Zenović: EU accession is more than harmonizing legislation and fulfilling formal criteria

Accession to the European Union (EU) is much more than harmonizing legislation and fulfilling formal criteria, said Montenegro's chief negotiator with the EU, Predrag Zenović, adding that the negotiation process simultaneously shapes institutions and the people who lead them.

Zenović, as announced by the Ministry of European Affairs (MEP), gave an introductory lecture as part of the Ireland EU Enlargement Programme, which is being held in Dublin, organized by the Institute of Public Administration of Ireland, with the support of the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and in partnership with the Regional School of Public Administration.

During his lecture on the topic "EU Accession - Between Professional Maturation and Social Transformation", he spoke about the Montenegrin experience in the negotiation process, the importance of leadership in public administration, and the challenges posed by the European integration process.

Zenović pointed out that EU accession represents much more than harmonizing legislation and fulfilling formal criteria.

According to him, the negotiation process with the EU simultaneously shapes the institutions and the people who lead them.

"It is a process of professional maturation of the administration, but also of deep social transformation that requires responsibility, vision and the ability to turn changes into concrete results for citizens," said Zenović.

He emphasized that since the opening of accession negotiations, Montenegro has gone through demanding phases on its European path and implemented essential reforms, and that it is moving decisively and surely towards the set goal of our country becoming the 28th full member of the EU in 2028.

Speaking about Montenegro's negotiating experience, Zenović presented key negotiation mechanisms and techniques, the importance of inter-institutional coordination, building expert negotiating teams, and developing skills necessary for successful conduct of accession negotiations.

According to MEP, he paid special attention to strategic planning, communication, change management, and achieving consensus in complex reform processes.

The statement states that Ireland's EU enlargement program draws on the experience of the country, a member of the Union since 1973, and is part of the activities it is implementing in preparation for its presidency of the Council of the EU during the second half of the year.

It is a three-year program that brings together representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine and is intended to strengthen the leadership capacities of civil servants from these countries, with the aim of improving their abilities to lead reforms and manage complex accession processes.