At the twelfth meeting of the Committee on European Integration held today, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Montenegro  Mr Mitja Drobnič presented the 2013 Progress Report on Montenegro, stressing on that occasion that the Report presented the important part of negotiations, since it mirrored reform results of a country in the concerned moment. Montenegro is the only country in Balkans currently leading negotiations, and the first which initiated negotiations with new approach including more strict conditions. Thus, the Report indicates negative evaluation which should be understood as a message to the state that an effort should be made in certain areas. 

Afterwards, the Head of Delegation pointed out that structural reforms should be a priority, adding that further progress in negotiations would depend on implementation of action plans for chapters 23 and 24, also expressing his position – that the state would face big challenges regarding fulfilling conditions within Chapters 27 – Environment, as a part of which transitional periods were expected, since reforms in this field require longer period of time and great money investment. Mr Drobnič praised adoption of constitutional amendments as well as the work of the Working Group for Building Trust in Election Process.

Present MPs welcomed the 2013 Progress Report on Montenegro, which was in the same time the first one following Montenegro’s initiation of accession negotiations to the European Union. It was stressed that the Report presented a kind of reminder on what Montenegro had achieved in the reporting period with reference to reforms that were to be fulfilled. With regard to that, the importance of responsible relation towards implementation of European standards, through implementation of national legislation and commitments regulated by adopted action plans was stressed.

In addition to Committee members, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Parliament’s working bodies.