PODGORICA – “The EU negotiating process is more complex today. It is based on a new approach that is more focused on concrete results. The specificities of negotiating with candidate countries indicate the need for an individual assessment of progress,” said Minister of European Affairs Aleksandar Andrija Pejović said on the presentation of the publication “Analysis of benchmarks for Montenegro through comparison of benchmarks for Croatia and Serbia”.
The analysis was made within the project “Strengthening the capacity of the Montenegrin administration for the EU accession process and IPA II instrument” funded by the EU.
Pejović pointed out the importance of regional cooperation in European integration, recalling that Croatian experience shared by colleagues from the very beginning of the negotiation process was of great help to Montenegro. Today, Montenegro shares its experience with Serbia.
Presenting her country’s experiences in the negotiations with the EU, Tanja Miščević, head of Serbia’s negotiating team, pointed to the greatest specificity in the negotiations between Serbia and the Union, which is reflected in negotiating chapter 35.
She pointed out that Serbia did not support the principle that implies EU accession in a group, but the principle of regatta.
A member of the Croatian negotiating group for Chapters 23 and 24, Kristian Turkalj, said that, ultimately, it depends on the candidate country how fast it will negotiate with the EU. However, one should also bear in mind the wider context, ie, the situation in the EU member states.