Papović: Parliament should take responsibility for its part in closing chapters in negotiations with the EU

It is necessary for the Parliament of Montenegro to take responsibility for its part in closing the chapter in negotiations with the European Union (EU) in the coming period, said State Secretary at the Ministry of European Affairs (MEP) Biljana Papović today.

At a press conference dedicated to the new non-paper of the European Commission (EC), she said that the EC has indicated in several areas that timely decision-making that requires political consensus is necessary.

Chief Negotiator Predrag Zenović said that the non-paper confirmed progress in all areas, and that strengthening institutions was a prominent segment of legal implementation in many assessments.

"Affirmative assessment - it confirms that the closure of chapters 23 and 24 is realistic, but the balance is realistic in the technical chapters. This is confirmed by the closure of two chapters next week," said Zenović.

Papović said that amendments to the Constitution are one of the most important issues in Chapter 23 and that it is extremely important to show full responsibility.

She added that it is not possible to adopt constitutional reforms by the end of June.

Zenović said that the COREPER session is tonight and that he expects a positive outcome for two chapters (Chapter 2 - Freedom of Movement of Workers and Chapter 28 - Consumer and Health Protection).

Their conclusion is expected at the Intergovernmental Conference on Monday.

In a new non-paper, the EC assessed that Montenegro has continued to progress towards meeting the final benchmarks in the negotiation chapters related to the rule of law (23 and 24), but that additional results are necessary for their closure in judicial reform, the fight against corruption and organized crime, the harmonisation of visa policy, border management, as well as in the area of ​​media freedom.

In this unofficial diplomatic document on chapters 23 (judiciary and fundamental rights) and 24 (justice, freedom and security), the EC states that Montenegro has continued to implement the legislative framework in the area of ​​justice and that this has resulted in additional positive results.

Papović said that the new non-paper is probably the most positive assessment of Montenegro's progress in the area of ​​the rule of law in the last few years.

"According to the European Commission's assessments, most key reforms have been initiated, and institutions are increasingly producing measurable results. The first and most important message is that Montenegro has continued to make progress towards meeting the final benchmarks for chapters 23 and 24," she stated.

According to her, in the previous period, Montenegro has managed to consolidate the work of key institutions in the areas of justice, the fight against corruption and organized crime, and the focus of reforms is increasingly shifting from the adoption of regulations to their consistent implementation and the achievement of concrete results.

"This is particularly important because success in the final phase of negotiations is no longer measured by the number of adopted laws or strategies, but by the ability of institutions to function stably, professionally and independently, to cooperate with each other and to achieve sustainable results. It is in this segment that Montenegro's qualitative progress is being registered," she assessed.

Papović said that structural improvements in the field of justice were particularly recognized. The Commission notes the continued implementation of reform strategies, strengthening the institutional stability of the Supreme Court, the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office and the Special State Prosecutor's Office, as well as activities aimed at improving coordination, reducing procedural inefficiencies and harmonizing the application of legal standards. The initiation of the procedure for amending the Constitution, aimed at further strengthening the guarantees of the independence of the judiciary and the prosecution, in line with the recommendations of the European and Venice Commissions, is also positively assessed.

"In the area of ​​the fight against corruption, the continuation of the building of the institutional and strategic framework has been recognized, primarily the results in processing high-level corruption cases. In particular, the continuation of the positive trend in the work of the Special State Prosecutor's Office, the Special Police Department and other institutions involved in the fight against corruption has been registered," she stated.

When it comes to the fight against organized crime, the European Commission notes the continued building of a track record in investigations, indictments and international cooperation.

"It is particularly important that the growing ability of institutions to deal with complex cases of organized crime and high-level corruption is recognized," she pointed out.

As she added, the document also registers progress in the area of ​​fundamental rights. Activities on improving anti-discrimination legislation, protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, improving the rights of LGBTIQ persons, developing strategic frameworks for victims' rights, as well as further developing institutional mechanisms for the protection of human rights are positively assessed. The Commission also recognizes certain progress in the work of the Constitutional Court, reducing the backlog of cases and increasing the transparency of its work.

Progress has been noted in border management, the functioning of the asylum and migration system, the fight against human trafficking, and the improvement of security cooperation with European partners.

The high level of operational cooperation with European agencies and continued alignment with Schengen standards are particularly recognized.

"However, it is equally important to talk about the challenges that lie ahead. Although the final benchmarks have not yet been fully met, today we have clearly defined priorities and institutions that are working in a coordinated manner to fulfill the remaining obligations," said Papović.

In the judiciary segment, she added, among the most important challenges remain reaching a political agreement on constitutional amendments, followed by the remaining appointments, all with the aim of strengthening the independence and functionality of judicial institutions.

"Progress in these areas will be the most important indicator of who truly prioritizes European integration," she said.

Director General at the Ministry of Justice and Head of the Negotiating Working Group for Chapter 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) in Montenegro's negotiations with the European Union, Jelena Grdinić, said that the EC document emphasized that the transparency of the judiciary and prosecution has increased, the number of initiated cases and resolved cases has increased, which significantly affects the assessment.

She said that reform laws are being implemented, but progress remains to be seen.

"Media freedom is supported through a series of laws. Anti-discrimination laws have also been registered. Many laws have been completed and all that remains is to harmonize them with the EC based on their suggestions. During the summer, we will have all these laws ready," she announced.

Head of the Working Group for Negotiating Chapter 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security) in Montenegro, Jovana Mijović said that the fight against organized crime through cooperation with Europol and Eurojust shows that the flow of information between institutions has never been greater.

"The actions of the security system in the fight against organized crime were praised. The issue of migration and asylum remains, which was successfully resolved after two years with the construction of new reception centers. In the final benchmarks, we have no open issues and we are close to closure," she said.