The Montenegrin Parliament has ratified the Certificate of Accession to the Instrument between the European Union and Montenegro, marking a crucial step in the reform and growth agenda required to support the development plan for the Western Balkans for the period 2024-2027.

This law received the approval of 42 MPs from the ruling coalition, while the opposition was excluded due to their disruption of previous Assembly sessions.

“Today, we are finalizing the legal framework that will facilitate the execution of the growth plan and foster accelerated economic growth, ensuring that key macroeconomic indicators align more closely with those of EU member states. The ratification of this Agreement and its implementation will allow us to operationalize funding for Montenegro’s reforms and growth,” stated Maida Gorčević, the Minister of European Affairs, during her speech to the deputies.

She elaborated that the funds allocated for the growth plan in the Western Balkans will be distributed through seven regular semi-annual support tranches, with disbursements contingent on the successful execution of the proposed reforms. An additional eighth tranche is earmarked for pre-financing, amounting to 7% of the total available funds.

“The expected realization of this tranche, which totals EUR 26.85 million, will occur post-ratification of the Accession Agreement and upon signing the Loan Agreement with the European Commission. The seven standard semi-annual tranches will be disbursed based on meeting specific quantitative and qualitative benchmarks, detailed in the reform action plan,” Gorčević explained.

The Ministry of European Affairs, as highlighted by Gorčević, noted the commitment to reforms and alignment with European standards, emphasizing that true adherence to these standards is reflected in the progress made on the reform agenda.

Montenegro has welcomed the Supreme Court President and established standard operational procedures for prosecution in cases of sexual and gender-based violence, consistent with the Istanbul Convention and the EU Protection Directive. Additionally, a publicly accessible and regularly updated register of state-owned enterprises has been initiated, enhancing transparency within these entities. Furthermore, improvements to the legal and infrastructural framework for cybersecurity have been achieved through the adoption of a National Plan for Broadband Infrastructure and the Law on Information Safety, compliant with the NIS2 Directive.

“Despite the deadlines for completing the initial 14 steps, our administration is making extra efforts to finalize all activities, and I can confidently say that we have made substantial strides in numerous areas,” Gorcevic concluded.