Organized by the Ministry of European Affairs and the PLAC project (Centre for Strategic Legal Counseling for Montenegro), with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, a workshop was held in Podgorica on the topic of amending negotiating positions and monitoring after the closure of negotiation chapters.
The event was opened by Montenegro’s Chief EU Negotiator, Predrag Zenović, who reflected on the current phase of the negotiation process and the upcoming obligations in the context of its accelerated dynamics. Zenović expressed gratitude to the PLAC project for the support it has provided to the negotiation structure and emphasized the importance of the project’s continuation. He noted that the workshop is an opportunity to address numerous questions and uncertainties arising in the implementation of the European agenda, with the shared goal of Montenegro becoming the 28th EU member state by 2028.
“Montenegro’s accession to the EU brings complex obligations. The PLAC project plays a key role in resolving challenges by responding to requirements concerning the legislative part of the process. Through PLAC, a document was also developed which serves as a basis for addressing the issue of administrative capacity,” said Zenović. He also stated that in recent months, the negotiation structure has undergone updates, particularly in terms of the leadership of negotiation groups, and a series of meetings has been held with the new heads of working groups. He emphasized the importance of formal communication channels in the negotiation process, stressing the inclusion of all levels of the negotiation structure.
PLAC Project Team Leader Tatjana Tomić indicated that this is the second in a series of workshops focused on negotiation documents. She affirmed that PLAC will continue to support the negotiation structure in dealing with the challenges of the process, within its capabilities.
Croatian expert Dubravka Vlašić Pleše shared her experiences from Croatia’s negotiation period, given her role as head of the working group for Chapter 1 and secretary of the Croatian negotiating team. She was responsible for organizing expert and technical support for the Croatian team and for coordinating the preparation and adoption of negotiation documents across all 35 chapters, as well as heading the department for legislative alignment. Vlašić Pleše discussed the challenges of meeting obligations, particularly regarding amendments to negotiating positions and the request for transitional periods, providing concrete examples from Croatia’s negotiation experience.
In the second part of the workshop, she explained the role of monitoring tables and the coordination of activities related to their implementation. Additionally, examples from provisionally closed chapters 7, 10, and 20 were discussed, and the one-day workshop concluded with a practical session.