The European Commission (EC) has given a negative opinion on the transit tax model, proposed by the Government to reduce traffic congestion on the coast, because they determined that these measures would be discriminatory and contrary to the principles of the European Union (EU) acquis. Specifically, these taxes would be contrary to the directive there that regulates vehicle charges for using roads.
This was officially confirmed to "Vijesti" by the Ministry of Transport.
The government formed a working group at the end of March to examine the introduction of this fee for vehicles in transit, in order to redirect part of the traffic between Herceg Novi and Ulcinj to the Nikšić - Danilovgrad - Podgorica road route and the border crossings there. The working group was formed at the initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, and included representatives of the ministries of transport, interior and European affairs, urban planning, justice and public administration.
The Ministry of Transport said that at the end of May, the Ministry of Tourism submitted an initiative to the Government to introduce a tax, with the aim of improving tourism by reducing traffic congestion and providing additional money for local infrastructure.
"The Ministry of Transport, as the competent department for harmonisation with EU legislation in the field of road transport, requested the opinion of the EU Delegation to Montenegro. Based on the response received on 16 June 2025, the European Commission, through the EU Delegation, delivered a negative opinion on the proposed model. In a letter from the EU Ambassador to Montenegro Johan Satler "It was pointed out that charging a transit fee would be discriminatory and contrary to the fundamental principles of the EU acquis. It was particularly emphasized that such a measure would be contrary to Directive 1999/62/EC, which regulates charges for the use of infrastructure by vehicles," the Directorate pointed out.
The government has been considering the idea of this tax since the beginning of 2024, while the Minister of Tourism Simonida Kordić in November last year, they said they wanted to regulate transit by redirecting vehicles from the coast to Nikšić and Podgorica, with the fee not being paid by those who would spend more than 24 hours in the country. The Ministry headed by Kordić told "Vijesti" in April that, if there were preconditions, the tax would be applied by this summer tourist season.
According to unofficial information from "Vijesti", it was not possible to prepare the fees for this year, so the deadline has been postponed to the 2026 tourist season. The working team analyzed possible aspects of violations of human rights and freedoms and EU directives in traffic and passenger transport, taking into account international agreements signed by Montenegro, after which they established a Proposal for a Regulation on the Introduction of Transit Fees.
The majority of team members voted for this model, after which the document was forwarded to the Government for discussion.
According to information from "Vijesti", the regulation received the opinion of the Secretariat for Legislation, and the opinions of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport were also required. It was expected that steps would be taken to make the model ready for the next summer tourist season, but that did not happen either...
A government statement from late last year states that the team was proposed to create conditions to reduce congestion and implement a better and more competitive summer tourist season. Specifically, they proposed considering two ideas: transit fees and the introduction of fast mobile document readers.
The goal was to redirect vehicles to border crossings in Nikšić and Podgorica, and create positive economic effects through the passage of a larger number of vehicles through these cities, while the introduction of fast mobile document readers would achieve more efficient and effective work of the border police, as well as shorter delays at border crossings and more satisfied tourists.
Crowds are a problem for tourists
Analyses of the situation in the tourism sector and guest satisfaction surveys conducted by the National Tourism Organization in 2023 have shown that congestion on the coast and unsatisfactory traffic flow at border crossings during the summer are among the biggest problems for tourists.
This, among other things, is stated in the Government's information from December.
It is emphasized that tourism contributes 30 percent to GDP, so its quality depends on the situation in the aforementioned and other sectors.
"It is also important to note the strong "export" component of tourism in Montenegro, given the fact that, on average, 90-95 percent of annual tourism turnover is generated by foreign tourists, which brings its contribution to exports above 50 percent. The team's tasks include the analysis of legal and regulatory regulations with a focus on EU obligations, the intensity of traffic on the coast during the year in the periods before, during and after the summer season, traffic at border crossings that gravitate towards the coast during the year in the periods before, during and after the summer season," the information points out.
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