-year severance only in cases of mandate expiration or organizational restructuring. Officials stepping down voluntarily, receiving poor performance evaluations, or serving less than six months will only receive compensation for up to two months; retirement age alignment with the Labour Law, reducing the retirement threshold from 67 to 66 years. 

The Cabinet adopted the Draft Law on Insurance, aimed at aligning national legislation with Solvency II regulations, specifically Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/35 and Directive 2009/138/EC on the taking-up and pursuit of the business of Insurance and Reinsurance (Solvency II). Additionally, the draft law incorporates provisions from Directive (EU) 2016/97 on insurance distribution, as well as measures to continuously enhance regulatory practices and supervisory standards based on previous implementation experiences.

A key aspect of the draft law is its alignment with guidelines on qualifying holding in the financial sector, which define eligibility criteria, documentation requirements, and standardized interpretations for national regulators overseeing acquisition approvals. Furthermore, the cooperation obligations outlined in the law are partly based on delegated EU regulations, ensuring a structured framework for information exchange and oversight procedures across various supervisory processes.

The Cabinet approved an allocation of €200,000 from the Current Budget Reserve to support the families of victims of the tragic event in Cetinje on 1 January 2025. 

The Cabinet amended its decision from 30 December 2024, appointing Admir Šahmanović, Minister of Mining, Oil and Gas, as acting Minister of Energy until a new minister is appointed.