The Parliament of Montenegro today adopted the Draft Law on Ratification of the Accession Agreement to the Instrument between the European Union and Montenegro, regarding special arrangements for the implementation of EU support to Montenegro under the Instrument for Reform and Growth, thus fulfilling one of the key steps in the implementation of the Western Balkans Growth Plan for the period 2024-2027.
“Today we are on the verge of finalizing the legal framework that will enable the implementation of the Growth Plan and ensure accelerated economic growth and faster convergence of key macroeconomic indicators toward average values in EU member states. By ratifying this agreement and bringing it into force, we will enable the operational use of the funds allocated for Montenegro under the Instrument for Reform and Growth and its crucial segment—the Reform Agenda,” said Minister for European Affairs Maida Gorčević in her address to the MPs.
She explained that the funds from the Western Balkans Growth Plan are allocated through seven regular semiannual tranches of support, with the disbursement of each tranche dependent on the successful implementation of planned reforms. Additionally, the eighth tranche is fixed and intended for pre-financing, amounting to 7% of the total available funds.
“Its disbursement, in the amount of 26.85 million euros, is expected after the ratification of the Accession Agreement and the signing of the Loan Agreement with the European Commission. The seven regular semiannual tranches will be disbursed based on the fulfillment of specific quantitative and qualitative steps, which are detailed in the Reform Agenda,” Gorčević explained.
Gorčević reminded that the commitment to reforms and alignment with European standards is best reflected in the results so far, which include significant steps taken under the Reform Agenda.
She noted that Montenegro appointed the President of the Supreme Court, introduced standard operational procedures for the prosecution in cases of sexual and gender-based violence, in line with the Istanbul Convention and the EU Directive on the protection of victims. Also, the register of state-owned enterprises is publicly available and will be regularly updated, significantly increasing transparency in the management of state-owned enterprises. Furthermore, legal and infrastructural foundations in the area of cybersecurity were improved by adopting the National Plan for Broadband Infrastructure and passing the Law on Information Security, which is aligned with the NIS2 Directive.
“Although the deadline for completing the implementation of the first 14 steps from the Reform Agenda has not yet expired, our administration is making additional efforts to complete all activities. I am very proud to report that we have already made significant progress in many areas,” emphasized Gorčević.
Today, the Draft Law on Ratification of the Accession Agreement to the Instrument between the European Union and Montenegro was also discussed by the Legislative Committee and the Committee on International Relations and Emigrants.