Žabljak hosts the 23rd session of the Joint Consultative Committee of the European Committee of the Regions and Montenegro. Gore
Žabljak, December 4, 2025 — The systematic inclusion of local self-governments in all phases of the negotiation process is key to the visible implementation of European values and standards through projects, infrastructure, digitalization, environmental protection, and an improved quality of life for citizens.
This was emphasized during the meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee of the European Committee of the Regions and Montenegro, being held in Žabljak, attended also by the Minister of European Affairs of Montenegro Maida Gorčević, and which was organized at a time when Montenegro is in the final phase of the accession process, with all 33 negotiation chapters opened and seven provisionally closed, making it the most advanced candidate country in the region.
Radoš Žugić, President of the Board of Directors of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro. , in his opening address, Radoš Žugić emphasized that holding the session of the Joint Consultative Committee in Žabljak is significant not only for the municipality itself, but also for Montenegro’s overall European integration process. He stressed that “European values and standards are most clearly reflected at the local level, through concrete projects, infrastructure, digitalization, environmental protection, and the improvement of citizens’ quality of life.”
Žugić recalled that Montenegro currently has all negotiation chapters opened and seven provisionally closed, and that in the latest European Commission Report it was identified as the most advanced candidate country in the Western Balkans.
According to him, the ambitious plan for Montenegro to close the remaining negotiation chapters by the end of next year and be ready for EU membership in 2028 will only be achievable if local self-governments are systematically included in all phases of the negotiation process.
Žugić emphasized that municipalities bear direct responsibility for implementing European standards: “If two-thirds of the EU acquis is applied at the local level, then local self-governments must also be equal partners in the accession process. It is important for municipalities to be consulted in the preparation of all key documents, especially the Progress Reports, because their assessments are precisely what determine the direction of reforms.”
He emphasized that local authorities must receive adequate support from state institutions and the European Union in order to fulfill the obligations arising from the accession process.
Žugić concluded that “Montenegro is building its European path not only in Brussels and Podgorica, but in every municipality, every community, and through every project that improves citizens’ lives.”
Nikola Dobroslavić, long-standing member of the European Committee of the Regions (HR/EPP)., praised the pace of Montenegro’s reforms and expressed support for the country’s European path.
Dobroslavić assessed that Montenegro is leading among the candidate countries due to its high level of alignment with European policies, stable public support for EU membership, positive assessments by the European Commission, and visible progress in key areas.
He emphasized the obligation to fulfill all EU criteria — from the rule of law to the fight against corruption — and stated that “the European Committee of the Regions expects the active participation of Montenegrin municipalities in European processes after accession.”
The meeting in Žabljak was assessed as another step forward in strengthening cooperation between the EU and Montenegrin local authorities. The Joint Consultative Committee remains a key mechanism for knowledge exchange, monitoring progress, and preparing municipalities to operate within the European system.
Two thematic sessions are being held as part of the continuation of the meeting. The first session is dedicated to the topic “Montenegro’s Accession Process to the European Union from the Perspective of the Local Level,” featuring the participation of Maida Gorčević, Minister of European Affairs, Bernard Brunetthe Head of the Cooperation Section at the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, and Radoš Žugić, President of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro (UOMM) and Co-Chair of the Joint Consultative Committee.
The second thematic session is dedicated to the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans – opportunities for local communities in Montenegro, featuring the participation of Dr. Gordana Đurović, president of the Montenegrin Pan-European Union and Co-Chair of the Joint Consultative Committee between the EESC and Montenegro, Dr. Bernd Christoph Ströhm, postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW), Dr. Nenad Koprivica, Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM), Podgorica, and Žana Jovanović, head of the Unit for National Funds and the Reform Agenda, Structure for the Management of EU Funds, Ministry of Finance of Montenegro.
The meeting was organized by the Municipality of Žabljak and the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro.
