The Ministry of European Affairs, through the EU project “Centre for Strategic Legal Advice for Montenegro” (PLAC), organized a workshop titled “Post-closing phase of chapters – 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 after the provisional closing of negotiation chapters.
Speaking about the importance of the current phase of negotiations and priorities in the coming period, Montenegro’s Chief Negotiator with the European Union, Predrag Zenović, pointed to the key challenges of the final phase.
“Montenegro is in the final phase of negotiations with the European Union, where every next step directly affects the country’s credibility and the success of our European path. That is why it is particularly important to continuously strengthen administrative and institutional capacities, so that we can implement the obligations undertaken efficiently, with quality, and in a sustainable manner,” Zenović said.
Referring to the support of the European Union and expectations in the final stage of negotiations, Head of Cooperation in the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, Bernard Brunet, outlined the next priorities.
“The European Union recognizes 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 the obligations undertaken,” Brunet emphasized.
On the challenges of transitioning to the implementation phase of negotiations, PLAC project coordinator Tatjana Tomić spoke about the need for further strengthening the operational readiness of institutions.
“We are entering a period in which negotiating structures must further strengthen mutual coordination, accountability, and operational readiness for the obligations that 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 on monitoring tables as a key mechanism for tracking the implementation of obligations undertaken during negotiations, including practical work on concrete examples and consideration of the most common reporting challenges. The second part of the workshop was dedicated to the technical adaptation of the acquis, that is, the process of adjusting European Union legislation to new member states in the final phase of negotiations, through a presentation of experiences from previous rounds of enlargement.