The benefits of Montenegro’s accession to the European Union are mutual, and both Montenegrin citizens and EU citizens should be properly informed about them, it was concluded at the twenty-fourth meeting of the EU–Montenegro Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), held on Tuesday in Brussels.
The topic of the first part of the meeting, co-chaired by Nikola Dobroslavić, president of the assembly of Dubrovnik-Neretva county, on behalf of the European Committee of the Regions, and Radoš Žugić, president of the municipality of Žabljak, on the Montenegrin side – was the communication of Montenegro’s EU accession process at the local level, with a particular focus on the importance of involving citizens and local communities in the European integration process.
According to Žugić, this process must be communicated in a way that citizens can understand, relate to, and recognize as an opportunity to improve the quality of life in their local communities, with local governments and regional partnerships playing a significant role in this regard.
Dobroslavić recalled that Montenegro is the frontrunner among the countries seeking EU membership and assessed that it has excellent prospects of completing the accession negotiations within the envisaged timeframe.
The members of the Joint Consultative Committee from the European Committee of the Regions expressed interest in the challenges Montenegro faces on its path to EU membership, including the rule of law, freedom of expression, an oversized public administration, population ageing, clientelism, and the dominance of the service sector over production.
The Montenegrin members of the committee spoke about the challenges they face in the local communities they lead. The mayor of the municipality of Ulcinj Genci Nimanbegu pointed out that the draft Law on Local Self-Government contains a number of provisions that are inconsistent with the Constitution, expressing concern over this issue, as well as over the potential negative impact of foreign investments on the local population.
The mayor of the municipality of Plav Nihad Canović stated that the EU integration process should lead to a stronger public administration and the rule of law, but at the same time expressed concern that some of the laws being adopted are not aligned with EU standards and do not contribute to the democratization of the country.
The mayor of the municipality of Petnjica Samir Agović pointed to the issue of underdevelopment in the northern municipalities and stressed the need to further facilitate their access to EU funds.
Guests at the Joint Consultative Committee meeting included a member of the European Parliament and the European Parliament’s standing rapporteur for Montenegro, Marijan Šarec, the head of Montenegro’s Mission to the European Union Ambassador Petar Marković , and a representative of the European Commission Hajke Fajt.
Šarec stated that municipalities can make a significant contribution to the EU accession process, while also benefiting greatly from it. He noted that the total value of projects implemented within municipalities under the IPA II programme amounts to approximately €112.8 million. He further pointed out that all municipalities, with the exception of Zeta as the newest municipality, are beneficiaries of these funds.
Ambassador Marković called on the members of the Committee of the Regions to help raise awareness among EU citizens about the benefits of the enlargement process, particularly in those member states where public support for enlargement remains relatively low.
Heit praised Montenegro for the excellent progress it has made towards EU membership and congratulated Nikšić and Podgorica on being awarded the titles of European Capital of Culture 2030 and European Youth Capital 2028, respectively, noting that these achievements are clear evidence of the country's growing closeness to the European Union.
The second part of the Joint Consultative Committee meeting was dedicated to combating disinformation and the role of local media in Montenegro. Presentations were delivered by Dr. Silvija Vuković of the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Zagreb, Goran Đurović, Director of the Media Centre in Podgorica, and Marko Banović of the Digital Forensic Center of the Atlantic Council of Montenegro. The discussion also featured contributions from Aleksandar Grgurović, Mayor of the Municipality of Danilovgrad, who drew attention to the growing influence of individuals active on social media in shaping the media landscape, and Vida Ivanović, President of the Municipal Assembly of Berane, who highlighted the difficulties local governments face in securing funding for local media and stressed the need for amendments to the relevant legal framework.
The meeting of the EU–Montenegro Joint Consultative Committee was held as part of the EU Enlargement Days, during which the joint consultative committees of all EU candidate countries convene. A plenary session entitled “Communicating the Enlargement Process in a Challenging Information Environment” is also scheduled to take place.
The next meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee will be held in October in Berane.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cor-photos/albums/72177720333983155/
