The IX Meeting of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees of European Integration/Affairs of the Countries participating in the Stabilisation and Association Process of South-East Europe (COSAP) was held in the scope of Montenegrin Chairmanship of the Initiative, in Budva today. The meeting was dedicated to topics, such as: key challenges in implementing internal reforms in the context of European integration, regional and local approaches to the use of pre-accession funds and transparency and inclusiveness as important elements of the process of European integration.

The meeting was opened by the Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro H.E. Mitja Drobnič, who pointed out that national parliaments had a special role in the negotiation process, which had been reflected in making recommendations relating to improving the quality of undertaken reforms, careful monitoring and controlling of the work of institutions as well as informing the public about the course and nature of negotiations. He said that reforms in the integration process required significant legislative and institutional adjustments as well as financial resources necessary for the implementation of European standards.

In his introductory statement, Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration Mr Slaven Radunović said that he believed that in time of intensive integration process, which was also characterised by new circumstances in terms of the renewed approach to the Union in the negotiation process, parliamentarians should participate in COSAP work with full capacity, strengthening structures of regional cooperation, and contributing to finding guidelines for accelerating the integration process - through constructive dialogue and exchange of previous experience. In addition, political, economic and pragmatic reasons for the existence of the EU as we know it should be taken into account. Only if we are willing for enlargement as a constructive process, where both parties - EU member states  and aspiring countries have a clear vision for the future of Europe, the existence of the EU will have the full sense. Otherwise, Europe can be organised for different interests, but then the initial interest has to be sacrificed, Mr Radunović said. The Union should be institutional and functional expression of unifying all European countries, and it is expected from those who decide, to be fully committed to it, the Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration concluded.

Mr Igor Kolman,  member of the Committee on European Affairs of the Croatian Parliament and the Ms Snežana Radović, General Director for European Integrations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Republic of Montenegro were keynote speakers during the first session on the key challenges in implementing internal reforms in the context of European integration. During the discussion, the participants emphasised the importance of parliamentary oversight of the negotiation process, which gives democratic legitimacy to the integration, but also other elements that are crucial for quality negotiations: regional and inter-parliamentary cooperation through the exchange of experiences between the candidate countries and EU member states for strengthening the administration, for the purpose of preparing a state to respond to the challenges that membership negotiations carry, as well as the transparency of the process and communication with the public about the benefits and disadvantages of EU membership.

Mr Aleksandar Bogdanović, Mayor of Old Royal Capital Cetinje and Mr Dragoslav Šćekić, President of Berane Municipality were the keynote speakers on the topic of local and regional approaches in the use of pre-accession funds, who presented experiences of their municipalities in using the IPA funds. Mr Bogdanović said that the town administration has taken certain measures that were a condition for the successful application of pre-accession funds, and that in the process of creating local regulations a special attention was paid to the compliance with European regulations. He presented a series of projects that the Old Royal Capital has achieved through IPA funds, related to strengthening the capacity of local services, improving the overall infrastructure and the developing tourist attractions. The President of Berane Municipality stressed the need for strengthening capacities for managing projects from EU funds, pointing out to the project “Regional Business Incubator”, which Berane Municipality has been successfully implementing with three of its neighbouring municipalities.

Keynote speaker at the last session dedicated to transparency and inclusiveness as important elements of the process of European integration was H.E. Ferdinand Nagy, Ambassador of Romania to Montenegro. The concept of transparency does not involve only public access to information about the activities of the Union, but also writing of legislative texts which should be accessible and understandable to citizens, and EU has clear procedural rules thereof, Mr Nagy said. In the process of accession to the EU, public informing plays even more significant part. In line with the overall trend of strengthening transparency, the EU has taken a proactive approach in terms of publishing documents of the European Commission and the Council concerning the negotiations with the candidate countries, including Montenegro.

During the meeting, participants also spoke about floods of immeasurable proportions that have recently occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia. Praising the tremendous solidarity expressed by citizens of the region with residents of flooded areas, participants of the COSAP agreed that initial gesture of solidarity and support should not be discontinued, but, on the contrary, regional cooperation should be strengthened in all fields, for the purpose of making regional countries able to respond in a proper manner to potential future disasters.

In addition to delegations of COSAP Member States and keynote speakers, the IX meeting COSAP was also attended by representatives of regional initiatives - RCC and RSPC SEE, who adopted the Joint Declaration.

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