European Union (EU) Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that three priorities are important - Montenegro must accelerate the pace of reforms, reforms in the rule of law, and that the EU accession process must be supported by all parties, the civil sector and citizens.
At a press conference with the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić, at the "Gorica" villa in Podgorica, she said that Montenegro made progress last year and is setting a strong example for countries in the region.
She pointed out that she had already started training to climb Bobotov Kuk, because she had previously promised that when Montenegro joins the EU, she would climb one of the highest peaks in Montenegro.
Kos said that the adopted laws must be good in order to strengthen the country.
She emphasized that every state must have an independent judiciary and independent media.
She pointed out that Montenegro may be the first country to join the EU under new conditions.
"If you meet all the conditions, you will receive all the rights as a member state," Kos said.
She said that the state needs to unite its forces and bring the state to its goal.
Spajić said that the full focus is on the rule of law and chapters 23 and 24.
"We have closed 14 chapters, we still have 19 to close. Those 14 closed chapters mean that we have 100 percent compliance with European Union regulations. Of those 19, there are many that are at 80, 90, 95 percent compliance with EU regulations, but until you reach 100 percent, you don't see a concrete result," said Spajić.
He said that some other chapters will be closed soon.
"It is a very demanding process. In addition to our dialogue with the European Commission, which is intense and daily, there is also this late dialogue with all 27 member states, where the progress made between the EC and Montenegro needs to be ratified and confirmed through the acceptance of all those member states, that we have fulfilled everything to close that chapter," said Spajić.
He emphasized that they are not afraid of an ambitious goal and that he is convinced that Montenegro will succeed on that path.
Responding to a journalist's question about how many chapters he expects to be closed by the end of the year, Spajić said that they are proceeding at the planned pace.
"Things need to be accelerated and there is a lot of pressure, but that is understandable," said Spajić.
He said that everything that has been done so far and what will be done is an impressive result.
"It's not a question of when or how it will be closed. What's important is that we go according to plan," said Spajić.
When asked by journalists about the adoption of the law on internal affairs and the National Security Agency (ANB), which caused a political crisis, and whether she would feel responsible for Montenegro turning into a police state, Kos replied that the European Commission had said that data protection provisions were not yet aligned with EU rules and that they would have to be harmonized.
She pointed out that Spajić informed her that this was being worked on.
Kos said that the EU will monitor implementation.
She also said that she would ask Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić today why he had not yet come to Brussels.
When asked by reporters about the Constitutional Court, Spajić said that the Constitutional Court has done unprecedented work in the last two years.
As for filling the Constitutional Court, he pointed out that it is up to the Parliament to discuss it.
"The sky is the limit," said Spajić.
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