Free movement of goods is a cornerstone of the European internal/single market, which represents one of the EU’s greatest achievements. As a candidate country, Montenegro needs to align its national legislation with the EU Internal Market acquis.

This project provides support to relevant institutions in Montenegro with a view to ensuring effective alignment and implementation of the EU Internal Market acquis in specific areas. This includes:

• The transposition of new and old approach directives and regulations relating to medical devices, construction products, measuring instruments and market surveillance;
• Horizontal legislation relating to consumer protection, standardisation, metrology and accreditation.

In other words, the project activities will lead to an improved strategic framework in the area of market surveillance and harmonised national legislation for Chapter 1 (Free movement of goods) and Chapter 28 (Consumer and Health Protection).

The project brings together policy and legal specialists into a coherent unit, which also helps relevant institutions in Montenegro to build their administrative capacities. For example, it has already provided technical assistance in assessing the existing IT solutions for consumer protection and secured advisory support for the Administration for Inspection Affairs to update its software in order to boost its performance.

In view of the above, this project is expected to result in strengthened administrative capacities of the Ministry of Economic Development and other relevant institutions in charge of the implementation of national legislation in the area of Chapter 1 (Free movement of goods) and Chapter 28 (Consumer and health protection).