The meeting was attended by the Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro Waldemar Figaj and advisors to the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism Tatjana Vujoševic and Dubravka Pešić.

Vladimir Vlahović MSc spoke about the legal system of Austria in the field of urban planning and construction, the jurisdiction of the Federation of Austria and the Austrian Republics, as well as building legislation of Wien. He particularly pointed to the well-settled property-legal rights and explained the administrative proceedings that could lead to the process of planning, spatial planning and construction. Legislation of the Republic of Austria enabled citizens, as neighbors of the land on which something has been building, to have the insight to all stages and documents related to a specific building. A citizen has a legal remedy in all stages of obtaining a building permit, and a neighbor could argue their requests for demolition of the object, by personal and public interests and rights.

Referring to the process of obtaining building and other permits in Montenegro, Mr. Waldemar Figaj noted that it is necessary to enhance this process. He mentioned good practice in many European countries, where the procedures of obtaining permits are very simple, taking into account the protection of the rights of neighbors. He was interested in whether it is possible to pay more attention to neighbors rights in Montenegro.

Deputy Chair of the Committee Ms Jelisava Kalezić expressed hope that changes to positive regulations could improve the position of neighbors, which would further democratize the process of obtaining building and other permits in Montenegro.