EC Report: Urgently Reorganize the Ministry of Interior and Police, Resolve High-Level Corruption Cases

In its annual report for Montenegro, the European Commission (EC) called on the country to urgently reorganize the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) and the Police Directorate (PD) in order to improve corruption prevention.

In the document that "Vijesti" had access to, and which will be officially published today, it is emphasized that in the two most important chapters in the negotiations with the European Union (EU) - 23 (judiciary and fundamental rights) and 24 (justice, freedom and security), Montenegro is between a moderate and good level of preparedness, and in these areas it achieved some (Chapter 23) and limited progress (Chapter 24) last year.

Chapters 23 and 24 are the last to be closed in negotiations with the EU.

The EC also called for improving the efficiency of the judiciary, improving the results of investigations in cases of high-level corruption, quickly appointing the missing members of the Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services (AMU), better control of border crossings, providing premises for the Special State Prosecutor's Office and the Special Police Department, amendments to the Law on Financing Political Entities and Election Campaigns, as well as the introduction of visas for countries that require a visa to enter the EU...

"Vijesti" announced yesterday that the EC noted the country's results in the fight against cigarette smuggling.

The report noted that, after the final benchmarks for Chapter 23 were set (receiving the Report on the Assessment of the Fulfilment of the Final Benchmarks for Chapters 23 and 24 - IBAR in June 2024), Montenegro began implementing comprehensive reforms and improving the legislative and strategic framework in all sectors, which, according to the EC, is yielding positive results.

“In addition, in the area of ​​fundamental rights, Montenegro has adopted significant reforms of the legal framework,” the report says.

Fill the highest judicial positions

The EC assessed that the Montenegrin judicial system is between a moderate and good level of preparedness, and that it has made progress in implementing key judicial reforms.

"The new President of the Supreme Court (Valentina Pavličić) was elected unanimously by the Judicial Council through a merit-based and transparent procedure, while the timely filling of the highest judicial and prosecutorial positions remains a challenge," the document states.

They emphasized that the implementation of the improved legal framework has brought initial positive results, saying that work on implementing the Judicial Reform Strategy 2024–2027 is ongoing, although not all planned activities for 2024 have been fully implemented.

A 30 percent salary increase for judicial office holders was noted, which the EC said was an important step towards increasing the attractiveness of a judicial career and fulfilling a long-standing recommendation from the European Commission.

"Montenegro has initiated a process of amending the Constitution to address some of the European Commission's recommendations. However, results in terms of accountability in the judiciary remain limited," it states.

They noted that the judicial system must significantly improve its capacities in terms of human resources, budget, infrastructure and information technology, but that some positive developments have been noted in terms of efficiency, although the backlog of cases continues to represent a "significant problem".

It is noted that Montenegro continues to make good progress in domestic war crimes prosecution.

The EC said that their recommendations from last year have been partially implemented and that they largely remain valid, stating that Montenegro should in the coming period:

• to continue appointments to the highest judicial positions through merit-based and transparent procedures, including the Constitutional Court and the Judicial and Prosecutorial Councils, in order to ensure the independence, accountability and proper functioning of the judicial system;
• to continue strengthening the independence of the judiciary and the full and effective implementation of the improved strategic and legislative framework, as well as further harmonization of legislation, including the Constitution, in particular in the composition and decision-making of the Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, with the EU acquis and European standards on the independence, impartiality, accountability, irremovability, integrity, efficiency and professionalism of the judicial system, in line with the recommendations of the EC, the Venice Commission (VC) and GRECO;
• to improve the overall efficiency of the judiciary, including reducing the number of unresolved cases, in particular in the High Court in Podgorica, the Administrative Court of Montenegro and the Special State Prosecutor's Office, and to ensure the full implementation of the Court Network Rationalization Plan and the Justice Digitalization Strategy 2025–2028.

Required results in high-level corruption cases

The report concluded that Montenegro is moderately prepared in the fight against corruption and that the country has made some progress in implementing reforms.

"The implementation of the improved legislative framework is ongoing, in particular through the adoption of eight supporting laws. Additional efforts are needed to ensure full implementation and compliance with the remaining recommendations of GRECO, the GoK and the EC," it was highlighted.

The EC said that the Anti-Corruption Agency (AKS) continued to carry out its tasks, although delays in appointing management and limited resources caused certain difficulties.

They stressed that Montenegro urgently needs to appoint a full-time director of ASK (the current acting director is Dušan Drakić).

"The implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy 2024–2028 and the Action Plan 2024–2025 is ongoing, but there are challenges in monitoring their implementation. It is necessary to increase human capacity in the fight against corruption," the document states.

It was assessed that, although progress has been recorded in terms of investigations and prosecutions of high-level corruption cases, the number of final convictions remains low and needs to be increased, and that the lack of effective and dissuasive sentences continues to contribute to the perception of impunity.

"Also, the problem of systematic delays in criminal proceedings, especially in high-risk corruption cases, needs to be addressed. Measures to combat corruption in high-risk areas are being implemented through the Strategy, but their consistent and effective implementation needs to be ensured," it added.

They stated that the legal framework on the financing of political parties and election campaigns must be further amended through a transparent and inclusive consultation process with all relevant stakeholders.

They stated that the EC recommendations from the previous year were partially implemented and that they largely remain valid, and that Montenegro should in the coming period:

• to continue the full and effective implementation of the improved strategic and legal frameworks, and further alignment with the EU acquis and European standards for preventing and fighting corruption, including the implementation of the remaining recommendations of the GoK, GRECO and the EC expert assessment missions, while strengthening the operational capacity and financial independence of the KAS;
• to improve the results in proactive investigations, prosecutions and convictions of corruption cases, especially high-level corruption, through urgently strengthening the enforcement of existing criminal legislation by the prosecution and courts, with the application of effective and dissuasive penalties, amending the Criminal Procedure Code and the Law on Advocacy to remove obstacles and unjustified delays, and improving the follow-up of the findings of the State Audit Institution (SRI);
• to further amend the Law on Financing of Political Entities and Election Campaigns through a transparent and inclusive consultation process, in line with OSCE/ODIHR and European standards, in order to increase transparency and control of political party expenditures and prevent the misuse of state resources through dissuasive sanctions.

Vulnerable groups still discriminated against

The report assessed that the legislative and institutional framework for fundamental rights is largely in place, and that Montenegro continues to largely comply with its international obligations in the field of human rights.

However, it was noted that more efforts are needed to fully implement this framework and ensure access to justice and the exercise of rights in administrative and judicial proceedings, especially for vulnerable categories of the population.

"A new Law on the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms is being drafted, in order to fully comply with the Paris Principles and secure re-accreditation to 'A' status for the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI). The Parliament has not yet adopted the new Law on Prohibition of Discrimination in line with the EU acquis and European standards," it states.

It was noted that the most vulnerable social groups - Roma and Egyptians, people with disabilities and LGBTIQ people - continue to be exposed to discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes.

It was stated that Montenegro must effectively implement all recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and the GREVIO group of experts.

In this context, he emphasized that in the coming period, Montenegro should:

• to continue to make significant progress in implementing all outstanding recommendations of the CPT, ECRI and GREVIO;
• to make additional efforts in implementing the Strategy for the Improvement of the Position of Roma and Egyptians and fulfill the commitments undertaken under the Poznan Declaration;
• to adopt a new Law on Prohibition of Discrimination and a new Law on Protection of Personal Data, in line with the EU acquis and European and international standards.

We have fallen behind in aligning with EU visa policy

The EC concluded that Montenegro is between a moderate and good level of preparation in the area of ​​justice, freedom and security (Chapter 24).

They assessed that limited progress has been made, with work beginning on improving border surveillance equipment, a recruitment campaign for new border police officers, and the installation of equipment for electronic registration of migrants in the border police premises in Božaj and Pljevlja.

It is noted that in December 2024, Montenegro approved visa exemptions for two countries - Bahrain (permanent) and Uzbekistan (seasonal), while the seasonal exemption for Saudi Arabia was upgraded to a permanent exemption.

The EC assessed that by including these countries, Montenegro has significantly regressed in harmonization with the EU visa policy.

"However, in October, Montenegro abolished the visa-free regime with four countries: Kuwait, Egypt, Armenia and Uzbekistan," it states.

They pointed out that the Commission's recommendations from last year have been partially implemented and remain valid, and that in the coming period Montenegro should:

• to increase the efficiency of prosecution and trials in cases of serious and organised crime, in particular money laundering; to address the problem of lengthy trials and frequent delays in organised crime cases; to ensure the application of key legal concepts, such as standalone money laundering (independent of the underlying criminal offence) and the quality of evidence before courts and prosecutors; and to ensure the confiscation of criminal proceeds – through systematic monitoring of money flows, efficient implementation of special investigative measures and consistent application of extended confiscation;
• to further strengthen border management capacities by addressing critical gaps in border surveillance infrastructure and equipment; to take the necessary steps to establish an Advance Passenger Information (API) system and a biometric migrant registration system;
• to terminate visa-free agreements with countries whose citizens require a visa to enter the EU, in line with the commitments already undertaken under the Reform Agenda, in particular with countries that pose a risk of irregular migration or a security risk to the EU.

Urgently reorganize the Ministry of Interior and the police

The Commission assessed that Montenegro is moderately prepared in the fight against serious and organized crime.

They noted that good progress has been made in preparing a new draft law on weapons, adopting the Strategy for Combating Transnational Organized Crime 2024–2027, as well as in conducting the mid-term review of the Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA).

“In accordance with the EU acquis, in April 2025, the Police Directorate established a 24/7 International Operations Room – Single Point of Contact (SPOC),” it added.

The document states that the EC recommendations from the previous year have been partially implemented and remain largely valid, and that the state should in the coming period:

• to make progress in filling vacant positions in the Special Police Department (SPO), the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) and the High Court in Podgorica; to provide adequate premises for the SDT and SPO and to reorganize the Department for Special Investigative Measures;
• to ensure stability in all police sectors and directors by appointing managers with full authority through an objective and meritocratic process;
• to reduce the risks of corruption and organized crime infiltration in law enforcement agencies and the judiciary by implementing a strong prevention and integrity policy, and ensuring strict judicial response to detected cases; to urgently reorganize the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the police to strengthen corruption prevention and internal control.

High youth unemployment

The EC assessed that Montenegro has made some progress and is between a moderate and good level of preparedness in developing a functioning market economy.

It was noted that economic growth slowed due to weaker tourism revenues during 2024 and the first half of 2025.

"The budget deficit increased in 2024, but was in line with the revised target; however, fiscal vulnerabilities persist due to high debt refinancing needs and recent measures that weakened budget revenues and increased social spending," the document says.

It was stated that the situation on the labor market continued to improve, but that structural problems remained - high youth and long-term unemployment.

"The banking sector remained well capitalized and liquid. Some progress was made in improving the business environment and preparing the reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs)," it said.

They said the Commission's recommendations from the previous year had been partially implemented and remained largely valid.

In order to improve the functioning of the market economy, the EC points out that Montenegro should:

• to design and implement measures that limit public spending and increase revenues, ensuring compliance with fiscal rules;
• to implement the Law on Budget and Fiscal Responsibility to establish the Fiscal Council in time to consider the 2026 budget proposal;
• to prepare a comprehensive statement on fiscal risks, including an analysis of risks associated with state-owned enterprises, and to advance corporate governance reform in the SOE sector.

Dependence on tourism

It was assessed that Montenegro has made some progress and is between a moderate and good level of preparedness to face competitive pressure and market forces within the EU.

It was noted that the education system continues to face numerous challenges, "which the competent authorities are gradually addressing."

"Efforts towards green and digital transitions are progressing at a slow pace. Additional efforts are needed to diversify Montenegro's narrow production base," it added.

It was emphasized that the high dependence of the economy on the service sector, especially tourism, as well as the small size of domestic companies and their low level of participation in exports, represent obstacles to increasing the productivity and competitiveness of local firms.

It was stated that the Commission's recommendations from the previous year were implemented to a limited extent and that they largely remain valid, and that in the coming period Montenegro should:

• to continue the implementation of digital public services for citizens and businesses and to develop and implement, as a priority, an interactive e-government platform for transactional electronic services;
• to improve the implementation of dual vocational education and training programs, as well as post-secondary education, in close cooperation with business associations and to enable learning through work;
• to improve the institutional and regulatory environment for the green transition and increase energy resilience by adopting a national energy and climate plan and implementing energy efficiency legislation.

Negotiations on Montenegro's accession to the EU began on 29 June 2012. Since then, Podgorica has opened all 33 chapters and temporarily closed seven (three at the end of last year and one in June this year). These are chapters 25 (science and research), 26 (education and culture), 30 (external relations), 7 (intellectual property law), 10 (information society and media), 20 (entrepreneurship and industrial policy) and 5 (public procurement).