PODGORICA – The tenth meeting of the Subcommittee on Transport, Energy, Environment, and Regional Policy between Montenegro and the European Commission has been held Wednesday in Podgorica, EU Delegation to Montenegro stated.
The meeting discussed progress made in the areas of climate change, environment, energy, regional policy, and transport. Representatives of Montenegrin institutions have presented the accomplishments, current activities, and planned measures and exchanged views with colleagues from the European Commission regarding future challenges, best and most efficient solutions in terms of the implementation of the Acquis and strengthening administrative capacity in these areas.
The meeting was opened by the Director General for EU Affairs in Ministry of European Affairs Jelena Burzan and Maria Fernandez from the Montenegro Unit in the European Commission’s Directorate General for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations.
In her opening marks, Director General Jelena Burzan said that, since the beginning of the negotiation process, Montenegro has made significant progress in the areas covered by thissubcommittee, as confirmed by the opening of chapters 14 Transport policy, 15 Energy, and 21 Trans-European Networks, and the fact that the conditions for the opening of Chapter 22 Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments and fulfilled initial ones set by the European Commission for the opening of Chapter 27 Environment. She pointed out that the efforts undertaken during the previous period provided tangible results in these areas, and that they have been recognised and valued by the European partners, notably the European Commission, which is the most important partner of Montenegro in the accession process.
Maria Fernandez of the Montenegro Unit in the Directorate General of the European Commission for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations comended the progress Montenegro has made in the negotiation process, especially in the chapters relating to transport and energy, and conveyed her expectation that Chapter 22 related to regional policy and coordination of structural instruments will be opened soon. She pointed out the importance of the Connectivity Agenda and the support that the EU provides to the countries of the Western Balkans in the area of transport and energy connectivity through the Berlin Process and, in this regard, stressed the importance of the forthcoming visit of Commissioner Hahn, as well as the summit of Western Balkan six in Trieste in July this year.
Director General for the Environment in the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism Ivana Vojinovic said that the meeting of the Subcommittee took place at a very important time for Montenegro and expressed the Government of Montenegro’s determination in fulfilling commitments with the view to maintaining good dynamics in the fields covered by this subcommittee. In this context, as she pointed out, progress in the areas of energy, transport, and environment is of great importance not only for the further integration path of Montenegro, but also for the improvement of living standard of Montenegrin citizens.