The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) has fulfilled all obligations under negotiation chapter 27 - Environment and Climate Change, the department announced.
The Ministry of Interior said that they are fully committed to fulfilling their obligations from the negotiation process with the European Union (EU).
"This is also supported by the fact that the Ministry of Interior has fulfilled all obligations under negotiation chapter 27 - Environment and Climate Change," the statement said.
It is recalled that Chapter 27 is one of the most demanding and complex in Montenegro's negotiation process with the EU, which was opened at the Intergovernmental Conference at the end of 2018 in Brussels.
The Ministry of Interior pointed out that civil protection, which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior's Directorate for Protection and Rescue, is one of ten areas covered by that chapter.
As they explained, the Action Plan for Fulfilling the Final Benchmarks in Negotiation Chapter 27 defines the implementation of 251 obligations for all competent institutions, of which nine specific obligations relate to the field of civil protection.
"Thanks to dedicated work and a responsible approach, the Protection and Rescue Directorate has fully fulfilled all nine obligations within its jurisdiction," the Ministry of the Interior stressed.
They pointed out that, in addition to fulfilling the obligations under the Action Plan, Montenegro had an obligation to respond to the demands contained in the EU Common Position for Chapter 27.
As stated by the Ministry of Interior, although civil protection did not have a specific final benchmark, two specific requests were made, the first of which was to strengthen interdepartmental cooperation between the Ministry of Interior and other competent institutions in the field of disaster risk management, especially in the segments of floods and industrial accidents.
Another specific request was the connection of Montenegro to European emergency systems in accordance with the Agreement on the Participation in the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, including the establishment of the Secure Trans-European Telematics Service between Administrations (sTESTA) and the connection to the Common Emergency Communication and Information System (CECIS).
The Ministry of Interior said that, in relation to the first request, the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, in cooperation with other departments, initiated and successfully implemented the adoption of national protection and rescue plans for key risks, which clearly defined coordination and cooperation mechanisms in crisis situations.
The statement states that, in connection with the second request, during December 2021, the necessary sTESTA equipment was installed in the premises of the Police Directorate, while in December 2023, the connection of the 112 Operational and Communication Center to the sTESTA platform was established.
"In February last year, the connection to the CECIS and CECIS 2.0 software solutions was also implemented, which fully integrated Montenegro into the European system for exchanging information in emergency situations," the statement said.
The Ministry of Interior said that the European Commission (EC) has also recognized the results of that department, which was confirmed at the meeting of the Stabilization and Association Subcommittee, held in Podgorica in February last year.
"On that occasion, EC representatives noted that all requirements in the field of civil protection have been met, thus fulfilling the prerequisites for closing this sub-chapter," the Ministry of the Interior said.
They emphasized that the work of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue has been recognized as an example of good practice, which can serve as a model for other institutions in fulfilling their obligations under Chapter 27.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that they continue with responsible and dedicated work aimed at strengthening the security and protection of the citizens of Montenegro, as well as achieving the key foreign policy goal - full membership in the EU.
"The results we are achieving on this path once again confirm that Montenegro has the capacity to be an equal member of the European family," the Ministry's statement concludes.
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