In the process of integration into the European Union (EU), Montenegro fulfilled only 49 percent of the obligations set by the Government for that period in the first half of the year, the Center for Civic Education (CGO) announced.
From that non-governmental organization (NGO), they pointed to, as they stated, the chronic lack of transparency of the EU integration process, the ever-increasing involvement of the interested public in that key state priority, but also the low degree of fulfillment of assumed obligations.
"According to the data obtained by the CGE, during the first half of this year, 49 percent of the obligations that the Government determined for this period were fulfilled, with large differences in the performance between the authorities," states the statement of the CGE signed by Nikola Obradović, associate at programs.
As it is added, the fulfillment in some organs is 100 or 90 percent, while in others it is below 50 percent.
"And there are those for whom it is at the level of zero percent, with a note that it is difficult to give an independent assessment considering the unavailability of numerous information," said the CGO.
They reminded that on April 11, the Government adopted the Program of Accession of Montenegro to the EU (PPCGEU) 2024-2027, although there was previously the Program of Accession of Montenegro to the EU 2023-2024.
"There is no explanation of what was changed for the year 2024, as well as why this document, which is also valid for this year, was adopted after the first quarter of the same year and whether the document included in April those obligations that were already fulfilled in the first quarter" , they said from CGO.
As they added, through the PPCGEU 2024-2027, a total of 335 obligations are planned for this year, of which 102 obligations are for the first half.
"According to the official data that the CGO received, in accordance with the Law on Free Access to Information, of the 102 obligations assumed by the end of June 2024, the institutions have implemented only 50, that is, 49 percent," stated the CGO.
According to them, according to the statements of the officials, one would get the impression that everything ends very quickly.
"And not that 52 uncompleted obligations are transferred to the second half of the year when a total of 285 remain," said CGO.
This, as they stated, means that in the next few months the Government would have to have an effect that is almost six times better than this one in the first half of the year in order to be at a positive zero.
"Out of 102 planned obligations for the first half of the year, 28 refer to laws, 28 to by-laws, and 46 to strategic documents, of which 50 obligations have been implemented," the announcement says.
It is stated that the lowest degree of fulfillment is recorded in relation to strategic documents with 37 percent, followed by legal documents with 57 percent and related by-laws with 61 percent.
In CGO, they believe that it was important that a number of laws were adopted that had an impact on obtaining a positive Report on the Fulfillment of Interim Criteria (IBAR), but also that serious loopholes were built into certain legal texts for the sake of party and private interests.
"And all by abusing an important moment and openness of the EU towards Montenegro", added the CGE.
They pointed out that such actions were pointed out in a timely manner by the non-governmental sector, but also by the interested professional public, especially in the cases of the Law on the National Public Broadcaster - Public Media Service of Montenegro and the Law on Amendments to the Law on the Judicial Council and Judges.
CGO, as they reminded, criticized one of the first decisions of Prime Minister Milojko Spajić to close the Government sessions to the public, but also warned that this would lead, among other things, to less transparency of the EU integration process.
They especially pointed out that the competent minister Maida Gorčević only gives information verbally at the Government sessions about how progress is being made, that is, that information is not in written form in the materials, from any of the Government sessions held so far.
"Our warnings turned out to be correct and this limited the monitoring of this process in real time, thus the contribution of interested parties, and opened up space for the government to manipulate its assessments that are in disagreement with concrete data," the CGE said.
They emphasized that, according to the data they have, four institutions have fully implemented the obligations from the PPCGEU that were foreseen for the first half of this year, noting that these are institutions that had only one obligation each.
As stated, it is about the State Audit Institution (DRI), the Audit Body, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for the Political System, Justice and Anti-Corruption and the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs.
"With 90 percent fulfillment of obligations, in this period, the Ministry of Justice stands out (nine out of ten obligations)", said the CGO.
The announcement states that half or more than half of the planned commitments from the Program were implemented by six institutions.
These are the Ministry of Culture and Media with 50 percent (four out of eight obligations), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management with 60 percent (three out of five obligations) and the Ministry of Energy and Mining with 60 percent (three out of five obligations).
Among the institutions with 50 percent fulfillment of obligations are the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Affairs 67 percent (four out of six obligations), the Ministry of Internal Affairs 70 percent (nine out of 13 obligations) and the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights 75 percent (three out of four obligations).
The CGO said that five institutions have implemented less than half of the planned obligations, and among them are the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare with 25 percent, the Ministry of Finance with 31 percent, while the Ministry of Tourism, Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North follows with 33 percent performance. , Ministry of Public Administration and Ministry of Economic Development.
Five institutions did not fulfill any obligations, namely the Ministry of Health, the Civil Aviation Agency, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Customs Administration.
The CGE said that the IBAR does not end the Montenegrin path to the EU and appealed to the decision makers not to divert their focus from the numerous obligations undertaken on that path.
Bonus video:
