The Municipality of Žabljak and the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro will on Thursday, 4 December 2025. host the 23rd meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee of the European Union’s Committee of the Regions and Montenegro, an event of great importance for strengthening cooperation between local and regional levels of government within the European integration process, which will be attended by Maida Gorčević, the Minister of European Affairs of Montenegro, senior representatives of local and regional self-governments from EU Member States, mayors of European cities, representatives of regional administrations, the leadership and representatives of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, as well as presidents and representatives of the assemblies of Montenegrin municipalities.
The meeting will be held at Hotel Aleksandar, from 09:30 to 13:00.
THE MEETING IS OPEN TO THE MEDIA
AGENDA
09:30 – 10:00
Official opening and introductory remarks by the co-chairs:
- Radoš Žugić, (Durmitor Initiative), President of the Municipality of Žabljak
- Nikola Dobroslavić, (HR/EPP), Member of the County Assembly of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County
10:00 – 11:15
SESSION 1:
Montenegro’s European Union Accession Process from the Perspective of the Local Level
- Maida Gorčević, minister of european affairs
- Bernard Brunet, head of the Cooperation Section at the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro
- Radoš Žugić, president of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro (UoM) and co-chair of the JCC
11:15 – 12:45
THEMATIC SESSION:
EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans – Opportunities for Local Communities in Montenegro
Speakers:
- dr Gordana Đurović, president of the Montenegrin Pan-European Union, co-chair of the Joint Consultative Committee between the EESC and Montenegro
- dr Bernd Christoph Ströhm, postdoctoral researcher and lecturer, Vienna School of International Studies and the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW)
- dr Nenad Koprivica, Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM), Podgorica
- 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.
12:45 – 13:00
Closing of the meeting
The President of the Municipality of Žabljak and co-chair of the Committee, Radoš Žugić, stated in the media announcement that the Municipality of Žabljak’s candidacy to host the event was officially presented in Brussels in May this year, emphasizing that the local self-government is fully prepared to provide all necessary conditions for the organization of this high-level session.
“This meeting represents an exceptional opportunity to promote Žabljak and Montenegro on the European stage, as well as a confirmation of the commitment of our local level to actively participate in processes of European cooperation and the strengthening of regional partnerships,” Žugić emphasized.
