Project “Support to the Government of Montenegro in Communicating EU Accession and EU Assistance in Montenegro – EU4ME” aims to improve understanding of the European Union, the accession process and its key values, while at the same time highlighting the concrete benefits that membership brings. Special emphasis is placed on strengthening the capacities of institutions, local self-governments, the media and the civil sector, in order to ensure that communication is aligned, clear and effective.
Bearing in mind that local self-governments have one of the key roles in Montenegro’s accession process to the European Union, the EU4ME project is launching a new cycle of the initiative “Empowering Municipalities for European Action” 2026, intended for municipalities that wish to improve their communication practices, increase the visibility of EU topics, and strengthen the capacities of employees in the field of public communication.
The goal of the initiative is to provide municipalities with expert and financial support in building long-term skills, so that they can:
- clearly and understandably present to citizens what they have achieved so far in the European integration process and what benefits this brings to the local community,
- use modern methods and communication channels to timely inform citizens about obligations arising from the integration process, EU programmes, projects and policies,
- increase public trust and involve a larger number of citizens in topics important for the EU,
- strengthen the knowledge and skills of their teams through practical training and mentorship.
In this cycle, six municipalities will be selected and will receive comprehensive support during the project duration.
What kind of support do the selected municipalities receive?
- Expert and technical support – Selected municipalities will receive continuous counselling in the development of communication plans on EU topics, mentorship in planning and implementing activities, as well as support in shaping clear and understandable messages.
- Logistical and financial support for activities (maximum amount EUR 1,000) – Municipalities will receive support in organising local events, campaigns and initiatives that promote EU topics, with the possibility of using the project’s visual, creative and communication resources, as well as assistance in increasing the visibility of campaigns through national and local channels.
- Training and skills development – Employees will have the opportunity to participate in workshops dedicated to public communication, press release writing, social media management, media appearances, campaign planning, event moderation and crisis communication.
What is expected in the application?
In the application, municipalities should demonstrate:
- a brief description of the idea or activity they wish to develop in the field of communication on EU topics and an explanation of why they consider this idea important for their local community,
- what they want to achieve through participation in the programme and how they see EU4ME support helping them improve communication about the EU,
- which target groups they wish to involve (e.g. youth, citizens, business sector, NGOs, schools, etc.) and why these groups are important,
- basic capacities for implementing activities, including a designated contact person and a team that will be involved in implementation,
- a brief description of current practice in communicating EU topics, including previous experience and main challenges,
- the type of activities they would like to develop, noting that proposals do not have to be elaborated in detail, as ideas will be further developed and adapted through mentorship support during the programme.
Examples of activities that municipalities may propose:
(the list is neither mandatory nor limiting)
- public events and manifestations on relevant EU topics,
- local information campaigns, programmes for youth, schools and the community,
- sports and cultural events,
- workshops, panels, gatherings, competitions,
- stories about local projects financed by the EU,
- cooperation with local media.
Cooperation between the selected municipalities, the Ministry of European Affairs and the EU4ME project does not have to be limited exclusively to the implementation of the proposed activity, but may be expanded to the organisation of additional initiatives, in line with available logistical, financial and human resources.
Criteria for selecting municipalities
Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Clarity and comprehensiveness of the proposed idea
- How clearly the idea/activity is described,
- Whether the proposal demonstrates an understanding of EU topics and the local context,
- To what extent goals, target groups and basic activities are connected.
Originality and communication approach
- Whether the proposal offers new and/or creative ways of communicating EU topics,
- Willingness to bring EU topics closer to citizens in a simple and understandable way,
- Inclusion of different target groups (youth, business sector, NGOs, schools, etc.).
Capacity for implementing activities
- Existence of a designated contact person and team,
- Realistic assessment of resources the municipality can invest (time, human resources, existing practices),
- Willingness for active participation in trainings and the mentorship process.
Motivation and commitment to the process
- Reasons for applying and expectations from the initiative,
- Willingness for active cooperation during the initiative,
- Openness to improving existing communication practices.
Support of the municipal leadership
- Clearly expressed institutional support in the application,
- Willingness of the leadership to enable implementation of activities and involvement of relevant services.
In the final selection, geographical and demographic balance will be taken into account, i.e. representation of municipalities from the northern, central and southern regions, as well as smaller and larger municipalities.
Application process
- Complete the application form for expression of interest provided with this call.
- Send the application electronically to: vanja.kosovic@eu4me.me
- Application deadline: 30 January 2026
- Results of the call will be announced on 9 February 2026.
The EU4ME project launched the initiative “Empowering Municipalities for European Action” in December 2023, when the first call for local self-governments was announced. So far, six cities have participated in the initiative: Nikšić, Berane, Bar, Pljevlja, Petnjica and Žabljak. Priority will be given to municipalities that have not participated in the initiative so far, but these six cities may also apply to the public call.