Members of the Committee on European Integration met today with Mr Dirk Lange, Head of Unit for Montenegro and Iceland within the European Commission’s Directorate General for Enlargement.

On that occasion, they pointed out the significance of the Committee, which was authorised, on behalf of the Parliament of Montenegro, to monitor and assess the course of the negotiations and pointed out that its full position in the negotiation process had not been defined yet. With that regard, it was necessary to urgently adopt documents that should define the cooperation of the Parliament and the Government in the negotiation process. During the meeting, they pointed out that the existence of full consent regarding the issue of Montenegro’s European integration had been also shown within the Committee’s activities, when, deciding by consensus, they had adopted opinions on draft negotiation positions. By assessing the progress within the Negotiation Chapters 23 and 24, they pointed out the significance of providing the overall political environment, in which the process of adoption of the European standards should be accelerated.

By pointing out the promotion of the role of the Parliament in the European integration process, Mr Lange emphasised that not only the existence of consensus of all parliamentary parties was the key, but also the manner in which the said process should be conducted. With that regard, he expressed the expectation that the Committee on European Integration should carefully monitor, supervise and govern the negotiation process, all the while respecting the position of the Government as the authority leading the negotiations, which, as a rule, initiated amendments to the legislation. Apart from that, he pointed out that the Committee should act strategically, predicting in advance the activities that would lead to full implementation of the European standards. He suggested the establishment of regular communication of the European Commission and other EU institutions with the members of the Committee on European Integration, through joint participation in the open meetings and public debates, in order to inform the Montenegrin public on Montenegro’s progress, but also on the challenges on its path towards the EU.

Apart from Mr Lange, the meeting was also attended by H.E. Mr Mitja Drobnič, Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro; Mr Alberto Cammarata, Head of Political, European Integration and Trade Section at the EU Delegation; and Ms Annalisa Giansanti, Political Adviser.