The rule of law, respect for human rights and democratic governance are at the heart of the EU accession process. To support reform processes in these areas, the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe (CoE) have been closely cooperating in the Western Balkans and Turkey through the Horizontal Facility for many years.

This project is part of the Horizontal Facility II and is aimed at further enhancing the overall quality of service of the judicial system of Montenegro. It focuses on capacity building of crucial judicial institutions in Montenegro, in particular by supporting the implementation of codes of ethics and judicial accountability mechanisms. It also promotes alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, while enhancing the quality of mediation services and tools for their monitoring and improvement.

The project empowers legal practitioners to contribute to justice reform in a transparent and accountable manner and actively supports them in implementing the objectives and measures of the Judicial Reform Strategy 2019-2022 and of the Action Plan for Montenegro’s accession to the EU for Chapter 23. In short, the project addresses key issues related to reform of the judiciary in Montenegro.

More about the Horizontal Facility Programme

The first phase of the programme ran from 2016 to 2019, while the second phase covers the period from 2019 to 2022. The total value of the facility is approximately €41 million (85% funded by the EU, 15% by the CoE). In the first phase of the programme, there were six beneficiary-specific actions for Montenegro, with a total budget of €3.33 million. In the second phase, €4.7 million have been allocated for seven actions, covering all the key areas of the Horizontal Facility such as: justice reform, human rights protection, prison and police reform, fight against economic crime, fight against discrimination and inclusive education.