At the meeting of the Committee on European Integration held today, the Committee members considered the Draft Negotiating Position for Chapter 16 – Taxation and the Draft Negotiating Position for Chapter 29 – Customs union. The Draft negotiating positions were presented by Mr Aleksandar Andrija Pejović, State Secretary and Chief Negotiator for Negotiations on Accession of Montenegro to the EU, and Mr Nikola Vukićević, member of the Negotiation Group for Chapters 16 and 29. The meeting was also attended by the representatives of working groups for both chapters and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. 

The first thing presented at the meeting was acquis relating to the field of taxation, dividing into: direct taxation, indirect taxation, administrative cooperation and mutual assistance between the tax and customs authorities of the member states and the acquis in the field of operative capacity and computerisation. Joint position was expressed at the meeting regarding whether it was necessary to increase payment of taxes, strengthen administrative capacities and enhance the information system.

With regard to Chapter 29, it was pointed out that on the day of its accession to the EU, Montenegro would become a member of the customs union, meaning commerce without customs formalities with other member states, but also a single customs system regarding trade relations with third countries. Representatives of the negotiation structure answered the MPs’ questions, and, in that regard, pointed out that Montenegrin customs systems was largely harmonised with the requisites and standards of the EU, which was partly achieved with amendments to the Customs Law in 2013.

Members of the Committee on European Integration unanimously gave a positive opinion on the Draft Negotiating Position of Montenegro for the Intergovernmental Conference on Montenegro’s EU Accession for Chapter 16 – Taxation and the Draft Negotiating Position of Montenegro for the Intergovernmental Conference on Montenegro’s EU Accession for Chapter 29 - Customs union.