Delegation of the Committee on European Integration participated today at the multilateral meeting of chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of committees on European Integration of parliaments of the Western Balkans states, held in Jahorina. The meeting was organized by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Network of Parliamentary Committees on Economy, Finance and European integration of the Western Balkans.

In the first part of the meeting, MPs presented experiences of their parliaments in monitoring the use of IPA funds, as well as the role of the Committee on European Integration in that process. Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration Slaven Radunović pointed out that Montenegro hoped to establish soon a system for the decentralized management of the EU funds, which would enable the use of funds from the III, IV and V components of IPA. Also, preparations are underway for the use of financial resources that will be available for Montenegro through the IPA II for 2014-2020. Chairperson Radunović spoke about the role of the Committee in monitoring the spending of the IPA funds, pointing out that the Committee is an active and constructive participant in the integration process, not only through the consideration of the draft negotiating positions, but also through the review of documents about the achieved progress in the use of available financial and technical EU aid.

During the discussion, MPs agreed that parliaments can provide significant stimulus to existing processes of the IPA funds use, in a way that they would improve oversight of the expenditure of funds, and state the needs of citizens and society about how the funds from the IPA can be most efficiently spent.

In the second part of the meeting, representatives of the EU Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina Jan Schneidauf and Martin Schieder presented the IPA II, the financial instrument for the period 2014- 2020. They pointed out that IPA II brings a new strategic approach, i.e. focus of projects on a smaller number of activities that will bring reforms in key sectors of democratic governance, rule of law, competition and economic growth.

During the third session, parliamentarians discussed the possibilities for cooperation between COSAP Initiative and the Network of Parliamentary Committees on Economy, Finance and European integration of the Western Balkans. Participants agreed on the need for the establishment of formalized cooperation between the committees on European Integration of the states in the region, in the form of a regional project directed on a complete understanding of the potential for the use of IPA II financial instrument funds.

On behalf of the Committee on European Integration, the meeting was attended by the Chairperson of the Committee Slaven Radunović and a Committee member Srđa Popović.