Prime Minister Spajić meets with Executive Director of Europol in Davos

Montenegro has achieved remarkable progress in its collaboration with Europol over the past several years, with noticeable advancements in information exchange during 2024. This was highlighted during a meeting in Davos between Executive Director of Europol Catherine De Bolle and Prime Minister Milojko Spajić.

The discussions emphasized Montenegro’s growing importance as a key Europol partner, given its strategic position in the Balkans.

Notably, data exchange increased by 25% in the past year.

In recent years, we have seen a substantial increase in the volume of data exchanged, which has strengthened our partnership with Montenegro, said Europol Director De Bolle, expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Spajić for his leadership in fostering this collaboration.

It was acknowledged that, in the past, Montenegro's authorities had failed to act on information provided about criminal activities. Despite this, Europol continued its crucial support to help Montenegro combat organized crime.

The data provided by Europol has enabled us to respond far more effectively to the operations of organized criminal groups and identify their collaborators within the security sector. This has catalyzed police reforms, which remain a top priority, stated Prime Minister Spajić. He also outlined efforts to strengthen police capacity, addressing staffing shortages within law enforcement.

The meeting also addressed the fight against financial crime, highlighting the impact of Montenegro’s Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing.

Discussions further touched on Montenegro’s strides in combating cigarette smuggling. Prime Minister Spajić noted that a comprehensive inventory of confiscated cigarettes at the Port of Bar has been completed, and that Montenegro no longer has free zones for storing such products.