Justice Minister Bojan Božović said that Chapters 23 and 24 are the "Cinderellas" of Montenegro's accession process to the European Union (EU), adding that "there is no democracy without closing these chapters."
At the Rule of Law Forum, which is being held in Podgorica today, he said that the Government cannot accept the thesis that the Report on the Fulfillment of Interim Benchmarks in Chapters 23 and 24 (IBAR) was a gift.
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Chapter 23 relates to the judiciary and fundamental rights, and Chapter 24 to justice, freedom and security.
Božović stated at the forum that more than 20 regulations were developed through working groups, despite numerous unforeseen challenges, which they resolved "one by one."
He said that a new Law on Administrative Disputes had been adopted and that the ministry had helped the Administrative Court resolve the backlog of cases, emphasizing that "an incomparably greater level of procedural discipline" had been achieved.
He added that there is still a lot of work to be done, but that it is going "step by step", with the message that institutions must be more open towards the civil sector and the media, because Montenegro is a "small society" and help is needed from all sides.
Božović emphasized that a high level of trust has been achieved between the institutions.
"This is a chance we must not miss and we must achieve all forecasts by the end of 2026," said Božović.
Sattler: IBAR was a prerequisite for moving forward
EU Ambassador to Montenegro Johan Sattler said that IBAR was a prerequisite for moving forward.
When asked how things have changed since the opening of Chapters 23 and 24 ten years ago, Sattler said that "we are not starting from scratch," because the chapters were opened a long time ago and certain reforms, including constitutional changes, have already been implemented.
Responding to the public impression that Montenegro was "overlooked" when receiving the IBAR, Sattler said: "IBAR was a prerequisite for moving forward. It was a condition that allowed Montenegro to close four chapters last year - something that had never happened before. This report is proof that you are fulfilling what was expected of you. The most positive sentence in the report was short: Montenegro is on its way to closing the chapters."
He added that a huge focus is needed now.
"When we presented the report to the Prime Minister, my message was: Yes, we can celebrate tonight, but starting tomorrow we have to work. I am very pleased that hundreds of people in the Montenegrin administration, ministries, judiciary and other institutions are working very hard to make this possible," Sattler said.
He said that Montenegro must complete several key reforms in order to progress towards EU membership.
"It is necessary to elect three judges to the Constitutional Court, appoint the Council of the Agency for Electronic Media (AEM) and achieve concrete results in the fight against organized crime and corruption, including the passing of judgments. This is precisely what the member states will monitor," said Sattler.
He added that he listened to the ministers during the forum and saw some progress in implementing reforms.
He also assessed that there is a good chance that all chapters will be closed in 2026.
When asked about first- and second-tier members, Sattler said "there will be no difference between full membership and some other form."
"All members will have equal rights," said Satler.
Šaranović: Montenegro as an EU member by 2028
Minister of Interior Danilo Šaranović said that today's presence confirms the state's priority - Montenegro as an EU member by 2028.
He emphasized that the supporting pillars of this process are the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice, as the bearers of activities in key chapters.
Šaranović emphasized that the task is not only to implement reforms within institutions, but also to achieve cooperation with everyone, "especially with those for the rule of law."
He attributed the results in the fight against all forms of crime, especially organized crime, to the "never-better cooperation" between the police and the Special State Prosecutor's Office.
He assessed that Montenegro had "in a short time" gone from a country that was completely distrusted to a country that today enjoys "ever greater trust" from the security sector in the international community, which is evident through cooperation and "ever greater exchange of information".
He added that Montenegro is no longer "a weak point for illegal migration, to the pride of all of us" and announced that the European Commission's opinion on the Law on Internal Affairs is expected in the coming days.
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