13th meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee of the Civil Sector of the European Union and Montenegro held today in Podgorica, and was co-chaired by Lidija Pavić-Rogošić on the European Union and Pavle D. Radovanović on the Montenegrin side.
Meeting was opened by the Head of Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro Aivo Orav and the Deputy Chief Negotiator Marko Mrdak, who emphasized the importance of the Committee’s existence with regard to respecting all aspects of the negotiation process and improving the cooperation of civil society organizations and the Government of Montenegro.
Head of Delegation of the European Union emphasized the need for further harmonization of national legislation with European legislation, law enforcement and capacity building, noting in particular the Skadar Lake, Ulcinj Saline and the Tara River as areas of importance for the environment field.
The Deputy Chief Negotiator, recalled that a total of 32 chapters have been opened so far, and that the last chapter on the competition is expected to be opened, as the country has fulfilled all of the given benchmarks. He pointed out that the European Commission’s Report notes that Montenegro has achieved a favorable legislative, institutional and financial framework for cooperation with civil society and reminded that civil sector representatives play a responsible role in the accession process, representing a third of the total number of members of all negotiations working groups.
At the end of the meeting a Joint Declaration was adopted, and it will be sent to the Stabilization and Association Council, the Parliamentary Stabilization and Association Committee, the European External Action Service, to the European Commission and the Government of Montenegro.
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