PODGORICA – Marta Kos, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, stated today that there are three priorities for Montenegro – the acceleration of the pace of reforms, implementation of the reforms in the rule of law, and the support by all parties, civil society and citizens for the EU accession process, it was reported by Vijesti.
At a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Montenegro Milojko Spajić, she said that in 2025 Montenegro made progress and “set a strong example to the countries in the region.
According to her, the laws that are being adopted “should empower the country”.
“Every state must have independent judiciary and independent media… Montenegro may be the first country to join the EU under the new conditions. If you meet all the conditions, you will receive all the rights as a member state… The state should join forces and achieve this goal”, Kos remarked.
When asked by journalists about the adoption of the Law on Internal Affairs and the Agency for National Security, Kos noted that the European Commission said that the provisions for data protection have not yet been harmonized with EU rules and that they will have to be harmonized.
She said she had been told that Montenegro was working on it, adding that the EU will follow the implementation.
Kos stressed that she would ask Speaker of the Assembly, Andrića Mandić why he has not come to Brussels yet.
For his part, Milojko Spajić stated that the “the focus is on the rule of law, i.e. on Chapters 23 and 24”.
“We have closed 14 chapters, and we have 19 more chapters to close. These 14 closed chapters mean that we are one hundred percent in line with EU regulations. Out of those 19, many are at 80, 90, 95 percent of EU regulations, but until you reach 100 percent, you do not see a concrete result,” Spajić said.
According to him, “Montenegro is entering a new, European era”.
“The anniversary of the restoration of independence is the best moment for such a thing to happen. Now is the time to prove our commitment to the idea of European Montenegro, now or never. The next few months will determine the future of our country, and the responsibility for this lies with all political actors. What is the job of the government and the parliamentary majority will be completed within the set deadlines, which I also told the Commissioner for Enlargement”, Spajić wrote on X.
Earlier today, Commissioner Kos also had meetings with Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimović, and Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević. The discussions focused on the reform progress made by Montenegro on its EU path, as well as under the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which foresees up to €383.5 million for Montenegro, upon the successful delivery of reforms.
Kos is also set to meet with the Speaker of the Montenegrin Parliament, Andrija Mandić, as well as with local authorities and members of opposition parties to discuss the importance of maintaining political will and unity for the country’s EU agenda.
On Friday, Marta Kos will visit Nikšić, the European Capital of Culture 2030, meet the Mayor of Nikšić, Marko Kovačević, and visit the Tehnopolis Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre.
