Public Call for NGOs to Propose a Representative for a Member of the Rule of Law Council

After the Government, on June 26, 2025, noted the termination of the function of the representative of the non-governmental sector (NGO) in the Rule of Law Council at their personal request, the Ministry of European Affairs invites non-governmental organizations to propose their representative for the Rule of Law Council.

Taking into account the Decision on the establishment of the structure for negotiations on Montenegro’s accession to the European Union (“Official Gazette of Montenegro”, 112/2023 of 15.12.2023), which stipulates that the Government shall form the Rule of Law Council as a working body for monitoring and discussion on issues in the area of the rule of law in the EU accession process, and considering the importance of the continuous involvement of professional and dedicated representatives of non-governmental organizations in the work of the Council, we hereby invite NGOs to submit their proposals for the election of a new member of the Rule of Law Council. Accordingly, and in accordance with Article 3 of the Regulation on the Selection of Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations in Working Bodies of State Administration and the Implementation of Public Consultations in the Preparation of Laws and Strategies (“Official Gazette of Montenegro”, No. 41/18), the Ministry of European Affairs publishes

PUBLIC CALL

to non-governmental organizations for proposing

a representative for a member of the Rule of Law Council

The Ministry of European Affairs invites non-governmental organizations to submit proposals for the election of a representative to the composition of the Rule of Law Council.

For a member of the Rule of Law Council, an NGO may propose only one representative.

Tasks of the Rule of Law Council are:

• monitoring the implementation of obligations from Chapters 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and 24 – Justice, Freedom, and Security in Montenegro’s EU accession process, in accordance with the recommendations of the Chief Negotiator for Montenegro’s EU accession negotiations and the negotiator for Cluster 1 – Fundamental Chapters;
• monitoring the implementation of obligations to fulfill the closing benchmarks in Chapters 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and 24 – Justice, Freedom, and Security;
• considering reasons for delays in the implementation of obligations and giving recommendations to state authorities, administrative bodies, and other authorities and institutions for urgent action to implement obligations from Chapters 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and 24 – Justice, Freedom, and Security; and
• performing other duties, in accordance with the Decision on the establishment of the structure for negotiations on Montenegro’s EU accession.

Criteria for an NGO that may propose its representative in the working body:

• that it is registered in the register of non-governmental organizations before the publication of the public call;
• that its statute defines activities and goals in areas related to the issue considered or normatively regulated by the working body;
• that it is not listed in the criminal record;
• that in the past three years, in relation to the issue considered or normatively regulated by the working body, it has conducted research, prepared a document, organized an event, or implemented a project aimed at improving the situation in a specific area;
• that it has submitted a report to the tax authority for the previous fiscal year (copy of balance sheet and income statement);
• that more than half of the members of the NGO’s governing bodies are not members of political party bodies, public officials, managers, or civil servants/employees.

Criteria that must be met by the NGO representative in the working body:

• that they have residence in Montenegro;
• that they have experience in the area to which the issue considered or normatively regulated by the working body relates;
• that they are not a member of a political party body, a public official, a civil servant, or employee.

The proposal of a representative in the working body must be signed by the person authorized to represent and stamped by the NGO. The proposal of an NGO representative is submitted on Form 2 prescribed by the Regulation on the Selection of Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations in Working Bodies of State Administration and the Implementation of Public Consultations in the Preparation of Laws and Strategies.

Documentation to be submitted with the proposal of the NGO representative in the working body:

• proof that the NGO is registered in the register of NGOs (copy);
• copy of the NGO statute;
• proof that the NGO in the past three years, in relation to the issue considered or normatively regulated by the working body, has conducted research, prepared a document, organized an event, or implemented a project aimed at improving the situation in a specific area, signed by the person authorized to represent and stamped by the NGO;
• proof that the NGO submitted a report to the tax authority for the previous fiscal year (copy of balance sheet and income statement);
• statement by the person authorized to represent the NGO that more than half of the members of the NGO’s governing bodies are not members of political party bodies, public officials, managers, or civil servants/employees;
• copy of ID card or other public document based on which the identity of the NGO representative in the working body can be established;
• biography of the NGO representative in the working body;
• proof of the NGO representative’s experience in the area to which the issue considered or normatively regulated by the working body relates (professional work, certificate, or other document);
• statement of the NGO representative in the working body that they are not a member of a political party body, public official, manager, or civil servant/employee;
• statement of the NGO representative that they accept being proposed by the NGO as its representative in the working body.

The deadline for submitting proposals of NGO representatives is 10 days from the publication of the public call, i.e., August 1, 2025.

Documentation according to the public call is submitted to the archive of the Ministry of European Affairs, at the address:

Ministry of European Affairs

Bulevar Ivana Crnojevića No. 167

81000 Podgorica

with the note: “Proposal of candidate for a member of the Rule of Law Council.”

The proposal of a candidate for a member of the Rule of Law Council will be considered only if submitted with all required documentation and within the indicated deadline.

The Ministry of European Affairs will publish on its website the list of candidates proposed as members of the Rule of Law Council, with the names of the NGOs that proposed them.

Based on the results of the public call, the Ministry of European Affairs will include one representative of NGOs in the composition of the Rule of Law Council.

Any questions regarding the procedure for proposing a candidate for a member of the Rule of Law Council may be sent to the email address of the Secretary of the Rule of Law Council: svetlana.rajkovic@mep.gov.me