Podgorica, 10th November 2016 – The Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Montenegro, Aivo Orav, along with his associates presented the 2016 Report on Montenegro to the representatives of non-governmental organisations at the EU Info Centre.
More than 20 representatives of civil society in the fields of human rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, women’s rights, Roma rights, environmental protection and non-governmental organisations dealing with issues of the rule of law and social protection had the opportunity to discuss the key findings of the 2016 Report on Montenegro with representatives of the EU Delegation to Montenegro.
Some of the key findings of the report are:
“The past year saw the continuation of accession negotiations with the EU. The parliamentary elections of October 2016 were conducted under a substantially revised legal framework and, overall, in a more participatory and transparent manner. In December 2015, Montenegro received an invitation to join NATO, which is an important achievement. Montenegro’s EU agenda is focused on reforms concerning the rule of law. The legal framework in this area of the law is now largely complete and the institutional set-up is in place. The entire rule-of-law system now needs to deliver more results, in particular to strengthen its track record in the fight against corruption and organised crime. Progress on the rule-of-law chapters, demonstrated by tangible results, notably in fighting corruption and organised crime, will continue to determine the overall pace of accession negotiations. Concerning the economy, Montenegro’s fiscal position has deteriorated and increasing public debt levels challenge fiscal sustainability. As a matter of priority, Montenegro needs to take measures to restrain current spending and improve revenue collection.”
The European Commission adopted an enlargement package on 9 November which included the 2016 Report on Montenegro.