Tag: Montenegro

The second meeting of civil society on the implementation of the Reform Agenda 2024–2027 and the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans was held, with assessments that better coordination in reporting is needed, as well as more significant involvement of civil society in verifying the fulfilment of reform steps.

During the meeting, the content of the three most recent semi-annual reports on the implementation of the Reform Agenda was reviewed. Participants pointed out that, although certain information on the implementation of reform steps exists, access to all evidence supporting the Government’s claims is lacking. It was emphasized that data availability is limited, particularly when it comes to documentation that would enable independent verification of the claims presented in the report.

It was concluded that, before the formal submission of reports, higher-quality interinstitutional coordination should be ensured, in order to avoid differences in the understanding of reform fulfilment between the European Commission and the Government of Montenegro. Participants assessed that institutional capacities in this area are still developing, and that a “learning by doing” approach is evident. The need was emphasized for future reports to be less descriptive and more analytical, so that reporting does not represent mere administrative compliance, but becomes a useful analytical tool for monitoring and improving reforms.

During the meeting, it was clarified how the European Commission verifies the Government’s claims regarding the fulfilment of specific steps. It was highlighted that there is no formally defined mechanism for the participation of civil society organizations in the process of verifying the evidence submitted by the Government to support the fulfilment of steps from the Reform Agenda. Nevertheless, there is a recognized willingness and openness to include civil society, particularly when it possesses relevant knowledge about the implementation of specific reform steps.

The meeting is a continuation of our initiative to involve civil society in monitoring the implementation of the Reform Agenda, which we launched with a meeting held last December.

The Institute Alternative organised a meeting on Wednesday, 10 December, dedicated to the implementation of the Reform Agenda 2024–2027 and the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. The meeting brought together representatives of key institutions responsible for implementing reform measures, as well as representatives of civil society.

Participants included representatives of civil society and institutions coordinating the implementation of the Reform Agenda. The aim of the meeting was to present priorities and challenges in implementing reform steps and to consider ways in which reform processes can most effectively respond to the needs of citizens and the economy. Participants also discussed mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of the Reform Agenda, as well as the dynamics of withdrawing funds available through the Growth Plan for Montenegro. To date, Montenegro has prepared two semi-annual reports on the implementation of a total of 25 reform steps, of which the European Commission has confirmed the implementation of 12. It was noted at the meeting that preparation of the third report is underway, covering 32 new reform steps planned for implementation by December 2025, which will be reported to the European Commission by mid-January.

Žana Jovanović, Head of the Directorate for the Management Structure at the Ministry of Finance, explained details related to financial management, the funds received through the fulfillment of reform steps, and the way in which the Ministry of Finance prepares payment requests. The discussion also covered the preparation of the budget for the following year and the manner in which funds needed for implementing reform steps are planned within the individual financial plans of budget users.

Bojan Vujović, Director General of the Directorate for Coordination of EU Financial Support at the Ministry of European Affairs, answered questions related to challenges in coordinating the implementation of the Reform Agenda, cooperation with representatives of the European Commission, and the way in which the understanding of certain reform steps and activities changes during the course of implementation. The practice of regular meetings between representatives of the European Commission and the Government regarding the alignment of understanding of the current status of reform steps and the determination of their implementation status was also mentioned.

Marko Sošić, Public Policy Researcher at the Institute Alternative, presented findings and observations regarding specific reform measures as part of research conducted with regional partners, with a particular focus on areas where progress has been slower or where additional clarification is needed.

During the meeting, several proposals for further work were formulated. With regard to the need to strengthen transparency, it was requested that the payment requests prepared by the Ministry of Finance on the basis of materials for the semi-annual report be published, as well as the publication of the communication plan for the Reform Agenda that has already been prepared by the Ministry of European Affairs. It is also necessary to consider expanding the Supervisory Committee for the Reform Agenda to include interested representatives of civil society, beyond the already appointed permanent members. With regard to financial transparency, it was recommended to consider opening separate budgetary programs for financing the implementation of reform steps, in order to enable easier monitoring of the planning and spending of funds for this purpose. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to strengthen transparency in the component related to infrastructure projects – the way projects are selected, prepared for application, submitted to the WBIF, and how their status and financing are monitored.

The meeting represents a step toward better information sharing and greater openness toward citizens and civil society regarding the implementation of the Reform Agenda and the Growth Plan, with the aim of ensuring that reform processes deliver concrete and measurable benefits to the citizens and economy of Montenegro.