Montenegro strengthens its capacities for the final phase of negotiations with the European Union
The Ministry of European Affairs, through the EU project “Centre for Strategic Legal Advice for Montenegro” (PLAC), organised a workshop entitled “Post-Closure Phase – Monitoring Tables and Technical Adaptation of the Acquis”.
The workshop brought together heads of working groups, members of the negotiating structure, and representatives of relevant institutions involved in Montenegro’s EU accession process, with the aim of exchanging experiences and further strengthening capacities for the obligations that follow the provisional closure of negotiating chapters.
Speaking about the significance of the current phase of negotiations and the priorities for the period ahead, Montenegro’s Chief Negotiator with the European Union, Predrag Zenović, highlighted the key challenges of the final stage.
“Montenegro is in the final phase of negotiations with the European Union, where every subsequent step directly affects the country’s credibility and the success of our European path. It is therefore particularly important to continuously strengthen administrative and institutional capacities, so that we can implement the commitments undertaken efficiently, with quality and in a sustainable manner,” said Zenović.
Highlighting the support of the European Union and expectations in the final stage of negotiations, the Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Montenegro, Bernard Brunet, outlined the upcoming priorities.
“The European Union recognises the progress Montenegro has made and will continue to provide support in the final phase of negotiations. It is now particularly important that reform results are clearly presented through measurable data, concrete indicators, and consistent implementation of undertaken commitments,” Brunet emphasised.
The challenges of transitioning into the implementation phase of negotiations were addressed by PLAC Project Coordinator Tatjana Tomić, who highlighted the need to further strengthen institutions' operational readiness.
“We are entering a period in which negotiating structures must further enhance mutual coordination, accountability, and operational readiness for the obligations that will follow from the first day of membership. This is the moment for institutions to begin the transition from the negotiating to the implementation phase of the process,” said Tatjana Tomić, PLAC Project Coordinator.
A special focus of the workshop was placed on monitoring tables as a key mechanism for tracking the implementation of obligations undertaken during negotiations, including practical work on specific examples and consideration of the most common reporting challenges. The second part of the workshop was devoted to the technical adaptation of the acquis, namely the process of adjusting European Union legislation to new Member States in the final phase of negotiations, through the presentation of experiences from previous enlargement rounds.
