Guide on the Role of Municipalities in the European Integration Process of Montenegro.

As part of the project “Municipalities for the EU – Strengthening Local Communities in the European Integration Process of Montenegro”, funded by the European Union and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration and the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, the publication “Guide on the Role of Municipalities in the European Integration Process of Montenegro” has been published, authored by Nenada Koprivice.

The publication was developed with the aim of empowering all Montenegrin municipalities to actively participate in the European integration process. The Guide provides a comprehensive overview of the legislative and institutional framework, an analysis of key EU chapters relevant to local self-governments, as well as practical recommendations for aligning local regulations with European legislation.

Particular emphasis is placed on strengthening the capacities of local self-governments through staff training, human resource development, the digitalization of municipal administrations, and the use of EU funds. The Guide also includes examples of good practice from Montenegro, as well as experiences and lessons learned from Croatia and Slovenia.

In addition to its analytical section, the publication also contains a range of practical tools—checklists, recommendations, communication strategies, and resources for municipalities—aimed at facilitating the planning and implementation of activities at the local level.

The “Municipalities for the EU” project encourages reforms at the local level, strengthens cooperation among municipalities, and contributes to better coordination with state institutions. Within the project, “EU Info Points” have also been established in each municipality, intended for citizens.

The publication will be distributed to all municipalities in Montenegro and will be used as support in further work on the European integration process.

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Handbook on Available EU Funds for Local Self-Governments in Montenegro

The Handbook on Available EU Funds provides a clear and practical overview of programs that can help municipalities, public institutions, and other local stakeholders in Montenegro identify appropriate funding sources for their projects. It includes explanations of procedures, an overview of priority areas, advice on preparing applications, and examples of good practice. From infrastructure and environmental protection to digitalization and strengthening the local economy—discover how European funds can improve your community.

The “Municipalities for the EU” project empowers all Montenegrin municipalities to actively use EU funds and implement European standards. Through training, mentorship, and “EU Info Points,” citizens and local authorities gain knowledge, tools, and support for sustainable development and successful projects.

Funded by the European Union, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration and the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro.

Priručnik o dostupnim EU fondovima za lokalne samouprave u Crnoj Gori (.pdf)

Investment Potential of Municipalities in Montenegro

The Union of Municipalities of Montenegro has prepared a brochure presenting a unique investment destination—a country that combines natural resources, a strategic location, and a favorable business environment. This publication provides a comprehensive overview of investment opportunities in municipalities across the country—from the coast to the mountains—featuring details on infrastructure resources, business zones, fiscal incentives, and specific projects suitable for investors from the country and the diaspora.

Sectors such as energy, tourism, IT, agriculture, and logistics offer numerous opportunities for development and partnership. Each municipality provides specific resources and comparative advantages, but all are united by openness to new investments and sustainable development.

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‘Bulletin’ of the Union of Municipalities – key information and projects in one place

The Union of Municipalities has once again prepared its “Bulletin,” a report on its work in 2024. In the foreword, the President of the Governing Board, Radoš Žugić, described the position of local self-governments, the challenges they face, as well as the various measures undertaken by the Union of Municipalities to strengthen the influence of municipalities on public policies.

The Bulletin contains information on the activities carried out by the governing bodies, permanent and ad hoc working bodies, and the Secretariat of the Union, aimed at improving and protecting the system of local self-government and all subsystems essential for the functioning of municipalities. These include areas such as spatial planning, taxation and financing, the coastal zone regime, balanced regional development, communal services, and other fields within local jurisdiction, with a focus on all provisions that create conditions for decentralization, which needed to be identified in each individual regulation and state strategic document. The greatest challenge in implementing these activities is safeguarding the common interests of all or most municipalities, while also addressing the specific interests of certain municipalities—most often smaller ones or groups of municipalities—which need to be recognized and appropriately regulated, and are often mutually conflicting.

In addition to the activities planned under the Union’s Work Program for 2024 and those driven by decisions of its governing bodies, this Report also includes a series of normative activities undertaken by the Union in response to the increasingly frequent initiation of parliamentary procedures by the Government of Montenegro or members of Parliament for the adoption of important regulations—often without prior notice, without the participation of municipalities, without public consultations or proper analyses of their fiscal impact, and with extremely short deadlines for response, sometimes measured in hours—requiring additional efforts by the Union’s Secretariat to identify mechanisms for proposing amendments through the proponent or another member of Parliament.

The 2024 Work Program planned a total of 112 activities across various areas, all of which were implemented at a rate of 100%. In addition, 46 extra activities were carried out, meaning that the Union implemented a total of 158 activities, which is 41% more than originally planned.

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Publication ‘Twinning’

With the aim of encouraging the twinning of Montenegrin local self-governments with cities across Europe and the world, the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro has prepared the publication Twinning. This publication presents local self-governments through brief overviews of their specific characteristics, historical features, and rich cultural heritage. The publication was prepared with the goal of connecting with a larger number of cities and municipalities and fostering a strong sense of friendship and a shared European identity. It has been produced in both Montenegrin and English.

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The Union of Municipalities has prepared guidelines and templates to improve citizen participation in decision-making.

The Union of Municipalities of Montenegro (UOM) has submitted to all its member municipalities a document titled Guidelines for Improving the Participation of Citizens and Local Communities in Decision-Making in Local Self-Governments.

The Guidelines were developed with the aim of providing expert support to municipalities in implementing the obligations set out in the Law on Local Self-Government, as well as strengthening citizens and the non-governmental sector to participate in decision-making at the local level.

The Guidelines present the forms of citizen and local community participation in decision-making at the local level as defined by law (initiative, citizens’ initiative, referendum, citizens’ assembly, complaint/petition), and specify in which cases each of them is used, as well as new opportunities for their more effective and efficient participation in decision-making within local communities,” stated the Secretary General of the Union of Municipalities. Mišela Manojlović.

An integral part of the Guidelines are also written templates for the implementation of the aforementioned forms of participation by citizens and local communities. Mišela Manojlović expressed her belief that this document and the templates will be useful both to municipalities and to citizens in their proactive participation in decision-making at the local level.

The Union of Municipalities prepared this document in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), as a result of one of the planned activities envisaged by the Memorandum of Cooperation between the two organizations. By developing this document, the Union fulfilled an obligation defined under the National Action Plan for the implementation of the Open Government Partnership in Montenegro initiative for the period 2023–2024.

The Guidelines and all templates are available at the following links:

Guidelines for Improving the Participation of Citizens and Local Communities

Model Request for Convening a Citizens’ Assembly

Model Proposal for Calling a Municipal Referendum

Model Initiative

Model Citizen Complaint

Model Citizens’ Initiative

Guidelines for Cooperation between Local Self-Government Units and Providers of Regulated коммунal Services

The Union of Municipalities and the Water Supply Association of Montenegro jointly prepared the Guidelines for Cooperation between Local Self-Government Units and Providers of Regulated Communal Services.

This document aims to contribute to improving communication between local self-government bodies, local administration authorities, and water service providers, in order to provide key stakeholders in this field with professional support for making decisions of importance for water service management, and to raise the quality of these services to a higher level.

The complexity of the legislative framework, the subordinated relationship between municipalities and water service providers, as well as the insufficient number of training opportunities to enhance the professionalism, expertise, and efficiency of employees in municipalities and among service providers, represent challenges in establishing and maintaining an adequate level of mutual relations.

The authors of this document, for the purposes of its preparation, assessed the current situation and identified the stages of the process where communication gaps occur between municipalities and water service providers.

Based on the identified situation, the authors provided recommendations with the aim of raising the level of mutual understanding and support by establishing two-way communication relationships, which are a prerequisite for improving the provision of water services to citizens and the economy.

Since they offer good practices, these Guidelines can be used as a practical handbook in everyday work, and can also serve as a platform for dialogue among stakeholders on all issues covered within the ten thematic areas.

Guidelines for Cooperation between Local Self-Government Units and Water Service Providers

Guidelines for Cooperation – Brochure

Agenda 2030 in My Municipality: A Practitioner’s Handbook for Localizing the Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, the Member States of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals, along with principles for their implementation, representing a vision of the world to strive for by 2030.

The 17 overarching and 169 specific goals cover a wide range of sectoral policies. Local and regional authorities played a significant role in defining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), successfully ensuring the establishment of a standalone goal related to municipalities—SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements—as well as international recognition of the central role of local and regional authorities in sustainable development.

Since the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda must be achieved at global, national, and subnational levels, the success of this ambitious Agenda depends on the active participation of all levels of government and a wide range of stakeholders. The overarching Sustainable Development Goals, with their universal definition of general and specific targets, need to be adapted to concrete situations and specific needs in order to deliver real benefits to citizens and their living conditions. The process of adapting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda to the subnational context is known as the “localization of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Localization refers both to how the Sustainable Development Goals can provide a framework for local development policies, and to how local and regional authorities can support their achievement through “bottom-up” actions. In this regard, municipal capacities are crucial for implementing the 2030 Agenda, monitoring progress at the local level, and engaging the public, private, and civil sectors.

To support local authorities of its member municipalities in the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS), with the support of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), has prepared a Handbook. The Handbook will help practitioners at the municipal level enhance their knowledge and strengthen their understanding of the importance of the 2030 Agenda and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at the local level. It also aims to build their capacities to act as promoters of the SDGs and to encourage them to involve other stakeholders.

The Handbook provides key information on the Sustainable Development Goals, explaining the role of municipalities in achieving them and outlining mechanisms for raising awareness that municipalities can use to bring the SDGs closer to citizens. It also offers a variety of examples from the region and beyond, illustrating municipal activities in promoting the goals and how these efforts have contributed to the well-being of their communities.

The Handbook also provides guidance on integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into local strategies and explores the role of associations of local authorities and NALAS in mobilizing municipalities to achieve the SDGs.

Agenda 2030 in My Municipality

Practical Guide to Project Writing for Local Self-Governments in South-East Europe

Our Vanja Starovlah, Assistant to the Secretary General for International Cooperation and European Integration, and Darko Mrvaljević, Secretary of the Committee for European Integration and International Cooperation, are the authors of the Practical Guide to Project Writing for Local Self-Governments in South-East Europe, published by NALAS – the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe.

The Handbook is intended for employees in local self-governments who wish to strengthen their capacities for absorbing EU-funded projects. It will help them learn how to identify funding opportunities, prepare projects, manage implementation, and carry out reporting. Above all, it provides practical, applicable guidance that can be used in everyday work with EU projects.

“Through this Guide, we encourage you—local self-governments of South-East Europe—to be bold and creative, to initiate and develop solutions. Be aware of your importance in creating new value, making use of available opportunities, and achieving outstanding results. Good luck!” – is the publisher’s message.

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Publications