On 8 December 2015 in Budva, a Regional Conference was held titled “Results in using the EU pre-accession assistance in Montenegro 2007-2013”, which gathered representatives of offices of national coordinators for the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) from the countries in the region and representatives of beneficiaries of projects implemented in Montenegro. The Conference was dedicated to promotion of results so far in using IPA in financial perspective of 2007-2013, as well as to conveying of information on possibilities within IPA for the period 2014-2020 (so-called IPA II).

IPA is intended for candidate countries and potential candidates for EU membership and its goal is to help strengthen institutional and human capacities, develop good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation, as well as to prepare countries for future use of EU structural funds.
In the period 2007-2013, IPA consisted of 5 components: institution building, regional and cross-border cooperation, regional development, human resources development and rural development. Montenegro had a total of 235 million euro at its disposal. Within component I, 102 national projects were implemented with a total value of about 165 million euro, and within component II 214 cross-border projects with a total value of about 36,5 million euro. The funded projects were from the fields of: energy, transport, agriculture, environment protection, rule of law, human rights, public administration reform and strengthening of civil society, but also from the fields of: employment, social cohesion, culture, education, and science. By 2017, the projects from component III will be implemented, valued at about 26 million euro, and component IV valued at about 6,5 million euro.

In the new financial perspective 2014-2020, the key change relates to introduction of the so-called sector budget approach - IPA will no longer be implemented via funding projects within components, but within previously defined sectors, thus placing focus on effectiveness of this instrument and achieving tangible results in candidate countries and potential candidates for membership. Through IPA II for Montenegro, a total of 270,5 million euro was allocated for 8 areas:  Democracy and governance; Rule of law and fundamental rights; Environment and climate action; Transport; Competitiveness and innovation; Education, employment and social policies; Agriculture and rural development; and Regional cooperation and territorial cooperation. Montenegro will participate in 4 bilateral, 2 trilateral, and 3 transnational cooperation programmes.
The Conference was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, in cooperation with the EU Delegation to Montenegro, British Embassy Podgorica, British Council, and Capacity Development Programme (CDP).

The Conference was attended by the Committee members Mr Obrad Mišo Stanišić and Mr Šefkija Murić.