Yesterday, the Government had the pleasure of voting on the Reform Agenda from 2024 to 2027, which includes Montenegro’s obligations through monitoring and necessary reforms, Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević said in the morning program of TVCG. As she clarified, it concerns four areas: rule of law, energy digital transition, business environment, and areas of innovation and education.
“After yesterday’s adoption of the Reform Agenda by the Government, we now have the next steps,” said Gorčević.
The first and most challenging step is the loan agreements that need to be ratified in the Parliament.
“In addition, it is necessary to organize a coordinating body headed by the Ministry of European Affairs together with the Ministry of Finance, but also all relevant ministries that will be members of that coordinating body so that we can monitor the implementation of all these reforms that we have agreed with the European Commission “, explained Gorčević and stated that this represents a different approach.
Montenegro receives 383.5 million euros from the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, of which around 100 million are grants. The first tranche of money, as she said, is expected at the end of the year, and then, based on the six-monthly reports that we will send to the European Commission, other tranches of money will go as well.
“For the first time, we have an instrument that will motivate the entire Western Balkans, because for all these reforms at the six-month level that we will send based on the reforms agreed with the EC, we will have certain payments, tranches of money,” Gorčević announced.
The process of Montenegro’s accession to the European Union, says Gorčević, is not only a technical process.
“If we finish all the reforms for the sake of simply crossing out technical matters and the chapters we have completed, then we lose what we are doing for the sake of the citizens, so that tomorrow we will not be given anything, and that later when we become a member that has a good system”, concluded Gorcevic.
