“Montenegro continues to be the good news story of the Western Balkans and with the additional pressure of migration crisis on the entire region, Montenegro is increasingly seen as a pivot of stability”, said the European Parliament rapporteur for Montenegro Charles Tannock during the presentation of the draft resolution at the EP plenary session in Strasbourg.
The European Parliament welcomed the steady progress in the accession negotiations with Montenegro resulting in opening 22 negotiation chapter and provisional closing 23 and 24 chapters and encouraged tangible progress in meeting the benchmarks for the closing of chapters already under negotiation and for the opening of new chapters. The EP also welcomed NATO’s decision to invite Montenegro to join the alliance and encouraged a quick and efficient process of accession negotiations.
MEPs pointed out that sustainable dialogue and constructive cooperation between the ruling coalition and the opposition were crucial in order to maintain progress in the accession process and, in this regard, called for the continuation of parliamentary dialogue.
The resolution also noted some progress in the government’s public administration reform, as well as the good progress of strengthening the legislative framework to enhance the independence, accountability and professionalism of the judiciary. As it was said, the EP looks forward to the full implementation of the relevant rules in practice.
On the other hand, the EP called on the government to further strengthening the legislative and institutional framework in the fight against corruption, noting that, despite positive legislative changes and certain progress in the bringing criminal charges and sentencing in cases of high-level corruption, the area remains a matter of serious concern, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration stated.
The European Parliament commended the macroeconomic stability and favourable developments in the economy, urging the government to launch further structural reforms and ensure a business-friendly regulatory environment.
Reiterating the importance of media freedom and pluralism as one of the core EU values, MEPs are concerned about the freedom of the media in Montenegro, urging measures to ensure the independence of the public broadcaster RTCG. It was also pointed out that professional and ethical standards in the media were weak and that journalists were poorly paid and their jobs insecure.
