The meeting of the Parliamentary Committee for Stabilization and Association, held in Strasbourg on April 29 and 30, was marked by a discussion on the current state of accession negotiations, the remaining reforms in chapters 23 and 24, tourism in the current geo-economic context, and key reforms in the areas of environmental protection and climate change.
Recommendations adopted at the Citizens’ Assembly, a joint forum of the Assembly and the European Parliament, organized for the purpose of open dialogue between MPs and citizens on political processes and the expansion of the European Union, were also discussed.
As announced by the Assembly, the focus of the discussion on the second day was focused on the topic of fulfilling obligations in Chapter 27 – Environment and climate change. Co-Chairman of POSP and President of the Parliamentary Committee for Tourism, Agriculture, Ecology and Spatial Planning Dejan Đurović said that Montenegro is making continuous and measurable progress in Chapter 27, with visible results in legislation, capacity building and implementation on the ground.
In the debate on the topic of the Citizens’ Assembly, the students who participated in the mentioned forum in their capacity as citizens addressed the MPs and gave their review of the recommendations that were adopted at that time.
The General Secretary of the Assembly, Boban Stanišić, also addressed the audience, who pointed out that such projects of deliberative democracy strengthen trust in institutions through dialogue with citizens, and said that the recommendations, although they do not have a legally binding character, represent an important basis for the continuation of the debate on the European future not only of Montenegro, but also of the Western Balkans, and confirm that integration is a common social process in which the voice of citizens has a legitimate place.
On the previous two days, members of the Parliament of Montenegro and the European Parliament held a constructive discussion in which issues in the area of the rule of law, independence of the judiciary, the results achieved in the fight against corruption and organized crime, the development of tourism in Montenegro, but also climate change, water quality, waste water treatment plants, etc. were discussed. The discussion resulted in the adoption of recommendations, as a clear framework for the continuation of the reform process, with the aim of successfully concluding negotiations and further progress of Montenegro towards membership in the European Union.
In the joint Declaration, the full support for Montenegro’s accession to the European Union was reaffirmed and the significant progress achieved in the previous period was welcomed. It was pointed out that Montenegro maintains its position as a leader in the enlargement process, with the expectation that it will intensify reforms in order to meet the remaining final benchmarks.
The declaration emphasized the importance of further strengthening: the rule of law and achieving measurable results in the fight against corruption and organized crime, implementing electoral reform in accordance with international recommendations, improving the security sector with strong parliamentary and judicial oversight, accelerating reforms in the area of the environment and energy, and preserving political stability and a broad social consensus on the European path.
The next POSP meeting will be hosted by the Parliament of Montenegro, and the date will be determined later.
