COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Montenegro 2025 Report Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 2025 Communication on EU enlargement policy
Date: 2025-11-04
Institutions: Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood, European Commission
Subjects: Montenegro, accession criteria, accession negotiations, pre-accession strategy, regional cooperation

Contents 

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 3 

1.1. Context .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 

1.2  Main findings of the report ........................................................................................................................... 3 

1.3 State of play of the accession negotiations ....................................................................................................... 21 

2. Cluster 1: The fundamentals of the accession process ............................................................................................ 22 

2.1. Functioning of democratic institutions and public administration reform ....................................................... 22 

2.1.1 Democracy ................................................................................................................................................ 22 

2.1.2. Public administration reform ................................................................................................................... 25 

2.2. Rule of law and fundamental rights ................................................................................................................. 27 

2.2.1 

Chapter 23: Judiciary and fundamental rights .................................................................................... 27 

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 4.11.2025  SWD(2025) 754 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Montenegro 2025 Report Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 2025 Communication on EU enlargement policy                                 {COM(2025) 690 final} - {SWD(2025) 750 final} - {SWD(2025) 751 final} - {SWD(2025) 752 final} - {SWD(2025) 753 final} - {SWD(2025) 755 final} - {SWD(2025) 756 final} - {SWD(2025) 757 final} - {SWD(2025) 758 final} - {SWD(2025) 759 final}  
 
 
2.2.2 

Chapter 24: Justice, freedom and security .......................................................................................... 49 

2.3 

Economic criteria ....................................................................................................................................... 60 

2.3.1. The existence of a functioning market economy ..................................................................................... 60 

2.3.2. The capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the EU ................................. 65 

2.4. Public procurement, statistics and financial control ........................................................................................ 66 

Chapter 5: Public procurement .......................................................................................................................... 66 

Chapter 18: Statistics ......................................................................................................................................... 67 

Chapter 32: Financial control ............................................................................................................................ 68 

3.  Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation ....................................................................................... 69 

4.  

Ability to assume the obligations of membership ...................................................................................... 71 

Cluster 2: Internal Market ...................................................................................................................................... 71 

Chapter 1: Free movement of goods .................................................................................................................. 71 

Chapter 2: Freedom of movement for workers .................................................................................................. 72 

Chapter 3: Right of establishment and freedom to provide services ................................................................. 72 

Chapter 4: Free movement of capital ................................................................................................................. 73 

Chapter 6:: Company law .................................................................................................................................. 74 

Chapter 7: Intellectual property law .................................................................................................................. 74 

Chapter 8: Competition policy........................................................................................................................... 75 

Chapter 9: Financial services ............................................................................................................................. 77 

Chapter 28: Consumer and health protection .................................................................................................... 77 

Cluster 3: Competitiveness and inclusive growth .................................................................................................. 79 

Chapter 10: Digital transformation and media................................................................................................... 79 

Chapter 16: Taxation ......................................................................................................................................... 79 

Chapter 17: Economic and monetary policy ...................................................................................................... 80 

Chapter 19: Social policy and employment ....................................................................................................... 81 

Chapter 20: Enterprise and industrial policy ..................................................................................................... 83 

Chapter 25: Science and research ...................................................................................................................... 83 

Chapter 26: Education and culture .................................................................................................................... 84 

Chapter 29: Customs union ............................................................................................................................... 86 

Cluster 4: The Green agenda and sustainable connectivity .................................................................................... 87 

Chapter 14: Transport policy ............................................................................................................................. 87 

Chapter 15: Energy ............................................................................................................................................ 88 

Chapter 21: Trans-European networks .............................................................................................................. 90 

Chapter 27: Environment and climate change ................................................................................................... 90 

Cluster 5: Resources, agriculture and cohesion ...................................................................................................... 92 

Chapter 11: Agriculture and rural development ................................................................................................ 92 

Chapter 12: Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy .......................................................................... 93 

Chapter 13: Fisheries and aquaculture ............................................................................................................... 94 

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Chapter 22: Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments .......................................................... 94 

Chapter 33: Financial and budgetary provisions ............................................................................................... 95 

Cluster 6: External relations ................................................................................................................................... 96 

Chapter 30: External relations ........................................................................................................................... 96 

Annex I – Relations between the EU and Montenegro .......................................................................................... 99 

Annex II – Statistical data .................................................................................................................................... 101 

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1. INTRODUCTION1 

1.1. CONTEXT 

Accession  negotiations  with  Montenegro  were  opened  in  June  2012.  To  date,  all  33  negotiating 
chapters have been opened, of which seven have been provisionally closed. The June 2024 milestone 
of  setting  the  closing  benchmarks  for  Chapters  23  and  24  opened  a  new  phase  in  the  accession 
negotiations.  Since  then,  Montenegro  has  successfully  progressed  with  provisionally  closing  further 
negotiating chapters in intergovernmental conferences in December 2024 (Chapters 7, 10 and 20) and 
June 2025 (Chapter 5). 

These  steps  forward  in  the  EU  accession  negotiations  reflect  the  political  commitment  of  the 
Montenegrin  authorities  to  the  strategic  goal  of  European  integration,  which  has  been  consistently 
stated  as  the  key  priority  for  the  country.  The  government  has  been  operating  and  delivering  in  an 
overall stable environment, despite a large ministerial composition and a coalition of diverse parties. 
The institutions in charge of the EU integration process are in place. Montenegro maintained its focus 
on  the  EU  integration  agenda,  although  the legislative  EU  alignment  process  for  certain  negotiation 
chapters slowed in early 2025 due to domestic political challenges. 

Parliament  can  exercise  its  powers,  including  control  of  the  executive  and  involvement  in  the 
legislative  process,  in  an  overall  effective  way.  Montenegro  and  its  democratic  institutions  remain 
fragile  and  vulnerable  to  political  crisis  and  potential  institutional  blockages.  Bipartisan  legislation 
reformed some aspects of the electoral framework, however further revision is needed to fully align it 
with  Organisation  for  Security  and  Co-operation  in  Europe  Office  for  Democratic  Institutions  and 
Human Rights (OSCE/ODHIR) recommendations. 

Montenegro continued to broadly implement the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, (SAA) and 
meetings of the joint bodies under the agreement took place at regular intervals. 

Montenegro has actively engaged and started to deliver on the implementation of the Growth Plan for 
the Western Balkans across its four pillars of gradual integration with the EU single market, regional 
economic  integration,  fundamental  reforms  and  increased  financial  support.  Under  the  Reform  and 
Growth  Facility2,  a  performance-based  EU  instrument  supporting  the  EU  accession  process,  the 
country  adopted  its  Reform  Agenda,  which  covers  reforms  in  the  areas  of:  (i)  governance,  public 
administration  reform  and  public  financial  management;  (ii)  the  green  and  digital  transitions;  (iii) 
human capital; (iv) private-sector development and business environment; and (v) fundamental rights 
and the rule of law. 

The Commission’s 2025 rule of law report3 covered Montenegro for the second time. 

1.2  MAIN FINDINGS OF THE REPORT 

CLUSTER 1: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE ACCESSION PROCESS 

Democracy 

The general framework provides a basis for the democratic conduct of  elections. After a long delay, 
the  Parliamentary  Committee  in  charge  of  developing  a  comprehensive  electoral  reform  adopted  in 

1 This report covers the period from 1 September 2024 to 1 September 2025. It is based on input from a variety 
of  sources,  including  contributions  from  the  government  of  Montenegro,  EU  Member  States,  European 
Parliament  reports  and  information  from  various  international  and  non-governmental  organisations.  It  also 
includes the results of comparative assessments and indices produced by other stakeholders, in particular in the 
area of rule of law. 
The  report  uses  the  following  assessment  scale  to  describe  the  state  of  play:  early  stage,  some  level  of 
preparation,  moderately  prepared,  good  level  of  preparation  and  well  advanced.  To  describe  progress  made 
during  the  reporting  period,  it  uses  the  following  scale:  backsliding,  no  progress,  limited  progress,  some 
progress, good progress and very good progress. Where appropriate, interim steps have also been used. 
2OJ L, 2024/1449, 24.5.2024. 
3 COM(2025) 900 final. 

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July amendments to the Law on Election of Councillors and Members of Parliament, and to the Law 
on  Financing  of  Political  Entities  and  Election  Campaigns.  However,  these  amendments  were  not 
consulted  in  substance  with  relevant  stakeholders,  including  the  European  Commission,  and  only 
partially  addressed  existing  recommendations  from  the  OSCE/ODIHR  and  GRECO.  The  legal 
framework requires further changes, through a transparent and inclusive consultation process  with all 
relevant  stakeholders,  to  address  all  existing  shortcoming  and  fully  align  with  the  EU  acquis  and 
European standards on inclusive, transparent and resilient electoral processes.    

Parliament  can  exercise  its  powers,  including  control  of  the  executive  and  involvement  in  the 
legislative  process,  in  an  overall  effective  way,  although  the  Prime  Minister’s  irregular  appearances 
before Parliament raised some concerns. At the end of 2024, a serious institutional and political crisis 
emerged over the decision of Parliament to unilaterally declare the retirement of a Constitutional Court 
judge  and  terminate  its  mandate,  raising  concerns  about  respect  for  the  independence  of  the 
Constitutional Court and the principle of separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. The crisis 
stemmed  from  a  lack  of  clear  rules  on  judicial  retirement  for  judges  due  to  conflicting  secondary 
legislation. A political agreement was reached with the opposition in mid-March and paved the way 
for  the  resumption  of  parliamentary  work.  The  agreement  also  requested  a  Venice  Commission 
opinion  on  Parliament’s  decision,  which  was  published  mid-June.  Its  recommendations  must  be 
implemented  urgently.  Despite  these  developments,  the  Parliament’s  procedure  for  selecting  a 
replacement of the concerned Constitutional Court judge continued.   

The government has been operating and delivering in an overall stable environment, despite a large 
ministerial composition and a diverse coalition of parties. Nevertheless, governance has been suffering 
from lack of ministerial coordination and overall steering.  

The institutions in charge of the EU integration process are in place. Montenegro maintained its focus 
on  the  EU  integration  agenda,  although  the  legislative  EU  alignment  process  on  certain  negotiation 
chapters  slowed  in  early  2025,  notably  with  regards to  chapter  23  and  24,  due  to  domestic  political 
challenges.  The  negotiation  structure  in  charge  of  EU  accession  negotiations  generally  fulfils  its 
coordination role but would benefit from further strengthening and building up its technical expertise. 

Civil  society  organisations  (CSOs)  in  Montenegro  overall  operate  in  an  enabling  environment.  The 
main legal and institutional framework for civil society to operate freely is in place. The involvement 
of civil society in policymaking is formalised, but at times purely formal and not consistently taking 
place.  The  Council  for  Cooperation  between  the  government  and  non-governmental  organisations 
(NGOs)  has  still  not  resumed  work.  The  practice  of  launching  calls  for  proposals  to  finance  NGO 
projects  is  not  consistently  carried  out  by  all  ministries.  Legislative  changes  are  needed  to  further 
strengthen  CSOs’  involvement  on  policymaking  as  are  efforts  to  ensure  genuine  and  meaningful 
cooperation between the government and CSOs. 

Public administration reform 

Montenegro is moderately prepared in the area of public administration reform and has made  some 
progress.  A  new  action  plan  on  public  administration  reform  and  public  financial  management  has 
been developed and adopted. The regulatory framework for public administration reform still needs to 
be finalised in the area of free access to information and merit-based remuneration. Despite adoption 
of  a new  law  on civil  service in July  for  a  more professional  civil  service,  administrative  capacities 
remain weak also due to delayed recruitments of open vacancies, high number of acting positions and 
temporary  positions.  In  this  regard  the  government  is  planning  to  undertake  key  steps  for  the 
optimisation of administrative capacities. In addition, the framework’s implementation has not yet led 
to improved performance and accountability in public administration.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were  partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Montenegro needs in particular to:  

→  ensure a more transparent and accountable administration by finalising the internal review of line 
ministries’  organisational  set-up  and  subordinated  bodies  and  adopt  the  Law  on  free  access  to 
information,  setting  out  measures  to  reduce  the  high  number  of  requests  for  information  and 
appeals;   

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→  strengthen the functioning of a professional, merit-based civil service, by taking key steps, such 
as:  (i)  implementing  the  new  Law  on  civil  servants  and  state  employees  by  filling  regularly 
vacancies  line  with  merit-based  recruitments;  (ii)  finalising  the  systematisation  of  job  positions 
based on the newly adopted competence framework; and reducing acting positions and temporary 
contracts  (iii)  linking  job  descriptions  to  clear  salary  schemes  for  a  fair  and  merit-based 
remuneration; 

→  improve the credibility and alignment between medium-term and annual budget frameworks and 
considerably  strengthen  fiscal  governance  by:  (i)  adopting  the  Fiscal  Policy  Guidelines;  (ii) 
making the Fiscal Council operational; (iii) respecting fiscal rules when setting fiscal targets; and 
(iv)  laying  down  a  clear  institutional  set-up  for  fiscal  risk  management,  monitoring  and 
accountability. 

Chapter 23: Judiciary and fundamental rights 

Montenegro is between a moderate and a good level of preparation in applying the EU acquis and 
European standards in this area and has made  some progress  overall. After the closing benchmarks 
for  Chapter  23  were  set,  Montenegro  started  implementation  of  last  year’s  substantial  reforms  and 
improvements to the legislative and strategic frameworks across all sectors, which is yielding positive 
results.  In addition, in the area of fundamental rights, Montenegro has adopted substantial reforms to 
the legal framework. 

. 

Functioning of the judiciary 

Montenegro’s judicial system is between a moderate and a good level of preparation and has made 
some  progress  on  the  implementation  of  key  judicial  reforms.  The  new  President  of  the  Supreme 
Court  was  unanimously  appointed  by  the  Judicial  Council  through  a  merit-based  and  transparent 
procedure,  while  the  timely  filling  of  high  level  judicial  and  prosecutorial  positions  remains  a 
challenge.  Implementation  of  the  previously  improved  legal  framework  has  yielded  some  initial 
positive results. The work on implementing the 2024-2027 Judicial Reform Strategy is ongoing, yet 
not all planned activities for 2024 have been fully implemented. A 30% salary increase for holders of 
judicial  functions  has  been  adopted,  making  an  important  contribution  to  the  attractiveness  of  the 
judicial career addressing a longstanding recommendation of the European Commission. Montenegro 
has  initiated  the  process  to  amend  its  Constitution  addressing  some  of  the  recommendations  of  the 
European Commission. The track record on judicial accountability remains limited. The justice system 
needs to substantially improve capacity in terms of human resources, budget, infrastructure and ICT. 
Furthermore, some positive developments were observed in the area of efficiency, while the backlog 
remains  significant.  Montenegro  continues  to  make  good  progress  in  the  domestic  handling  of  war 
crimes.   

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented  and  remain  largely 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should, in particular: 

→  proceed  with  appointments  to  high-level  judicial  positions  through  merit-based  and  transparent 
procedures, including to the Constitutional Court and the Judicial and Prosecutorial Councils, to 
ensure the independence, accountability and proper functioning of the justice system;  

→  continue  strengthening  judicial  independence  and  ensuring  full  and  effective  implementation  of 
the improved strategic and legal framework and further align the legal framework, including the 
Constitution, in particular on the composition and decision making process of the Judicial Council 
and Prosecutorial Council, with the EU acquis and European standards on judicial independence 
and  accountability,  irremovability,  impartiality,  integrity,  efficiency  and  professionalism  of  the 
judicial  system,  addressing  the  recommendations  from  the  European  Commission,  the  Venice 
Commission and the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). 

→  improve  the  justice  system's  overall  efficiency,  including  a  reduction  of  the  backlog  of  cases 
across  the  judiciary  and  by  implementing  targeted  measures,  particularly  in  the  High  Court  of 
Podgorica, the Administrative Court of Montenegro and the Special State Prosecution Office and 

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by ensure full implementation of the Plan for rationalisation of the court network and the 2025-
2028 Judicial Digitalisation Strategy.  

Fight against corruption 

Montenegro is moderately prepared in the fight against corruption. Some progress was made on the 
implementation  of  reforms.  The  implementation  of  the  previously  improved  legal  framework  is 
ongoing,  in  particular  with  the  adoption  of  eight  implementing  laws.  Further  efforts  are  needed  to 
ensure  full  enforcement  and  alignment  with  several  outstanding  GRECO,  Venice  Commission  and 
European Commission recommendations. The Agency for the Prevention of Corruption continued to 
carry  out  its  tasks,  despite  some  disruption  caused  by  delays  in  appointing  its  management  and 
resource constraints. Montenegro must urgently appoint a full-term Director.  The implementation of 
the 2024-2028 strategy for the fight against corruption and its 2024-2025 action plan is ongoing, but 
challenges remain concerning the monitoring of its implementation. The human resources capacities in 
the fight against corruption need to be increased. The track record on investigations and prosecutions 
in high-level corruption cases continues to improve, but the number of final convictions  remains low 
and  need  to  be  increased.  The  lack  of  effective  and  deterrent  penalties  continues  to  contribute  to  a 
perception of impunity. Systematic delaying practice of criminal proceedings needs to be addressed, in 
particular in high level corruption cases. Measures aiming to tackle corruption in the identified high-
risk  areas  are  being  carried  out  under  the  Strategy,  and  Montenegro  must  ensure  that  targeted  risk 
assessments  and  specific  actions  are  effectively  and  systematically  enforced.  The  legal  framework 
regulating political parties and electoral campaigns funding still needs to be further amended through a 
transparent and inclusive consultation process including relevant stakeholders. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented  and  remain  largely 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should, in particular: 

→  continue the full and effective implementation of the improved strategic and legal frameworks  to 
address existing challenges and continue alignment with the EU acquis and European standards on 
the prevention and fight against corruption by following up the remaining recommendations from 
the Venice Commission, GRECO and the European Commission peer review missions, including 
on  the  effective  functioning  of  the  institutional  set-up,  ensuring  the  operational  capacities  and 
financial independence of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption; 

→  improve the track record on proactive corruption investigations, prosecutions and convictions, in 
particular  high-level  corruption,  by  urgently  strengthening  the  effective  enforcement  of  existing 
criminal legislation by the prosecution and courts, including by imposing effective and deterrent 
penalties, adopting legislative amendments on obstacles and undue delays in criminal proceedings 
of  high-level  corruption  cases,  namely the  Criminal Procedure  Code  and  the  Law  on  Attorneys, 
and improving the follow up of State Audit Institution’s opinions and reports; 

→  further  amend  the  Law  on  financing  of  political  entities  and  electoral  campaigns  through  a 
transparent  and  inclusive  consultation  process  including  relevant  stakeholders,  to  address  the 
existing  shortcomings  and  bring  it  fully  in  line  with  OSCE-ODIHR  and  European  standards,  to 
substantially  increase  transparency  and  control  of  political  parties'  spending,  and  to  prevent  the 
abuse of state resources, including through dissuasive penalties. 

Fundamental rights 

The legislative and institutional framework for fundamental rights is largely in place, and Montenegro 
continues to largely meet its international obligations on human rights. However, more effort is needed 
to  fully  implement  this  framework  and  to  ensure  access  to  justice  and  enforcement  of  rights  in 
administrative and judicial proceedings, in particular for people in vulnerable situations. A new law on 
the Ombudsperson’s Office is being drafted to fully align with the Paris Principles and help secure an 
upgraded accreditation to ‘A’ status of the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI). The Parliament 
has yet to adopt a new Law on anti-discrimination in line with the EU acquis and European standards. 

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The most vulnerable groups in society (including Roma4 and Egyptians, persons with disabilities and 
LGBTIQ  persons)  continued  to  be  subjected  to  discrimination,  hate  speech  and  hate  crime. 
Montenegro  must  effectively  address  all  recommendations  from  the  European  Committee  for  the 
Prevention  of  Torture  and  Inhuman  or  Degrading  Treatment  (CPT),  the  European  Commission  on 
Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and the Group of Experts on Action against Violence Against Women 
and Domestic Violence (GREVIO).  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented  and  some  remain 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro needs, in particular, to: 

→  continue  making  substantial  progress  in  implementing  all  pending  recommendations  from  the 

CPT, ECRI and GREVIO; 

→  make additional efforts in implementing the Strategy for the Advancement of the Status of Roma 

and Egyptians in Montenegro and meet commitments made under the Poznan Declaration; 

→  adopt a new law on anti-discrimination and the new Law on personal data protection, in line with 

the EU acquis and European and international standards. 

Freedom of expression 

Montenegro  is  moderately  prepared  in  the  area  of  freedom  of  expression.  Some  progress  was 
achieved on the implementation of reforms.  Montenegro continues to uphold a zero-tolerance policy 
to violence against journalists. In July, the Parliament appointed three new members of the Council of 
the Radio Television of Montenegro (RTCG). However, there are delays in appointing members to the 
Council  of  the  Agency  for  Audiovisual  Media  Services  (AMU).    The  national  media  strategy 
continued to be implemented, and Montenegro continues to enjoy a pluralistic media environment and 
provides adequate legal guarantees for the freedom of expression and an enabling environment for the 
media to operate freely, independently and professionally. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented,  therefore  remain 
largely valid. In the coming year, Montenegro needs, in particular, to: 

→  continue  providing  prompt  and  effective  law  enforcement  and  judicial  protection  to  journalists 
against  all  forms  of  violence,  while  prioritising  investigations  and  judicial  follow-up  in  critical 
cold cases; 

→  continue to consistently implement all media-related legislation and further alignment with the EU 
acquis, ensuring the swift appointment of members to the Council of the AMU and that any future 
amendments  to the media legislation, if  needed,  do  not  undermine  the  progress achieved so  far, 
particularly  on  safeguarding  the  political independence  of  the  public  broadcaster  RTCG  and  the 
AMU,  including  to  protect  the  editorial,  institutional,  and  financial  independence  of  these 
organizations from any form of undue influence; 

→  align national media legislation with the European Media Freedom Act. 

Chapter 24: Justice, freedom and security 

Montenegro is between a moderate and a good level of preparation in the area of justice, freedom 
and  security.  Limited  progress  was  made,  with  work  starting  on  the  improvement  of  border 
surveillance equipment, an ongoing recruitment campaign to hire new border police officers, and the 
installation  of  equipment  for  the  electronic  registration  of  migrants  at  the  border  police  premises  in 
Božaj  and  Pljevlja.  In  December  2024,  Montenegro  granted  visa  exemptions  to  two  additional 
countries  Bahrain:  (permanently)  and  Uzbekistan  (seasonally)  and  upgraded  the  seasonal  exemption 
for Saudi Arabia to a permanent exemption. By adding these countries, Montenegro severely regressed 
on its alignment with the EU’s visa policy. However, in October, Montenegro abolished the visa-free 
regime with four countries: Kuwait, Egypt, Armenia, and Uzbekistan. 

4 In line with the terminology of European institutions, the umbrella term ‘Roma’ is used here to refer to a number of 
different groups without denying the unique characteristics of these groups. 

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The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented and therefore remain 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should, in particular: 

→  increase  the  efficiency  of  prosecution/adjudication  for  serious  and  organised  crime  cases, 
especially money laundering cases; address the lengthiness of trials and frequent adjournments in 
organised  crime  cases;  ensure  the  application  of  key  legal  concepts,  such  as  stand-alone  money 
laundering (independent of the predicate crime) and quality of evidence by courts and prosecution; 
and  ensure  the  seizure  and  confiscation  of  criminal  assets  –  by  systematically  tracking  money 
flows,  carrying  out  special  investigative  measures  efficiently  and  consistently  using  extended 
confiscation; 

→  further strengthen border management capacity by addressing critical gaps in border surveillance 
infrastructure and equipment; take the necessary steps to set up an advance passenger information 
(API) system and a biometric migrant registration system; 

→  terminate  visa-free  agreements  with  countries  that  require  a  visa  to  enter  the  EU,  in  line  with 
commitments  already  made  in  the  Reform  Agenda,  in  particular  countries  that  pose  irregular 
migration or security risks to the EU. 

Fight against serious and organised crime 

Montenegro is moderately prepared in the fight against serious and organised crime. Good progress 
was made on the preparation of the new draft law on weapons and the adoption of the strategy for the 
fight  against  transnational  organised  crime  2024-2027  and  the  mid-term  review  of  the  serious  and 
organised  crime  threat  assessment  (SOCTA).  In  line  with  the  EU  acquis,  in  April  2025,  the  police 
administration set up the International Operational Room 24/7 Single Point of Contact (SPOC). 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented and therefore remain 
broadly valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should, in particular: 

→  make  progress  in  filling  vacancies  in  the  Special  Police  Unit  (SPU),  Special  State  Prosecutor’s 
Office  (SSPO)  and  Podgorica  High  Court,  provide  suitable  premises  to  SSPO  and  SPU,  and 
reorganise the Special Investigative Measure (SIM) division; 

→  ensure  stability  in  all  police  sectors  and  directorates  by  appointing  fully  empowered  heads  and 

directors following an objective and merit-based procedure; 

→  Mitigate the risks of corruption and organised crime infiltration in law enforcement agencies and 
the judiciary by implementing a strong prevention and integrity policy and providing a stringent 
judicial response to detected cases; urgently reorganise the Ministry of Interior and the police to 
strengthen corruption prevention and internal control. 

ECONOMIC CRITERIA 

The existence of a functioning market economy 

Montenegro has made some progress and is between a moderate and a good level of preparation in 
developing  a  functioning  market  economy.  Economic  growth  slowed  down  amid  weaker  tourism 
exports in 2024 and the first half of 2025. The budget deficit increased in 2024 but was in line with the 
revised  target;  however,  fiscal  vulnerabilities  remain  given  the  high  debt  rollover  needs  and  recent 
measures that weakened the government’s revenue base and raised social spending. The labour market 
situation  continued  to  improve,  but  structural  problems  persist,  such  as  high  youth  and  long-term 
unemployment  rates.  The  banking  sector  remained  well  capitalised  and  liquid.  Some  progress  was 
made  in  improving  the  business  environment  and  preparing  the  reform  of  state-owned  enterprises 
(SOEs). 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were addressed to some extent but remain mostly 
valid. To improve the functioning of the market economy, Montenegro should in particular: 

→  design and implement measures that limit public spending and raise revenue, ensuring compliance 

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with the fiscal rules; 

→  implement the Law on budget and fiscal responsibility to set up the Fiscal Council in time for it to 

review the 2026 budget proposal;  

→  prepare a comprehensive fiscal risk statement, including the analysis of SOE-related fiscal risks, 

and advance the SOE governance reform. 

The capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the EU 

Montenegro has made some progress and is between a moderate and a good level of preparation to 
cope  with  competitive  pressure  and  market  forces  in  the  EU.  The  education  system  still  faces 
numerous challenges, which are being gradually addressed by the authorities. Efforts to advance the 
green  and  digital  transitions  have  continued  at  a  slow  pace.  Further  efforts  are  needed  to  diversify 
Montenegro’s narrow production base. The economy’s high reliance on services, in particular tourism, 
together  with  the  small  size  of  local  companies  and  their  low  level  of  participation  in  exports  are 
obstacles to increasing the productivity and competitiveness of local firms. 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were implemented to a limited extent and remain 
mostly valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should in particular: 

→  continue  implementing  digital  public  services  for  the  public  and  businesses  and  prioritise  the 
development  and  implementation  of  an  interactive  e-government  platform  for  transactional 
electronic services; 

→  improve the implementation of programmes for dual vocational education and training and post-
secondary  education  in  close  cooperation  with  business  associations  and  provide  work-based 
learning;  

→  improve the institutional and regulatory environment for the green transition and increase energy 
resilience  by  adopting the national  energy  and  climate  plan  and implementing  energy  efficiency 
legislation. 

Chapter 5: Public procurement  

Montenegro has a good level of preparation in the area of public procurement. Good progress was 
achieved. In June, the chapter has been provisionally closed. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  mostly  implemented.  In  the  coming  year 
Montenegro should, in particular: 

→  amend  the  Law  on  public  procurement  and  the  Law  on  prevention  of  corruption,  expanding 
definitions  of  corruption and  fraud in public  procurement,  strengthening corrective mechanisms, 
direct misdemeanour liability, budgetary inspection controls and linking relevant provisions of the 
two laws; 

→  introduce  a  ‘red  flag’  system in the electronic procurement system for  detecting  irregularities in 
public  procurement  procedures  (fraud,  collusion,  coercion,  obstruction,  conflict  of  interest  and 
other corrupt actions); 

→  ensure  that  the  implementation  of  intergovernmental  agreements  with  the  United  Arab  Emirates 
and other countries does not contravene or circumvent the EU acquis on public procurement. 

Chapter 18: Statistics 

Montenegro  is  moderately  prepared  in  the  area  of  statistics.  Overall,  some  progress  was  made  in 
implementing the agricultural census and publishing the population and housing census.  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented  and  remain  mostly 
valid. In the coming year Montenegro should, in particular:  

→  start  regularly  producing,  disseminating  and  transmitting  government  finance  statistics  and 

properly completed tables for the excessive deficit procedure to Eurostat;  

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→  strengthen the human and financial resources of the Statistical Office of Montenegro (MONSTAT) 

so it can fully carry out its responsibilities and retain expert staff; 

→  increase the production and dissemination of statistics in line with the EU acquis.  

Chapter 32: Financial control 

Montenegro has a good level of preparation in the area of public financial control and external audit. 
Very good progress was made by: (i) adopting a new Law on internal control and governance in June 
and  developing  related  secondary  legislation  in  the  area  of  internal  audit  methodology;  (ii) 
strengthening internal audits in state-owned enterprises; (iii) adopting a national anti-fraud strategy in 
line  with  EU  recommendations  and  (iv)  adopting  in  October  2025  the  relevant  legislation  in  full 
alignment  with  the  EU  acquis  on  the  protection  of  financial  interests.  However,  internal  audit 
productivity  and  effectiveness  needs  to  be  improved.  Effective  delegation  of  administrative  and 
financial  authority remains  moderate  and  needs  to  be  streamlined across  all  line  ministries.  External 
audit reforms have continued, and the country’s audit institutions need to be made fully operational. 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were largely implemented. In the coming year 
Montenegro should:  

→   ensure a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities between the budget inspection and internal 

audit functions to ensure the effective operation of public internal financial control; 

→  improve managerial accountability in the public administration by implementing the new law on 
internal and governance and secondary legislation in order to empower civil service management 
to delegate decision-making at the appropriate level and reinforce internal audit productivity and 
effectiveness across the public sector; 

→  ensure the effective functioning of the external audit system by appointing a president to the State 

Audit Institution;  

→  advance  the  fight  against  fraud  to  protect  the  EU’s  financial  interests  by  continuing  the 
implementation  of  relevant  legislation  in  line  with  Directive  (EU)  2017/1371  of  the  European 
Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2017 (the PIF Directive). 

CLUSTER 2: INTERNAL MARKET  

Chapter 1: Free movement of goods  

Montenegro is moderately prepared in the free movement of goods.  Some progress was made on 
alignment with the EU acquis on medicinal products for human and veterinary use, medical devices 
and construction products, and on improving the capacity of the bodies working on the EU acquis on 
chemicals.  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented  and  remain  mostly 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should in particular: 

→ finish aligning its legislation with the EU acquis, particularly on medicinal products for human and 

veterinary use, on medical devices, motor vehicles and market surveillance; 

→ complete all the measures necessary to ensure full membership by end of 2025 of the Institute for 
Standardisation of Montenegro (ISME) in the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and 
the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC), and fully address the 
non-conformities  identified  in  the  peer  review  carried  out  by  the  European  cooperation  for 
Accreditation (EA) in November 2024; 

→ continue  to  strengthen  the  human  and  financial  capacity  of  its  quality  infrastructure  and  market 

surveillance bodies. 

Chapter 2: Freedom of movement for workers  

Montenegro has some level of preparation in the freedom of movement for workers. In the reporting 
period, some progress was made on the conclusion of further bilateral social security agreements.  

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The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially  implemented and remain   mostly 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should in particular: 

→  further  strengthen administrative  structures  to  implement the  EU  acquis in this area  and  finalise 

the legislative alignment with the EU acquis; 

→  continue work to improve the administrative and technical capacity of the Employment Agency to 
ensure active labour market policies are relevant and evidence-based and continue the preparatory 
work to join EURES upon accession; 

→  prepare a feasibility study on the impact of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) on public 

finances by the end of 2025. 

Chapter 3: Right of establishment and freedom to provide services 

Montenegro has a good level of preparation in this area. Very good progress was made through the 
adoption of legislative amendments to align with directive 2006/123/EC on services, and the adoption 
of a number of sectorial laws to align with the provisions of the Professional Qualifications Directive 
(PQD)  concerning  the  EU’s  minimum  training  requirements  (MTR).  A  new  list  of  regulated 
professions was adopted and submitted to the Commission this year. Significant progress is noted also 
in the alignment of training programmes for 5 professions benefiting from automatic recognition with 
the minimum training requirements of the PQD. Work is also ongoing to ensure alignment with all the 
remaining provisions of the PQD beyond MTR, and with the proportionality test directive.  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  largely  implemented.  In  the  coming  year, 
Montenegro should in particular: 

→  complete  alignment  with  directive  2005/36/EC  beyond  minimum  training  requirements;  ensure 
full  alignment  of  the  country’s  existing  training  programmes  for  nurses  responsible  for  general 
care,  dental  practitioners,  medical  doctors  and  pharmacists  with  the  EU’s  minimum  training 
requirements and for architects ensure compliance for those training programmes that would in the 
future benefit from automatic recognition; 

→ further  align  sectoral  legislation  with  the  EU  Services  Directive  as  reflected  in  the  Montenegrin 

mapping exercise.  

Chapter 4: Free movement of capital  

Montenegro has achieved a good level of preparation in this area and made good progress during the 
reporting  period.  Good  progress  was  achieved  in  fulfilling  the  recommendations  from  2024  in  all 
areas.  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  largely  implemented.  In  the  coming  year, 
Montenegro should: 

→  remove  restrictions  on  the  acquisition  of  agricultural  land  by  EEA  nationals  and  on  the  free 

movement of capital in the Law on Voluntary Pension Funds;  

→  finalise  alignment  with  the  outstanding  provisions  of  EU  acquis  on  anti-money  laundering  and 

countering financing of terrorism;  

→  continue improving the supervisory capacity and reinforcing controls in the field of fight against 

money laundering and terrorism financing.  

Chapter 6: Company law  

Montenegro is between having a good level of preparation and being well advanced in the area of 
company  law.  Very  good  progress  was  made  during  the  reporting  period.  In  June,  Montenegro 
adopted the amendments to the Law on capital markets aiming to align with the EU transparency and 
harmonisation directives, including the sanctioning regime. Furthermore, in July, Montenegro adopted 
the new company Law and Law on business organisations and subsequent legislative amendments in 
October.  In  September,  Montenegro  adopted  the  revised  Corporate  Governance  Code.  These 

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developments meet last year’s recommendations  aligning the country with the EU acquis on company 
law including the EU’s directive on women on boards, ensuring a more balanced gender representation 
among directors of listed companies.  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented.  In  the  coming  year, 
Montenegro should, in particular: 

→  finalise the amendments of the identified national legislation to achieve full compliance with the 
fully online formation and registration of companies provided by the directive on the use of digital 
tools and processes in company law; 

→  continue  developing  the  necessary  software  to  ensure  the  orderly  function  of  Montenegro’s 

connection with the EU Business Register Interconnection System (BRIS);  

→  start  work  in  order  to  align  with  Directive  25/2025  amending  Directives  2009/102/EC  and 
2017/1132  as  regards  further  expanding  and  upgrading  the  use  of  digital  tools  and  processes  in 
company law. 

Chapter 7: Intellectual property law  

Montenegro  is  well  advanced  in  this  area  and  made  very  good  progress,  particularly  by  re-
establishing the fully functional online registers of industrial property rights, adoption of amendments 
to the Law on copyright and related rights aligning with key EU Directives, including Directive (EU) 
2019/789 and (EU) 2019/790, and adoption of amendments to the Criminal Code, which provides for 
a strict delineation between criminal offences and misdemeanours.  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented.  In  the  coming  year, 
Montenegro should, in particular: 

→ hire  additional  staff  to  strengthen  the  administrative  capacity  and  continue  to  provide  training  to 
enforcement  officers  and  implement  a  number  of  measures  to  promote  the  understanding  of 
copyright and related rights among the general public and specific target groups; 

→ continue implementing the remaining recommendations of the 2024 peer review report;  

→ start work to align national legislation with the EU’s new design legislation (in particular Directive 

2024/2823). 

Chapter 8: Competition policy 

Montenegro is moderately prepared in the area of competition policy. In the reporting period, there 
was some progress in following on the recommendations of the past year, notably with the adoption 
of the law on State aid control in July 2025. There was limited progress inbuilding a track record in 
enforcing competition rules and increasing the administrative capacity of the competition agency. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  only  partially  implemented  and  therefore 
remain valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should, in particular:  

→  fully align in the area of the competition and secondary legislation in the areas of both competition 

and State aid;  

→  build a credible enforcement track record;  

→  build up sufficient administrative and judicial capacity in the area of antitrust, mergers and State 

aid control. 

Chapter 9: Financial services  

Montenegro is between a moderate and a good level of preparation in the area of financial services.  
Very good progress was made.  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented.  In  the  coming  year 
Montenegro should, in particular:  

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→  urgently  amend  the  Law  on  the  development  bank,  addressing  its  non-compliance  with  the  EU 
acquis;  continue  aligning  banking  legislation  with  the  latest,  revised  versions  of  the  Capital 
Requirements Regulation and the Capital Requirements Directive  

→  finalise implementation of the newly adopted laws of the EU acquis in this area;  

→  continue efforts to align with EU legislation in the area of financial markets infrastructure and start 
working  on  alignment  with  the  EU  framework  for  the  recovery  and  resolution  of  insurance  and 
reinsurance undertakings (IRRD)’ 

Chapter 28: Consumer and health protection  

Montenegro is moderately prepared in the area of consumer and health protection.  Some progress 
was made, particularly in further aligning consumer protection and cross-border healthcare legislation, 
strengthening  the  role  and  effectiveness  of  the  Council  for  Consumer  Protection  and  developing  a 
national strategy on immunisation.   

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Montenegro should in particular: 

→  complete  the  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis  on  consumer  protection,  product  safety  and  further 

strengthen the administrative structures and enforcement and redress capacity in this area; 

→  on  communicable  diseases  prepare  and  adopt  a  national  prevention,  preparedness  and  response 

action plan for health crises; 

→  further  align  with  the  EU  acquis  on  Human  Organs  and  prepare  a  roadmap/action  plan  to  align 
with  the  new  Substances  of  Human  Origin  Regulation  2024/1938  and  strengthen  the 
administrative capacity and oversight to properly implement and enforce it 

CLUSTER 3: COMPETITIVENESS AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH 

Chapter 10: Digital transformation and media  

Montenegro is at a good level of preparation in the area of digital transformation and media. Some 
progress was made in aligning national cybersecurity legislation with the EU acquis and in adopting a 
national plan for broadband.  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented  and  remain  mostly 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should in particular: 

→  further align national legislation with the Network and Information Security (NIS2) Directive and 

implement the legislation, including setting up the National Cyber Security Agency; 

→  ensure it maintains a good track record in enforcing the EU acquis on electronic communications 

and audiovisual media services, including safeguarding the independence of regulators; 

→  continue  recruiting  additional  staff  to  fill  the  remaining  planned  posts,  further  strengthening  the 
administrative  capacity  in  the  areas  of  electronic  communications,  information  society  services 
and audiovisual media services. 

Chapter 16: Taxation  

Montenegro is between a moderate and a good level of preparation in the area of taxation. Good 
progress  was  achieved  on  further  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis  on  indirect  and  direct  taxes, 
particularly  by  adopting  the  amendments  to  the  VAT  law,  the  excises  law,  the  Law  on  personal 
income tax and the Law on corporate income tax. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented  and  remain  mostly 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should:  

→  take  all  necessary  steps  to  fully  align  with  international  tax  transparency  standards,  including 

implementing its obligations on the exchange of information; 

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→  increase  staffing  in  the  Tax  Administration  to  the  appropriate  level  for  effective  and  efficient 
operations,  including  fighting  corruption,  and  provide  extensive  training  in  the  fields  of  tax 
inspection and risk assessment;  

→  adopt and implement a national multiannual IT strategy and implementation plan and ensure the 
necessary  budgetary  and human resources  for  the  development  and  maintenance  of  the  required 
national tax  IT  systems  and  functionalities,  and  the  preparation  of  these  systems  for their  future 
interconnection  with  the  relevant  EU  IT  systems  on VAT  and  excise as  well as  tax cooperation 
and exchange of information. 

Chapter 17: Economic and monetary policy  

Montenegro  remains  moderately  prepared  in  the  area  of  economic  and  monetary  policy.  Limited 
progress  was  achieved,  mainly  on  the  division  of  responsibilities  for  the  production  of  government 
finance statistics and fiscal notifications. Last year’s recommendations remain valid.  

In the coming year, Montenegro should: 

→  ensure that that all appointments to the Central Bank of Montenegro Governing Board are timely, 
transparent,  focused  on  candidates’  technical  competence,  and  not  subject  to  partisan  political 
activities;  

→  continue to implement the revised action plan for alignment with the EU acquis in the area; 

→  speed up and improve efforts to produce government finance statistics and fiscal notifications in 
line with the European system of national and regional accounts, the ESA 2010 methodology. 

Chapter 19: Social policy and employment  

Montenegro  is  between  having  some  and  a  moderate  level  of  preparation  in  this  area.  Some 
progress was made, in particular in: (i) aligning the labour law, the Law on anti-discrimination and 
the  Law  on  occupational  health  and  safety  at  work;  (ii)  adopting  strategies  in  the  area  of  social 
protection reform; and (iii) advancing the reform of the Employment Agency. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented  and  remain  largely 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should in particular:  

→  Continue to strengthen the Employment Agency so that it can effectively fulfil its role as a modern 
public employment service, intensify reform efforts to improve the timely and effective delivery of 
active labour market measures with an emphasis on their labour market relevance, and implement 
the Youth Guarantee and use the European Social Funds in the future;  

→  adopt and implement the Law on social and child protection, the Law on the protection of equality 
and  prohibition  of  discrimination  and  amendments  to  the  labour  law  ensuring  that  all  acquis 
related to gender equality in this area is fully aligned in national provisions; 

→  continue efforts to enhance social dialogue. 

Chapter 20: Enterprise and industrial policy  

Montenegro achieved a good level of preparation in this area. Good progress was made, particularly 
on  the  implementation  of  enterprise  and  industrial  policies  and  on  alignment  with  the  EU  Late 
Payments  Directive.  The  recommendations  from  last  year  were  therefore  addressed.  In  December 
2024, the chapter has been provisionally closed. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  only  partially  implemented  and  remain 
largely valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should in particular: 

→  continue implementing the industrial policy for 2024-2028 in cooperation with all stakeholders; 

→  work to remove various business barriers identified by the Competitiveness Council; 

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→  implement  monitoring  and  evaluation  provisions  of  the  Programme  for  suppressing  the 

informal economy. 

Chapter 25: Science and research  

Montenegro has a good level of preparation in this area. Some progress was made, particularly in 
completing  the  first  cycle  of  the  Smart  Specialisation  Strategy,  strengthening  academia-business 
cooperation and preparing the Law on scientific research activities for adoption.  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented  and  remain  largely 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should: 

→  adopt and start implementing the second cycle of the Smart Specialisation Strategy covering the 

2026-2031 period; 

→  further strengthen the national innovation ecosystem; 

→  implement the Law on Scientific Research Activities (and associated implementation regulations).  

Chapter 26: Education and culture  

Montenegro has a good level of preparation in this area. Good progress was made, particularly on 
the adoption of the high-quality, comprehensive and costed Education Reform Strategy 2025-2035.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Montenegro should in particular: 

→  ensure  the  new  Education  Reform  Strategy  (2025-2035)  and  its  action  plan  2025-2026  are 
implemented effectively and in a timely manner by allocating them adequate funding in the 2026 
education budget and the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework for 2028. 

→  focus on action plan measures that aim to improve the quality and inclusiveness of education and 

access to it; 

→  ensure fully implementing, funding and monitoring the new Youth Strategy 2023-2027.  

Chapter 29: Customs policy 

Montenegro is moderately prepared in this area. Good progress was made in the past year, with the 
national implementation of the New Computerised Transit System and completion of preparations to 
join the Common Transit Convention. However, concerns remain about the staffing and funding of the 
Customs Authority’s IT department and progress in implementing major customs IT systems. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  mostly  implemented.  In  the  coming  year, 
Montenegro should in particular: 

→  implement the IT strategy for 2025-2026 and step up the development of the required IT systems, 

including by hiring more staff; 

→  adopt the Law on drug precursors and psychotropic substances and the new Law on free zones; 

→  continue  combating  customs  fraud,  in  particular  smuggling  of  tobacco  products,  and  further 

extend its cooperation with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).  

CLUSTER 4: THE GREEN AGENDA AND SUSTAINABLE CONNECTIVITY 

Chapter 14: Transport policy 

Montenegro is between having a moderate and a good level of preparation in this area. There was 
some  progress,  particularly  by  adoption  of  a  new  law  on  railways  and  improved  monitoring  and 
information systems for the maritime transport.  

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The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented and remain partially 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should focus on key issues related to the closing benchmarks 
under Chapter 14, in particular: 

→  adopt a new law on rail safety and interoperability and ensure proper implementation of the law on 
railways  in  line  with  the  EU  acquis  to  ensure  the  operational  independence  and  appropriate 
staffing of the railway regulatory body and the national railway safety authority;  

→  ensure  compliance  with  the  key  provisions  of  the  Single  European  Sky  (SES  2+)  Regulation, 
notably as regards the ownership and control structure of the air navigation service provider;   

→  adopt key laws on road transport and passenger rights in line with the EU acquis. 

Chapter 15: Energy 

Montenegro  has  reached  a  good  level  of  preparation  in  this  area.  Some  progress  was  achieved, 
particularly  in  adopting  the  laws  on  energy  and  security  of  supply  of  oil  products  and  setting  more 
ambitious energy efficiency targets.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented and remain partially 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should, in particular: 

→  adopt  and  implement  the  national  energy  and  climate  plan  (NECP),  in  line  with  the  Energy 

Community energy and climate targets; 

→  fully  align  its  legislation  with  the  Electricity  Integration  Package  and  implement  the  Law  on 

security of supply of oil products;  

→  accelerate deployment of energy efficiency measures along new targets, to align with the 

EU renovation wave policy. 

Chapter 21: Trans-European networks  

Montenegro is between having a moderate and a good level of preparation in this area. There was 
limited progress, particularly in hiring additional staff at the Ministry of Transport.   The transport 
development strategy remains to be reviewed and updated, and persistent challenges remain regarding 
infrastructure projects, including the administrative capacity, management and decision-making.  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  not  implemented  and  remain  valid.  In  the 
coming year, Montenegro should in particular:  

→  review its transport development strategy and align it with the strategy for sustainable and smart 
mobility  in  the  Western  Balkans,  confirming  a  policy  shift  towards  rail  and  multimodality  and 
reducing CO2 emissions and other environmental impacts;  

→  strengthen  administrative  capacity  and  revise  institutional  policies  to  improve  decision-

making on infrastructure projects and increase the capacity to absorb funding; 

→  Align its legislation with the EU Regulations on Trans-European networks in transport (TEN-T) 

and energy (TEN-E).  

Chapter 27: Environment and climate change  

Montenegro  has  some  level  of  preparation  in  this  area.  Some  progress  was  made,  particularly  in 
adopting and implementing legislation on waste management; as well as the national climate change 
adaptation  plan  covering  the  period  until  2035.  In  April  2025  Montenegro  joined  the  LIFE 
programme, the EU'’s funding instrument for the climate and environment action.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented and therefore remain 
mostly valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should, in particular:  

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→  significantly intensify work to achieve the closing benchmarks in Chapter 27, in particular in the 
areas of air quality, water, nature protection, waste management and climate change, and adopt the 
air quality management strategy and the nature protection strategy and action plan;  

→  adopt waste management plans at local level;  
→  finish aligning with and implement monitoring, reporting, verification and accreditation (MRVA) 

acquis for the purpose of aligning with the EU ETS in its full scope.  

CLUSTER 5: RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND COHESION 

Chapter 11: Agriculture and rural development 

Montenegro is  moderately  prepared in this  area. Good  progress  was  achieved;  implementation  of 
the  Instrument  for  Pre-accession  Assistance  for  Rural  Development  (IPARD  II)  was  finalised  with 
almost  90%  absorption;  a  comprehensive    Implementation  plan  on  the  establishment  of  a  paying 
agency and an integrated administrative and control system (IACS)  was adopted by the government, 
and  legislation  setting  down  the  operational  obligations  and  requirements  of  the  paying  agency  was 
adopted as well as laws on wine and olive oil further aligning with the EU acquis.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Montenegro should in particular:  

→  intensify  implementation  of  the  IPARD  III  programme  and  allocate  more  resources,  especially 

staffing,  

→  speed up implementation of the action plan for alignment with the EU acquis on agriculture and 
rural  development,  ensuring  continued  legislative  alignment  and  finalisation  of  the  vineyard 
register 

→  ensure that the activities and actions set out in the Implementation plan for the setting up of the 
paying  agency  and  the  establishment  of  the  integrated  and  control  system  are  undertaken  and 
delivered within the specified timeframes with particular focus on updating the LPIS and drafting 
detailed plans for the establishment of an area monitoring system. 

Chapter 12: Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy  

Montenegro is moderately prepared in this area. Limited progress was made in recruiting new staff 
to the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Affairs of Montenegro.  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented  and  remain  mostly 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should in particular: 

→  address all shortcomings identified in relation to this Chapter, in particular continue to strengthen 
the  administrative,  inspection  and  infrastructure  capacities  to  implement  the  system  of  official 
controls, address conflicts of interest, and upgrade establishments producing food, feed and animal 
by-products to meet EU structural standards; 

→  ensure new employments in the food safety, animal health and welfare and phytosanitary sectors, 
strengthen the capacities through trainings and address all the shortcomings identified during the 
recent exchanges with the Commission on animal welfare 

→  establish  robust  passive  surveillance  of  rabies  and  independently  continue  with  the  aerial  rabies 
vaccination as necessary. In addition, strengthen the surveillance programme for notifiable avian 
diseases. 

Chapter 13: Fisheries and aquaculture 

Montenegro  is  moderately  prepared  in  this  area.  Good  progress  was  made,  in  particular,  by 
adopting the Law on marine fisheries, the Law on aquaculture and the Law on structural support and 
State aid to the fisheries and aquaculture sector. This progress is required to reach closing benchmark 
1 for this chapter.  

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The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented  and  remain  mostly 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should in particular: 

→  increase  its  administrative,  control  and  inspection  capacities;  as  foreseen  in  the  Action  Plan  for 

Strengthening of Administrative, Inspection and Control Capacities adopted in July 2025; 

→   implement the Law on marine fisheries, the Law on aquaculture and the Law on structural support 
and  State  aid  to  the  fisheries  and  aquaculture  and  continue  the  work  on    developing  secondary 
legislation (bylaws and rulebooks) necessary by the time of Accession. 

Chapter 22: Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments  

Montenegro  is  moderately  prepared  in  the  area  of  regional  policy  and  coordination  of  structural 
instruments.  Some  progress  was  made,  in  particular  by  the  government  approving  the  updated 
Chapter  22  Action  Plan  and  renewing  the  country’s  interinstitutional  dialogue  through  the  re-
established working group for Chapter 22. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  only  partially  implemented  and  therefore 
remain valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should in particular: 

→  implement and closely monitor the roll out of the updated Chapter 22 Action Plan;  

→  secure  adequate  administrative  capacity  through  recruitment  processes  based  on  merit  and 
qualifications  and  strengthen  interinstitutional  coordination  and  structured  dialogue  with  social 
partners (employers groups and trade unions), civil society, and local municipalities which should 
be involved in policy development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; 

→  work on a solid pipeline of projects regardless of the source of funding, along with a framework 
for  strategic  sectoral  orientations  and  policies;  improve  project  preparation,  procurement  and 
implementation in line with EU and international standards. 

Chapter 33: Financial and budgetary provisions  

Montenegro  has  some  level  of  preparation  in  this  area.  Overall,  some  progress  was  made, 
particularly on the adoption of implementing legislation and guidelines on the procedure for planning 
resources that Montenegro pays to the EU budget. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented  and  remain  mostly 
valid. In the coming year, Montenegro should in particular: 

→  continue  to  strengthen  the  administrative  capacity  of  the  Directorate  for  Coordination  and 
Management  of  EU  Own  Resources  and  of  all  other  institutions  involved  in  the  own-resources 
system, in particular by developing organisational and procedural links between these institutions; 

→  fully  implement  improvements  to  the  IT  system  of  the  Revenue  and  Customs  Administration, 

enabling a full audit trail and reporting on customs duties; 

→  adopt  implementing  legislation  on  collecting  debts  on  movable  and  immovable  property  and 
procedures for writing off uncollectible customs debt and then start implementing the legislation. 

CLUSTER 6: EXTERNAL RELATIONS 

Chapter 30: External relations 

Montenegro has a good level of preparation in this area. During the reporting period, good progress 
was achieved, mainly in the field of regional cooperation. 

In the coming year, Montenegro should in particular: 

→  continue to  actively  participate in  the  implementation  of  measures  under  the  Common  Regional 

Market action plan for 2025-2027; 

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→  adopt implementing legislation to address the issue of export credit insurance against non-market 

risks; 

→  align with the acquis on the screening of foreign direct investments. 

Chapter 31: Foreign, security and defence policy 

Montenegro  is  well  advanced  in  this  area.  Very  good  progress  was  made  as  the  country:  (i) 
maintained its track record in fully aligning with the EU High Representative’s statements on behalf of 
the EU and Council decisions on sanctions; and (ii) adopted a new law on restrictive measures in line 
with  EU  and  Financial  Action  Task  Force  (FATF)  recommendations.  Montenegro  continued  to 
participate in EU crisis management missions and operations under the common security and defence 
policy. 

The recommendations from last year were implemented.  In the coming year, Montenegro should, in 
particular: 

→  continue to maintain its full alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy;  

→  make  further  efforts  to  counter  foreign  interference  and  information  manipulation,  including 
disinformation, and build resilience against all forms of hybrid threats by adopting the strategy on 
countering hybrid threats and its action plan.  

1.3 STATE OF PLAY OF THE ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS 

CLUSTERS 

Chapters / areas  

Date chapter opened / closed  

Fundamentals 

All chapters open 

Chapter 5 provisionally 
closed 

Internal market 
All chapters open 

Chapter 7 provisionally 
closed 

Competitiveness and 
inclusive growth 

All chapters open, 
chapters 10, 20, 25 and 
26 provisionally closed 

23-Judiciary and fundamental rights 
24-Justice, freedom, security 
  5-Public procurement  
18-Statistics 
32-Financial control 
…Economic criteria 
…Functioning of democratic institutions 
…Public administration reform 
1-Free movement of goods 
2-Freedom of movement for workers 
3-Right of establishment and freedom to 
establish services 
4-Free movement of capital 
6-Company law 
7-Intellectual property rights 
8-Competition 
9-Financial services 
28-Consumer and health protection 

10-Information society and media 
16-Taxation 
17-Economic and monetary policy 
19-Social policy and employment 
20-Enterprise and industrial policy 
25-Science and research 

26-Education and culture 

29-Customs union  

December 2013 
December 2013 
December 2013 - June 2025 
December 2014 
June 2014 

- 
- 
June 2017 
December 2017 
December 2017 
… 
June 2014 
December 2013 
March 2014 - December 2024 
June 2020 
June 2015 
December 2014  
March 2014 - December 2024 
March 2015 
June 2018 
December 2016 
December 2013 - December 2024 
December 2012 (opened and closed – no 
closing benchmarks) 
April 2013 (opened and closed – no 
closing benchmarks) 
December 2014  

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Green Agenda and 
sustainable 
connectivity 
All chapters open 

Resources, agriculture 
and cohesion 

All chapters open 

External relations 
All chapters open, 
chapter 30 provisionally 
closed  

14-Transport policy 
15-Energy 
21-Trans-European Networks 
27-Environment and climate change  
11-Agriculture and rural development 
12-Food safety, veterinary, phytosanitary 
services 
13-Fisheries and aquaculture 
22-Regional policy and coordination of  
 structural instruments 
33-Financial and budgetary provisions  

30-External relations 
31-Foreign, security & defence policy  

December 2015 
December 2015 
June 2015 
December 2018  
December 2016 

June 2016 
June 2016 

June 2017 
December 2014  
March 2015 – June 2017 
June 2014  

* * * 

2. CLUSTER 1: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE ACCESSION PROCESS 

2.1. FUNCTIONING OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM 

2.1.1 Democracy 

The  functioning  of  democratic  institutions  is  generally  stable.  However,  it  suffers  from  recurrent 
challenges due to the polarised political situation and consequently, institutions remain vulnerable to 
political  crisis  and  blockages.  Following  a  controversial  decision  of  the  Parliament  to  unilaterally 
declare  the  retirement  of  a  Constitutional  Court  judge  in  December  2024,  a  deep  institutional  and 
political crisis emerged, with the opposition blocking parliamentary proceedings for a few months, and 
raising concerns about the respect for the independence of the Constitutional Court and the principle 
of separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. This decision was not in line with the procedure 
foreseen in the Constitution, as also stated by the Venice Commission in its June opinion.   

Elections 

and 
process 

In  July,  the  Parliament  adopted  amendments  to  the  electoral  legislative  framework,  partially 
addressing  existing  recommendations  from  the  OSCE/ODIHR,  including  oversight  of  campaign 
finance  and  media,  improving  the  integrity  of  election  administration,  increasing  gender  quota  on 
electoral  lists  and  introducing  an  election  day  for  local  elections.  However,  further  changes  are 
necessary to fully align the legal framework with the EU acquis and European standards on inclusive, 
transparent  and  resilient  electoral  processes.  Notably,  as  part  of  chapter  23  closing  benchmarks,  the 
Law on Financing of Political Entities and Electoral Campaigns should be further revised through a 
inclusive 
transparent 
consultation 
including 
relevant  stakeholders.  It  should 
address  the  existing  shortcomings 
and  bring  it  fully  in  line  with 
OSCE/ODIHR 
European 
standards,  to  substantially  increase 
transparency 
of 
and 
political  parties'  spending,  and  to 
abuse 
prevent 
state 
through 
including 
resources, 
dissuasive  penalties.    No  national 
elections 
place.  Local 
elections  have  taken  place  nearly 
every  three  months.  Neither  the 
elections in Kotor nor in Savnik have been completed.  

control 

took 

and 

the 

of 

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The  inclusion  of  women  in  political  life  remains  low  and  is  undermined  by  insufficient  state  and 
public efforts to overcome gender stereotypes. Following the adoption in July of the amendments to 
the  electoral  law,  the  introduction  of  a  40%  quota  for  the  less  represented  gender  together  with  the 
additional  requirement  that  at  least  one  out  of  every  three  candidates  on  electoral  lists  be  from  the 
underrepresented gender is a positive step forward.  

In April, in a first-instance ruling, the Podgorica High Court acquitted all defendants in the ‘Envelope 
Affair’  due  to  the  lack  of  evidence.  This  corruption  scandal  is  linked  to  the  2016  parliamentary 
elections. 

Parliament 

Until  mid-December  2024,  Parliament  functioned  relatively  regularly.  In  December,  the  Parliament 
adopted  the  decision  to  unilaterally  terminate  the  mandate  of  a  Constitutional  Court  judge  for 
retirement.  This  prompted  a  deep  institutional  and  political  crisis.  Arguing  that  this  procedure  was 
constitutionally  flawed  and  therefore  illegal,  opposition  members  requested  the  decision  to  be 
withdrawn  and  disrupted  Parliament’s  work  in  the  next  four  sessions.  In  February,  the  Parliament 
Speaker issued a 15-day ban on 20 opposition Members of Parliament who had engaged in disruptive 
behaviour.  The  crisis  stemmed  from  a  lack  of  clear  rules  on  judicial  retirement  for  judges  due  to 
conflicting secondary legislation. These developments raised strong concerns about the respect of the 
independence  of  the  Constitutional  Court  and  the  principle of  separation  of powers enshrined in  the 
Constitution. In March, opposition parties reached an agreement with the Prime Minister to seek the 
opinion of the Venice Commission on the Parliament’s decision, and the opposition MPs returned to 
Parliament.  The  opinion  was  issued  in  mid-June,  and  its  recommendations  must  be  implemented 
urgently.  Despite  these  developments, the  Parliament’s  procedure  for  selecting  a  replacement  of the 
concerned Constitutional Court judge continued.  

As  part  of  their  supervisory  activities,  parliamentary  committees  considered  numerous  reports  that 
independent  bodies  submitted  to  Parliament  in  line  with  the  law.  However,  there  is  no  standard 
practice for or approach to the conduct of parliamentary hearings. The Prime Minister’s question time 
did not take place regularly. 

During hearings, including on the annual report of the Prosecution Council and the State Prosecutor's 
Office,  the  Speaker  and  various  members  of  Parliament  openly  criticised  the  prosecution  service, 
including  personal  attacks  on  the  Supreme  State  Prosecutor.  These  developments  raise  serious 
concerns about undue influence and risk jeopardising the autonomy of the prosecution service. 

In 2024, the public submitted 69 requests for free access to information. Parliament dealt with 66 and 
is  still  processing  three.  Out  of  30  citizen  petitions  received  by  Parliament  in  2024,  22  were 
admissible,  9  were  dealt  with and  13  are  still  being  processed.  Of  23  e‑petitions,  13  did  not  get the 
required number of signatures, and 10 were not within the jurisdiction of Parliament. One of the 13 e-
petitions, although missing the required number of signatures, received the status of a petition and was 
considered by the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Labour and Social Welfare. 

During  the  reporting  period,  Parliament  launched  a  mobile  application  providing  the  public  with 
access  to  parliamentary  activities  as  part  of  the  digital  transformation  and  modernisation  of 
parliamentary work. 

On  3 March,  the  Gender  Equality  Committee  of  the  Parliament  organised  the  17th  session  of  the 
Women’s Parliament, focusing on femicide in Montenegrin legislation. In March 2025, representatives 
of the cross-party women’s MP Group participated in the 69th session of the UN Commission on the 
Status of Women in New York. 

EU integration 

The  negotiation  structure  in  charge  of  EU  accession  negotiations,  headed  by  the  Chief  Negotiator, 
adequately fulfils its role of coordinating the country’s EU accession negotiations. However, working 
groups in charge of each negotiating chapter have not been meeting on a regular basis. Some of the 
working groups were restructured in March to make them more efficient. The Ministry of European 

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Affairs’ overall coordination role remained somewhat undermined by a lack of resources and limited 
influence over other ministries and structures. 

Overall,  the  government  accelerated  preparations  for  EU  accession,  culminating  in  the  provisional 
closure of negotiations on Chapters 7, 10 and 20 in December 2024 and chapter 5 in June.  During the 
reporting  period,  the  government  regularly  adopted  quarterly  reports  on  its  activities  in  the  EU 
accession  process  and  adopted  the  report  on  the  implementation  of  the  accession  programme  of 
Montenegro to the EU 2024-2027 for 2024. The report showed that 160 out of 282 planned obligations 
were fulfilled (57%), a major improvement compared to 33% in 2023. The government also adopted 
the  programme  of  accession  to  the  EU  2025-2026  In  October  2024,  the  government  signed  an 
agreement on Montenegro’s participation in the EU’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) 
Programme. 

Governance 

Following  its  consolidation  in  2024,  the  government  majority,  made  up  of  a  diverse  coalition  of 
parties, was relatively stable despite occasional political tension, especially in the run-up to frequent 
local elections. The government’s authority and competence were publicly challenged in the aftermath 
of the 1 January 2025 shooting in Cetinje, which claimed 13 people’s lives. Demonstrations took place 
across the country, calling for the Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defence and the Minister of 
Interior to resign. 

During the reporting period, the government held regular sessions and adopted its Work Programme 
for  2025  in  February.  However,  transparency  of  governance  remained  an  issue  as  the  government 
frequently resorted to the procedural option of adopting decisions in conference calls without formally 
holding a government session. Key administrative positions continued to be filled by acting officials. 
The lack of ministerial coordination is a cause for concern. Montenegro should strive to ensure that all 
legislative  initiatives  follow  a  transparent  and  inclusive  consultation  procedure  and  are  in  line  with 
European standards and international law.   

Decentralisation in Montenegro is still limited and primarily confined to utility services, water supply 
and public space maintenance. Efforts by the Ministry of Public Administration to draft a new Law on 
local  self-government  have  not  yielded  any  results  yet.    Even  though  local  government  authorities 
have their own  remit  on  paper,  in practice  they  often  must  secure approval  from  central  authorities. 
Local government authorities have restricted financial autonomy and are often not consulted on draft 
laws that directly impact them. 

In February, Parliament adopted a new Law on spatial planning, which reintroduced local government 
powers  to  draft,  adopt  and  implement  local  spatial  plans.  According  to  the  Law  on  construction  of 
buildings,  local  government  authorities  are  now  authorised  to  issue  permits  for  most  construction 
projects.  Montenegrin  municipalities  established  EU  points  (‘EU  i  tacke’)  where  EU  related 
information is accessible to all citizens.  

Civil society 

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Montenegro generally operate in an enabling environment. The 
overall  legal  and  institutional  framework  for  civil  society  to  operate  in  the  country  is  in  place. 
However, there have been instances of public criticism and allegations by high profile public officials 
discrediting work and reputation of human rights defenders. Some important pieces of legislation are 
lacking or need revision. The tax law provides some incentives for philanthropy. However, its notion 
of  ‘public  interest’  is  more  limited  than  in  the  Law  on  NGOs,  and  this  limits  tax  incentives  for 
supporting CSOs. A new Law on NGOs has been drafted and the public consultations were finalised. 
However, it has yet to be adopted. The Law on volunteer work remains unconducive for promoting 
volunteering as the law treats volunteering more as a form of labour than a civic activity. 

The  2022-2026  strategy  for  cooperation  between  state  administration  bodies  and  NGOs  is  being 
implemented. However, its practical application continues to remain inadequate for public funding for 
NGOs and their involvement in public consultations. The government appointed the members of the 
Council for Cooperation comprising 12 members from State bodies and 12 from NGOs. The Council 
is expected to resume its work for the first time since October 2021. 

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Despite the obligation prescribed by the Law on NGOs, not all ministries launch calls for proposals to 
finance NGO projects. Montenegro still needs to strengthen ministries’ capacity for strategic planning, 
monitoring and evaluation of support provided to CSOs. Civil society’s partnership in policymaking is 
recognised.  However,  the  government’s  practical  implementation  of  this  principle  is  inadequate  as 
NGOs are not being consulted on many laws and important pieces of legislation. CSOs have not been 
invited  to  participate  in  work  related  to  the  Reform  Agenda,  despite  their  calls  for  inclusion, 
highlighting a need for wider participation. 

2.1.2. Public administration reform  

Strategic framework for public administration reform  

The  strategic  framework  for  public  administration  is  in  place.  The  quality  and  effectiveness  of 
implementation  of  the  public  administration  reform  strategy  is  improving  but  not  yielding  the 
expected results yet. The effectiveness of the Public Administration Reform Council, chaired by the 
Prime Minister, has been undermined by the irregular attendance of senior decision-makers, low levels 
of  engagement  from  members,  and  limited  discussion  on  key  reform  challenges,  institutional 
performance and risk mitigation. The technical level coordination mechanism on public administration 
reform,  set  up  in  July  2024,  also  fell  short  of  expectations  due  to  frequent  organisational  and  staff 
changes.  Dialogue  with  non-governmental  stakeholders  on  public  administration  reform  remains 
underdeveloped, and there is no central online monitoring platform to support public engagement. 

Policy development and coordination  

The legal framework in this area is in place. There are clearly defined roles for central government 
institutions  and  a  well-designed  regulatory  framework  for  strategic  planning  and  monitoring. 
However,  the  national  plan  on  the  EU  acquis  (the  accession  programme)  needs  to  be  effectively 
implemented.  There  is  a  need  to  strengthen  coordination  between  public  bodies,  ensure  alignment 
between  central  policy  planning  documents  and  improve  the  quality  of  cost  estimates  in  planning 
documents.  

Despite  guidance  on  sectoral  policy  planning  and  monitoring,  the  overall  rate  of  achieving  policy 
objectives  in  sectoral  strategies  is  still  low  in  line  ministries.  While  the  regulatory  framework  on 
evidence-based  policymaking,  including  regulatory impact  assessments  and  public  consultations,  is 
in place, these standards are not always implemented in the legislative planning phase across all line 
ministries. However, all line ministries do publish monitoring reports regularly. 

Public financial management 

Public financial management is broadly in place but needs to be improved. The government adopted 
a new public financial management reform programme and the annual monitoring report for 2024 in 
March  2025.  The  Fiscal  Council  is  not  yet  operational,  and  Parliament  still  needs  to  appoint  the 
Council’s members. The government adopted the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy for 2025-
2027 and the Fiscal Strategy for 2025-2027 in December 2024. The late adoption of the 2025 budget 
created  constraints  in  budget  execution,  particularly in  initiating  new capital projects  and disbursing 
certain earmarked funds. The Ministry of Finance has yet to prepare the ‘citizen budget’.  

The new Public Investments Council contributed to more efficient infrastructure project planning and 
improved  execution  of  capital  investments.  Appraisal  mechanisms  for  major  projects  remain 
incomplete,  and  most  public  infrastructure  management  reforms  have  yet  to  be  implemented.  In 
December 2024, the Law on budget inspection was adopted. The Ministry of Finance set up the budget 
inspection  function  and  became  operational,  with  nine  inspections  already  completed.  In  January 
2025, the Budget Inspection unit of the Ministry of Finance adopted its annual plan of oversight for 
2025. Despite the increase in the number of budget inspector positions, some of them are still vacant. 
Montenegro has built a solid formal framework for gender-responsive budgeting, but significant work 
is needed to integrate this approach into the budgeting cycle in a meaningful way. 

Public service and human resources management  

The  legal  framework  only  partially  ensures  that  the  civil  service  is  professional,  de-politicised  and 
merit-based. The amendments to the Law on civil servants and state employees, adopted in February 

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2025 at government level, were also adopted by the assembly in August. The law brings improvement 
in  alignment  with  merit  principles.  However,  it  does  not  fully  embrace  those  for  acting  senior 
management civil service positions, as it allows externals to occupy acting positions without passing 
any competitive recruitment procedures. Filling of regular vacancies has been delayed. Recruitment of 
police  officers  sometimes  bypasses  the  current  civil  service  law  through  a  special  recruitment 
procedure. The quality of the recruitment process remains weak due to inadequate standardised testing, 
low  number  of  qualified  candidates  and  delays  in  adopting  competence  frameworks  for  middle  and 
lower-level  management,  as  well  as  specific  skill  requirements  for  experts  and  technical  staff.  The 
high turnover rate among senior civil servants, along with temporary contracts, high number of acting 
appointments at managerial level, with a large share recruited externally, undermines the stability of 
civil service careers and administrative capacities. Furthermore, the performance appraisal system in 
the civil service needs to be improved. 

Modern human resources management capacity across line ministries and the public sector remains 
limited.  The  human  resources  management  information  system  remains  a  weak  tool  for  transparent 
planning,  management  and  monitoring  of  human  resources.  The  frequent  reorganisation  of  line 
ministries  has  delayed  the  process  of  linking  positions  to  the  new  portfolios  and  the  preparation  of 
staffing  and  human  resource  plans.  The  lack  of  administrative  capacity  is  affecting  the  EU  acquis 
alignment process across all sectors and the government has launched the process of optimising such 
capacities. The lack of salary reforms has led to unclear  and non-transparent remuneration practices, 
but a new salary law is under development. The mismatch between job descriptions and qualification 
requirements and the lack of adequate salary grids linked to job descriptions undermine fair and merit-
based remuneration across the public sector.  

The  administration  lacks  accurate  data  on  the  number  of  public  employees  under  different  types  of 
public employment contracts, the number of vacancies filled, the number of temporary contracts, and 
staff retention and attraction rates in the civil service. This data gap, combined with underdeveloped 
competence  frameworks  in  the  civil  service,  means  that  there  is  little  understanding  of  the  skills 
needed across different sectors, where the gaps lie and how to bridge them. On gender balance in the 
civil service, there is still not full parity as women make up slightly less than half of total employment 
with a gender gap of just under 6 percentage points. Gender balance needs to be proactively promoted 
and achieved in the civil service, including in senior managerial positions  

Accountability of administration  

There is a legal framework that sets good standards for the lines of accountability, responsibilities of 
supervisory  and  subordinated  bodies  and  performance  management.  Additionally,  the  organisational 
set-up  of  the  public  administration  is  still  not  fully  aligned  with  the  good  standards  of  public 
administration stipulated in the Law on state administration. Frequent changes in the organisation of 
public  administration,  involving  splitting  or  merging  different  institutions  without  thorough  analysis 
beforehand, has led to significant staff turnover and a loss of institutional memory and expertise. The 
functioning of this framework needs to be improved, including the process and quality of reporting by 
subordinate authorities to the relevant ministries and implementation of performance management in 
subordinated  bodies.  In  addition,  due  to  reorganisations  and  frequent  changes  in  the  line  ministries’ 
functions,  there  has  been  a  delay  in completing the internal  review  on  the  organisational  set-up  and 
policy mandates. 

The Law on free access to information aimed at enhancing alignment with the Open Data Directive is 
pending adoption by the Parliament The legal basis is in place to ensure the  citizens’ right to good 
administration  in  administrative  procedures  and  judicial  review.  However,  cases  of  administrative 
disputes are not treated in a reasonable time, with a very large number of administrative disputes in the 
area of access to information, which results in a significant backlog.  

Service delivery to citizens and businesses 

Service  delivery  to  citizens  and  business  still  needs  to  be  improved.  Overall,  the  existing  legal 
framework,  institutional  set-up  and  related  strategies  and  guidance  for  public  service  delivery  and 
digitalisation  are  only  moderately  in  line  with  the  Principles  of  Public  Administration.  The  Law  on 
administrative procedure has not been implemented consistently, particularly with regards to the ‘once 

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only’  principle  and  electronic  communication.  Services  in  general  remain  bureaucratic  and  are  not 
user-friendly.  

On  digital government,  a  major cybersecurity  crisis  in  2023  delayed some improvements  to  digital 
services, caused loss and damage to a substantial amount of data from various databases and eroded 
trust in the public ICT infrastructure. Nevertheless, the recently renewed policy plans, in particular the 
Digital Transformation Strategy 2022-2026, aim to: (i) expand and modernise the ICT infrastructure; 
(ii) develop and improve digital skills; (iii) raise awareness of the importance of digital development 
among citizens and businesses; and (iv) improve the quality, quantity and use of e-services. 

However,  several  challenges  remain,  particularly  in  consolidating  digital  services  into  a  single  e-
government portal and improving interoperability and data exchange among institutions. There is poor 
planning  and  no  effective  collection  of  key  data  to  monitor  and  incentivise  public  institutions  to 
improve their digitalisation efforts. (See Section 2.1.1 – Data protection). 

2.2. RULE OF LAW AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS 

2.2.1  Chapter 23: Judiciary and fundamental rights 

The  EU’s  founding  values  include  the  rule  of  law  and  respect  for  human  rights.  An  effective 
(independent, high-quality and efficient) judicial system and an effective fight against corruption are 
of paramount importance, as is the respect for fundamental rights in law and in practice. 

Functioning of the judiciary 

Strategic documents 

Implementation is ongoing of the Justice Reform Strategy 2024-2027, its accompanying Action Plan 
2024-2025 is ongoing, yet not all planned activities for 2024 have been fully implemented. In addition, 
the implementation of the 2025-2028 Judicial Digitalisation Strategy and its Action Plan 2025-2026 
for  improving  the  judiciary’s  IT  infrastructure  is  ongoing  but  needs  to  be  accelerated.  The 
implementation is being supervised by the Council for Monitoring the Strategy’s implementation. 

Management bodies 

The  composition  of  and  appointment  procedures  for  the  Judicial  and  Prosecutorial  Councils  are 
broadly  in  line  with  European  standards.  At  the  same  time,  these  still  need  to  be  further  aligned  to 
address  fully  the  European  Commission  and  Venice  Commission’s  recommendations.  According  to 
European  standards,  a  Minister  of  Justice  as  member  of  the  Judicial  Council  shall  not  vote  on 
decisions on transfer and disciplinary proceedings for judges. In addition, GRECO has recommended 
to  abolish  the  ex-officio  membership  of  the  Minister  of  Justice.  Another  relevant  standard  on  the 
composition of the Judicial Council is that judges chosen by their peers must make up at least half of 
its members and ex-officio judge members do not count in this regard. In the present composition of 
the Judicial Council, judges selected by their peers are in a minority. This situation will also need to be 
addressed  through  constitutional  amendments.  The  Minister  of  Justice  continues  his  predecessor’s 
practice of not participating in Judicial Council sessions. 

Regarding the Prosecutorial Council, enshrining in the Constitution its composition and the method of 
election of its members, considered as a more sustainable solution by the Venice Commission, is still 
pending. 

The  Government  adopted  a  proposal  to  amend  the  Constitution  addressing  only  the  removal  of  the 
Minister of Justice, and the Parliament has initiated deliberations on that basis.  

The Judicial Council currently has 1 vacant position, and the Prosecutorial Council has four unfilled 
positions. In line with the full implementation of the improved Law on the State Prosecutor’s Office, 
the  Prosecutorial  Council  should  now  be  made  up  of  the  Supreme  State  Prosecutor,  5  state 
prosecutors,  2  lay  members,  1  representative  of  the  Bar  Chamber,  1  NGO  representative  and  1 
representative  from  the  Ministry  of  Justice.    Montenegro  must  consistently  ensure  swift  high-level 
judicial appointments based on merit and transparency. 

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In general, the timely filling of judicial and prosecutorial positions is a challenge, in particular due to 
remuneration levels. For instance, by the end of 2024, Montenegro had 243 full-time judges in place 
out of 329 planned positions, marking an increase in vacancies compared with the previous year. By 
contrast, the number of state prosecutors increased from 85 to 114 (out of 141 planned positions). 

Both Councils have yet to improve their strategic approach to address shortcomings in how courts and 
prosecution  offices  are  run.  All  members  of  the  Councils  need  to  dedicate  more  time  and  show  a 
strong  commitment  to  their  responsibilities.  Working  conditions  in  both  Councils  need  to  be 
improved.  Overall,  the  public  communication  and  transparency  of  both  Councils  are  ensured  and 
continue to improve. The Councils’ sessions are public, and attendees  include the media and CSOs, 
which has improved the public’s perception of transparency. In a new development, the Councils have 
started  to  regularly  publish  their  decisions,  minutes  and  press  statements.  Both  Councils  have  also 
adopted strategic documents to improve public communication. Despite these efforts, the Councils still 
face challenges in fully publishing reasoned decisions on promotions, appointments, and disciplinary 
cases, and need to make further efforts to restore public trust in the judicial system. 

Independence and impartiality 

in 

Following an intensive phase of reforms in 2024, the main laws guaranteeing the independence and 
impartiality  of  the  judicial  system 
are  now  broadly 
line  with 
European  standards,  such  as  the 
Law on Judicial Council and Judges 
and  the  Law  on  State  Prosecution 
these 
Service.  As  a  result  of 
and 
amendments, 
Judicial 
are 
Prosecutorial 
for 
developing  a  new  system 
and 
appointing, 
promoting 
state 
judges 
prosecutors.  The  new  system  aims 
to  ensure  a  more  consistent,  merit-
based  assessment 
line  with 
European standards.  

evaluating 
and 

Councils 

the 

in 

In  November  2024,  the  Judicial  Council  unanimously  appointed  a  new  permanent  President  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  after  nearly  four  years  of  this  position  being  held  on  an  interim  basis.  This 
appointment reinforces the independence, legitimacy and stability of a key institution in the judiciary. 

The constitutional and legal framework guaranteeing judicial independence is in place. Nevertheless, 
the recent deep institutional and political crisis following the decision of the Parliament to unilaterally 
declare the retirement of a Constitutional Court judge has underscored the importance of upholding the 
principles of judicial independence and the separation of powers in practice. In addition, it is important 
to note that the general principles of judicial independence, separation of powers and the principle of 
irremovability  of judges,  are essential  benchmarks  under  Chapter  23.  All institutions  and  authorities 
must  consistently  respect  the  law  and  uphold  the  Constitution  and  the  constitutional  order.  This 
includes ensuring the independence of the Constitutional Court as an essential safeguard for the rule of 
law and democratic stability and the timely appointment of its judges based on merit, transparency and 
legal requirements. 

Both  the  Law  on  Judicial  Council  and  Judges  and  the  Law  on  State  Prosecution  Service  are  now 
broadly in line with European standards. While the Law on Special State Prosecutor's Office (SSPO) 
was amended last year, it still has to address recommendations by the Venice Commission with regard 
to increased accountability, clearer operational frameworks, strengthened personal data protection, and 
a strategy to reduce the significant case backlog. Montenegro must focus its efforts on ensuring full 
and effective implementation of the legal framework to address existing challenges. The country must 
also  continue  aligning  the  framework  to  further  improve  it  by  addressing  the  remaining 
recommendations  from  the  European  Commission,  the  Venice  Commission  and  GRECO.  This  is 

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crucial  as  the  judiciary  and  the  prosecution  are  still  generally  perceived  as  vulnerable  to  political 
interference, which may contribute to undermining public trust. 

The  promotion  and  enforcement  of  ethics  and  professional  standards  among  judges  and  prosecutors 
has  improved.  Concerns  persist  in  ensuring  the  quality  of  evaluations  and  the  consistency  of 
sanctioning practice for Agency for the Prevention of Corruption reports. The initial track record on 
reporting  and  establishing  breaches 
of the  Codes  of  Ethics continued to 
improve. The Ethics Commission of 
the  Prosecutorial  Council  adopted 
new  Rules  of  Procedure  for  the 
Ethics Code Commission. 

Despite  both  the  Judicial  Council 
the  Prosecutorial  Council 
and 
having put in place mechanisms for 
influence,  no 
reporting  undue 
requests 
protection  were 
2024.  However, 
received 
instances have occurred where high-
level  officials  and  political  figures 
commented on ongoing high-profile 
cases,  judicial  decisions  or  the  actions  of  law  enforcement  and  the  criminal  justice  system.  Such 
actions may contribute to undermining public trust in the judiciary. 

for 
in 

Montenegro must urgently adopt a dedicated law on labour rights, including retirement criteria, for all 
judges  and  prosecutors,  including  Constitutional  Court  judges.  This  has  been  recommended  by  the 
Venice Commission to address the legal uncertainty in the current legal framework. In response to the 
concerns raised by the Association of Judges requesting salary increases and a special law regulating 
their labour rights, the Ministry of Justice began drafting a law on salaries and other rights related to 
judicial and constitutional court functions. In July, the Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on 
the Judicial Council and Judges, the Law on the State Prosecution, and the Law on the Constitutional 
Court with the votes of both ruling majority and the opposition. These amendments provide for a 30% 
salary increase for holders of judicial functions (judges, prosecutors, and Constitutional Court judges) 
making  an  important  contribution  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  judicial  career  and  addressing  a 
longstanding recommendation of the European Commission.  

The random allocation of cases is provided for by the Law on courts and implemented automatically 
through the judicial information system. However, limitations remain in very small courts, where the 
system  is  not  operational  due  to  the  lack  of  judges.  A  system  for  the  random  allocation  of  cases  in 
misdemeanour courts has been put in place. 

Accountability 

Montenegro  must  continue  strengthening  the  effective  accountability  of  the  judiciary  by  fully 
implementing  the  improved  legal  framework  adopted  in  2024.  Montenegro  has  yet  to  address  the 
outstanding  recommendations  on  strengthening  the  legal  framework  for  disciplinary  and  ethical 
standards.  

The track record in enforcing disciplinary accountability among judges and  prosecutors continued to 
improve,  but further  efforts  are  needed.  The  Judicial and  Prosecutorial  Councils  must  improve  their 
practices and be more proactive since disciplinary proceedings, when substantiated, tend to result in 
relatively minor penalties. 

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Following appointments of new members to both Councils, work on evaluation resumed with renewed 
impetus  yielding  some  initial  positive  results.  The  Judicial  Council  introduced  for  the  first  time  a 
system  to  evaluate  Supreme  Court  judges.  In  addition,  the  Prosecutorial  Council’s  evaluation  of 
prosecutors has become more nuanced, slowly shifting away from the previous practice of uniformly 
rating all prosecutors as excellent. 
However, more efforts are needed 
to  ensure  that  evaluations  are  of 
high  quality  and  that  sanctioning 
practices 
for 
reports  from  the  Agency  for  the 
Prevention  of  Corruption.  The 
rules  for  evaluating  judges  and 
have 
court 
risks 
shortcomings, 
undermining  their  independence 
and 
judicial  discretion.  For 
example,  the  rules  still  provide 
that  judges  with  30%  or  more  of 
their decisions annulled on appeal 
as 
will 
‘unsatisfactory’.  This  threshold  was  considered  too  low  by  the  Venice  Commission,  which  warned 
against its negative implications on judicial independence and judicial discretion.  

still 
which 

presidents 

consistent 

evaluated 

are 

be 

and 
judges 

However, 
practices 

The  work  of  the  Agency  for  the 
Prevention  of  Corruption  on 
checking 
income 
assets 
and 
of 
declarations 
prosecutors  improved,  in  terms  of 
the  number  of  asset  declarations 
the 
checked. 
of 
disciplinary 
the 
Judicial 
Prosecutorial 
Councils  still  have  shortcomings, 
the  verification 
which  weaken 
process.  This 
the 
is  due 
inconsistent approach to penalising 
judges  and  prosecutors  for  not 
submitting  reports  on  assets  and 
incomes  to  the  Agency  for  the 
Prevention of Corruption. 

and 

to 

There was no progress made in adopting a new Code of Ethics for lawyers or in implementing ethical 
codes for notaries, public bailiffs or court interpreters. 

Quality of justice 

The  Judicial  and  Prosecutorial  Councils  regularly  adopt  plans  for  filling  vacant  judicial  and 
prosecutorial positions through  single nationwide  competitions,  yet the timely  filling  of  judicial  and 
prosecutorial positions remains a challenge. 

In  2024,  Montenegro  had  243  full-time  judges  in  place  (out  of  329  planned  positions).  Many  basic 
courts, especially in the north of the country, are facing a serious lack of judges. Stakeholders consider 
that  the  absence  of  competitive  salaries  undermines  the  attractiveness  of  a  judicial  career,  affecting 
both the recruitment process of new judges and the motivation of existing ones to accept promotions to 
positions with greater responsibilities. 

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There was progress on the selection process of state prosecutors. In 2024, the Prosecutorial Council 
managed to appoint 31 state prosecutors, bringing the total number of filled positions to 114 (out of 
141 planned positions). The Basic Prosecutor’s Offices in Berane and Rožaje are facing a severe lack 
of full-time prosecutors. 

the 

Judicial 

Both 
and 
are 
Prosecutorial  Councils 
developing  new  rules  for  the 
evaluation  of  judges  and  state 
prosecutors  to  ensure  a  more 
merit-based 
consistent, 
in 
assessment 
line  with 
international 
and  European 
standards  and  best  practices. 
of 
Overall, 
appraisals  needs  to  improve, 
with  a  detailed  assessment  of 
individual  performance 
and 
capacity,  including  the  quality 
and  quantity  of  completed 
tasks. In 2024, the Judicial Council evaluated 17 judges, and the Prosecutorial Council evaluated 34 
prosecutors. 

quality 

the 

Montenegro  must  urgently  start  the  effective  implementation  of  the  2024-2027  Plan  for  the 
rationalisation of the judicial network, which represents a challenge. At all levels of the judiciary, the 
allocated  working  spaces  and  working  conditions,  including  equipment,  continue  to  be  inadequate. 
This is a particular concern for the Special State Prosecution Office, the High Court of Podgorica and 
the Supreme Court. 

inadequate  workspace,  and 

Judicial institutions express dissatisfaction about the overall working conditions, notably regarding the 
shortage  of  courtrooms, 
insufficient  professional  advisors  and 
administrative  staff.  The  government  must  urgently  take  a  final  decision  on  the  location  of  the 
Judiciary  Complex  as it is  the  only 
comprehensive,  long-term  solution 
for  the  judiciary's  spatial  capacity 
needs.  

progress 

There  was 
in 
no 
implementing  the  2024-2027  plan 
for the rationalisation of the judicial 
network. 

investment 

The  effectiveness  of  the  judicial 
system  is  hampered  by  the  lack  of 
strategic 
in  human 
resources,  ICT  and  infrastructure. 
The 2025 budget for the judiciary is 
EUR  34.2  million,  an  increase  of 
4.5%  compared  with  2024  (EUR 
32.7 million). For 2025, the budget of the Prosecutorial Council and state prosecution service is EUR 
15.3 million, an increase of 12.5% compared with 2024 (EUR 13.6 million).  

The Judicial Training Centre (JTC) has continued to improve its operations. However, the 2024 JTC 
budget  amounted  to  EUR 798 935.88  which  is  below  the  legally  established  threshold.  The  JTC 
budget for 2025 is EUR 826 274.90 EUR, which is again below the legally established threshold. In 
2024,  the  JTC  organised  10  training  sessions  on  EU  law  for  157  participants  (127  judges,  17  state 
prosecutors, 3 candidates for judges and 10 advisers). 

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Efficiency 

there  have  been  some 
Although 
improvements,  the  efficiency  of  the 
justice  system  still  needs 
to  be 
significantly  improved,  including  by 
addressing human resources, ICT and 
infrastructure challenges. 

Montenegro  adopted  a  new  2025-
2028  Judicial  Digitalisation  Strategy 
and action plan. This provides for the 
implementation of the upgraded court 
information system (PRIS) by the end 
of  the  year.  The  system  is  used  for 
case allocation, tracking, management 
and  communication  with  parties.  The 
upgrade  will  allow  for  revising  the  existing  random  case  allocation  procedure,  aiming  to  further 
improve the efficiency of case allocation and the use of judicial statistics. 

The  backlog  of  cases  pending  before 
the courts for both instances in all type 
of  cases is significant (2024:  113 850 
cases). At the end of 2024, the number 
of  unresolved  cases  older  than  three 
years  was  15  527.  In  first  instance 
courts, the clearance rate for civil and 
commercial  cases  has  shown  an 
the 
upward 
disposition 
increased 
time 
significantly from 492 days in 2022 to 
633  days  in  2024,  indicating  a  clear 
deterioration 
In 
administrative cases, the clearance rate 
was above 100% in 2024 (109%), and 
the  disposition  time  fell  to  879  days  (2023:  1 411  days).  For  criminal  cases,  the  clearance  rate  was 
110% and the disposition time slightly improved to 249 days.  

trend  recently,  while 

efficiency. 

in 

Domestic handling of war crime cases 

Montenegro  continues  building  a  credible  and  sustained  track  record  in  effectively  investigating, 
prosecuting and trying war crime cases, including high-level cases, in line with international law and 
standards.  Proactive  approach  to  ensure  access  to  justice  and  reparations  for  victims  should 
continue. The  Supreme  State  Prosecutor’s  Office monitors  and  reports on  the  implementation  of the 
War  Crimes  Investigation  Strategy  2024-2027  and  its  accompanying  action  plan  2024-2025.  The 
implementation of the activities in the action plan is satisfactory. 

One criminal case is ongoing before the 
High  Court  in  Podgorica.  In  October 
2024,  the  defendant  was  released  from 
pre-trial  detention  after  the  High  Court 
failed to issue a verdict within the three-
year  limit.  In  2024,  the  Special  State 
Prosecutor’s  Office  (SSPO)  initiated  8 
new  cases,  and  11  cases  from  previous 
years  are  still  in  progress.  Meanwhile, 
the SSPO submitted an indictment to the 
High  Court  in  Podgorica  against  one 

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defendant for crimes against humanity. In February 2025, the SSPO reopened criminal cases related to 
war crimes committed in Morinj, Bukovica and Kaludjerski Laz and the deportation of refugees from 
Herceg Novi to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The SSPO assigned specialised prosecutors and investigative 
teams to review past cases, gather new evidence and search international databases. 

In  July,  the  High  Court  of  Podgorica 
to  20  years 
individual 
sentenced  one 
imprisonment  for  a  war  crime  committed 
against  the  civilian  population  in  1992  in 
is  an 
Bosnia  and  Herzegovina.  This 

important  judgment  that  establishes 
accountability  for  war  crimes  in  line 
with  international  law  and  standards. 
Following  the  delivery  of  the  first-instance  judgment,  the  court  rendered  a  decision  placing  the 
defendant in detention. 

The  SSPO  received  7  requests  for  international  legal  assistance  (1  from  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina,  2 
from Serbia, 1 from Kosovo, and 3 from Croatia). In the same period, the SSPO sent 10 requests for 
international legal assistance: 1 to Serbia, 5 to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 4 to Croatia. In 2024, the 
SSPO  concluded  five  cases  related  to  cases  initiated  based  on  requests  for  international  legal 
assistance from countries in the region. 

During  the  reporting  period,  intensive  cooperation  between  the  State  Prosecutor’s  Office  and  the 
International  Residual  Mechanism  for  Criminal  Tribunals  from  The  Hague  continued.  The  SSPO 
signed  bilateral  memoranda  of  understanding  and  cooperation  agreements  to  support  witnesses, 
injured  parties  and  victims  in  criminal  proceedings  of  war  crimes  with  the  Prosecutors’  Office  of 
Bosnia and Herzegovina and the State Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Serbia.  

Montenegro  participates  in  the regional Missing  Persons  Group  and is implementing  the  framework 
plan signed in 2018. Montenegro cooperates with neighbouring countries under bilateral cooperation 
protocols. The Commission on Missing Persons of Montenegro compiled a list of missing persons that 
includes 50 active cases of Montenegrin citizens or people whose families reside in Montenegro. The 
majority of cases are related to Kosovo (38 individuals), Bosnia and Herzegovina (9 individuals) and 
Croatia (3 individuals). 

Fight against corruption 

Track record 

The  track  record  on  investigations  and  prosecutions  in  high-level  corruption  cases  continues  to 
improve,  but  the  low  number  of  final  convictions  and  lack  of  effective  and  deterrent  penalties 
contribute to a perception of impunity.  The prosecution service and courts must continue improving 
the effective enforcement of criminal legislation, including both preventive and repressive measures. 
This  should  also  include  addressing  abuses  of  the  Criminal  Procedure  Code  guarantees  to  delay 
criminal proceedings in high-level corruption cases without valid justification. 

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The amendments introduced in 2024 to the Law on the Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SSPO) have 
significantly improved that the efficiency of that body’s work: the SSPO opened investigations against 
17 people and filed indictments against 16 people. Notably, the SSPO launched an investigation into 
the  former  Director  of  the  Agency  for  the  Prevention  of  Corruption  (ACA)  who  was  indicted  for 
alleged abuse of office and mismanaging the state budget. As  a result, the ACA’s Council dismissed 
the Director; this decision was annulled in first instance by the Administrative Court. In addition, the 
Basic  Court  of  Podgorica  acquitted  the  same  Director  in  a  first-instance  verdict  over  charges  of  tax 
evasion. This case is still ongoing. 

The enforcement of the guidelines on the use of plea bargain agreements by prosecutors and judges in 
corruption cases is contributing to a more effective and deterrent criminal justice response. The quality 
of  indictments  and  verdicts  (including  decisions  extending  detention  periods)  has  not  significantly 
improved  or  been  fully  harmonised  among  courts  and  within  the  SSPO  to  ensure  an  effective 
prosecution  and  adjudication  in  high-level  corruption  cases.  Guidelines  on  the  quality  of  indictment 
and  verdicts,  alongside  quality  control  mechanisms  and  performance  indicators  to  assess  the  legal 
reasoning and writing skills of prosecutors and judges remain to be adopted. In addition, in 2024, the 
Police  Administration  filed  88  reports  on  corruption-related  criminal  offences  (a  35.5%  increase 
compared with 2023) and 6 criminal reports on high-level corruption cases. The accused individuals 
included 6 police officers and 9 public officials. 

The number of final convictions increased in 2024, but it remains low compared with the number of 
high-level corruption cases on trial or under investigation. 

The  Agency  for  the  Prevention  of  Corruption  (ACA)  received  11 905  reports  on  income  and  assets 
declarations  (2023:  13 141),  which  were  all  checked  administratively  and  technically.  Furthermore, 
according  to  its  methodology,  the  ACA  also  checked  the  accuracy  and  completeness  of  665 
declarations  (2023:  1 533  checked).  In-depth  checks  of  income  and  assets  declarations  of  a  small 
number  of  public  officials  (18)  were  carried  out;  the  officials  were  selected  based  on  the  risk  of 
corruption. 

restrictive 

the  revision  of  some  of 

On incompatibility of functions and conflicts of interest, 
the  ACA  issued  191  opinions  in  2024  (2023:  227). 
Following 
its  previous 
decisions,  in  October  2024,  the  ACA  has  adopted  a 
more 
legislation, 
interpretation  of 
resulting in a reduced number of categories included in 
the  registry  of  public  officials.  The  new  approach 
should allow the ACA to focus on a smaller number of 
potential  cases  of  incompatibility  and  conflicts  of 
interest. 

the 

As prescribed by the Law on financing political entities 
and  election  campaigns,  the  ACA  monitored  electoral 
campaigns  for  the  six  municipalities  where  elections 
were held in 2024 (Budva, Andrijevica, Gusinje, Kotor, 
Podgorica  and  Berane).  The  ACA  also  conducted  412 
checks  on  political  entities’  statements  on  both  their 
regular operations and electoral campaigns and reported 

242 irregularities/breaches of the law. 

Overall, the impact of the ACA’s checks in this area remains limited. This is due to unclear provisions 
in the legislation, in particular those on the exemption of some categories of political persons from the 
ACA’s scrutiny. As regards whistle-blowers’ reports, the ACA received 163 reports (2023: 190) and 
forwarded  23  reports  to  prosecutors’  offices  and  46  to  other  competent  institutions.  The  ACA 
concluded 116 procedures (2023: 69), and it reported the existence of threats to public interest in 25 
cases. 

In 2024, the ACA launched 1 261 misdemeanour proceedings on breaches of all anti-corruption laws 
within its jurisdiction, a 37.5% decline compared with 2023. 

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The  ACA  made  progress  on  the  development  of  a  pre-appointment  integrity  checklist  for  its  future 
employees.  In  January  2025,  the  ACA  Council  adopted  rules  on  the  procedure  for  recruitment. 
However, the ACA needs to develop additional employment procedures to align with the labour law, 
under new provisions of the Law on Prevention of Corruption. 

Legal framework 

The legal framework for the prevention and fight against corruption is largely in place.  Montenegro 
started implementation of the previously improved legal framework, but further efforts are needed to 
ensure full enforcement. In addition, several outstanding recommendations still need to be addressed, 
including  from  the  fourth  and  fifth  evaluation  rounds  of  the  GRECO  evaluation  reports,  the  Venice 
Commission, the European Commission and the EU peer review missions of 2021 and 2022. 

The  legal  framework  regulating  political  parties’  funding  remains  hampered  by  shortcomings  in  its 
scope, clarity and implementation. Montenegro must further amend the Law on Financing of Political 
Entities and Election Campaigns without delay to bring it fully in line with recommendations from the 
OSCE/ODIHR,  GRECO  and  European  standards  through  a  transparent  and  inclusive  consultation 
process including relevant stakeholders. It had committed to do so as a matter of priority by the end of 
2024.  The  current  legal  framework  falls  short  of  GRECO  and  ODIHR  recommendations,  which 
emphasise  the  need  for  greater  transparency,  stricter  control  of  the  spending  of  political  parties  and 
stronger  measures  to  prevent  the  abuse  of  state  resources,  including  dissuasive  penalties.  Therefore, 
the existing legal framework lacks effective safeguards to prevent the circumvention of the rules and 
fails  to  impose  adequate  penalties  for  non-compliance.  Additionally,  the  Law  on  Election  of 
Councillors  and  Members  of  Parliament  is  still  not  aligned  with  the  Law  on  Financing  of  Political 
Entities  and  Election  Campaigns,  hindering  effective  and  efficient  oversight  of  electoral  campaign 
financing. 

Complementing  the  adoption  of  the  new  Law  on  prevention  of  corruption  in  June  2024,  nine 
implementing laws (bylaws) have been adopted. The revised law requires further alignment with EU 
standards,  and  new  draft  amendments  are  being  discussed.  Montenegro  is  making  progress  in 
implementing its improved legal framework for protecting whistle-blowers, as introduced in the Law 
on  prevention  of  corruption.  As  of  November  2024,  nine  pieces  of  implementing  legislation  had 
entered into force, complementing the new Law on lobbying adopted in May 2024. 

Strategic documents 

The  implementation  of  the  2024-2028  strategy  for  the  fight  against  corruption  and  its  2024-2025 
action plan is ongoing. However, its monitoring and reporting on the implementation by the Operation 
Team  in  the  National  Council  for  the  Fight  Against  Corruption  remains  challenging.  The  Council 
should  take  a  more active role,  and its internal  set-up,  work  plan  and resources need  to  be  clarified 
urgently.  In  addition,  Montenegro  must  adopt  a  cooperation  framework  between  the  ACA  and  the 
Council, as recommended by GRECO. 

By  implementing the  Strategy, Montenegro enforces measures to reduce corruption in the  identified 
vulnerable  areas.  The  ACA  assesses  the  integrity  plans  of  public  institutions  and  monitors  their 
adoption  and  implementation.  So  far,  it  has  assessed  the  integrity  plans  of  the  prosecutorial  and 
judicial  bodies.  The  ACA plans  to  apply  its  methodology to  other  high-risk  sectors  identified in the 
strategy, including independent and regulatory authorities. The methodology will be adjusted to each 
sector. In addition, the government conducted assessments of potential corruption risks for legislative 
initiatives in line with the ACA’s methodology. 

Institutional framework 

The  institutional framework  for  preventing and fighting  corruption is in  place  but there is a  need  to 
strengthen  it  further.  Despite  some  improvements,  human  resources  capacity  in  the  fight  against 
corruption  is  insufficient  overall  and  a  challenge  to  improving  the  criminal  justice  response  to  the 
problem. 

The  Judicial  Council  appointed  5  new  judges  to  the  High  Court  of  Podgorica,  increasing  the  total 
number to  11  judges.  However,  it is  unclear  if these new  judges  will  be  assigned  to  the  Specialised 

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Department  where  the  backlog  of  cases  is  extremely  high.  In  the  reporting  period,  no  cases  were 
completed,  and  no  final  decisions  were  transferred  from  the  Court  of  Appeal.  The  SSPO  currently 
includes  the  Chief  Special  Prosecutor  and  15  special  prosecutors  (out  of  16  positions).  The 
amendments to the Law on Special Prosecution Office adopted last year limit the SSPO’s powers to 
acts of organised crime, corruption committed by high-ranking public officials and money laundering. 
This  has  yielded  positive  results  in  terms  of  efficiency,  reducing  the  number  of  cases  handled  per 
special prosecutor and the scope of their investigations. 

The human resource situation in the Special Police Unit (SPU) is improving but remains insufficient, 
despite the adoption of the new Rulebook on Internal Organisation and Systematisation of the Ministry 
of Interior in December 2024. The procedure for recruiting new police officers has begun, particularly 
in the unit dealing with the fight against high-level corruption and money laundering. Additionally, the 
procedure should ensure a merit-based recruitment. Furthermore, the SPU lacks specialised initial and 
continuous  training  in  financial  investigations,  with  no  regular  courses  on  this  topic  in  the  police 
academy’s curriculum.  In general,  human  resources are  deemed  to  be  insufficient by the  three main 
bodies  (SPU,  SSPO  and  Special  Department  of  the  High  Court  of  Podgorica)  to  cope  with  their 
workload and responsibilities. In addition, the three bodies still suffer from very poor infrastructure, 
and their equipment and technology need further upgrades, which limits their overall efficiency.  

The efficiency of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ACA) continued to improve, despite 
some  disruption  caused  by  delays  in  appointing  its  management  and  resource  constraints.  A  new 
Council of the ACA was elected. However, Montenegro must urgently appoint of a full-term Director, 
a  position  that  has  been  vacant  since  April  2024,  which  limits  the  legitimacy  of  the  Agency’s 
leadership and strategic direction. 

The track record on prevention of corruption continued to improve in quantitative terms although the 
overall impact of the ACA’s work remains limited. The Agency is still run by an interim director, and 
the  selection  procedure  for  a  new  director  only  started  in  March  2025.  The  ACA’s  independence, 
impartiality and accountability need to be further strengthened. 

The  ACA  suffers  from  human  resources  shortages. ACA  currently  employs  54  people:  98  positions 
are provided for in the Rulebook adopted in October 2024. 

The financial independence of the ACA remains to be fully ensured Its 2025 budget remains below the 
legally  required  minimum  (0.14%  against  0.2%  of  the  State  Budget  as  set  out  in  the  Law  on 
Prevention of Corruption). This is an obstacle for the implementation of the Agency’s overall mandate 
and recruitment plan for 2025, as well as a risk to its performance. 

In 2024, the State Audit Institution (SAI) audited the consolidated financial statements of 10 political 
entities from 2023, giving 20 audit opinions and 110 audit recommendations. The SAI monitored the 
implementation  status  of  audit  recommendations  through  14  annual  audit  reports.  However,  the 
follow-up  to  SAI’s  opinions  and  reports  by  other  competent  authorities,  including  the  National 
Council  for  the  fight  against  corruption,  remains  challenging  due  to  shortcomings  in  the  legal  and 
institutional framework. 

Since early 2025, the Special State Prosecution Office (SSPO) has been made up of the Chief Special 
Prosecutor  and  15  special  prosecutors  (out  of  16  planned  positions).  In  early  2025,  the  SSPO 
strengthened its capacity by hiring five new financial experts to contribute to analysing the economic 
aspects  of  high-level  corruption  crimes.  In  December  2024,  the  SPU  was  made  an  independent 
organisational unit within the Police Administration, directly accountable to the Director of the Police 
Administration and the Chief Special Prosecutor. The human resources situation in the SPU remains 
worrying:  the  new  Rulebook  on  Internal  Organisation  adopted  in  December  2024  increased  the 
number of positions from 50 to 60, but only 33 of these are currently filled. 

The  condition  of  the  SSPO  and  SPU’s  offices  is  well  below  the  minimum  standards  required  by 
European standards, preventing these institutions from carrying out their duties effectively, efficiently 
and  independently.  The  High  Court  of  Podgorica,  whose  remit  covers  organised  crime,  corruption, 
terrorism and war crimes, is still understaffed. However, as of February 2025, four more judges had 
been appointed to the High Court’s Special Department. 

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The new National Council for the Fight against Corruption (set up in February 2024) appears marked 
by structural weaknesses so far, with an inadequate work plan and organisational set-up. In October 
2024,  an  Operational  Team  with  12  members  was  created  in  the  Council  in  charge  of  reporting  on 
implementation of the Anticorruption Strategy’s Action Plan. The cooperation framework between the 
ACA and the National Council still needs to be clarified, which is one of GRECO’s recommendations. 

Fundamental rights 

General framework 

The  general  legal  and  institutional  framework  for  fundamental  rights  is  largely  satisfactory.  The 
implementation and enforcement of fundamental rights need to be improved. 

International human rights instruments 

Overall, Montenegro continues to meet its international obligations on human rights. The cooperation 
with international human rights monitoring bodies and the follow-up to their recommendations needs 
to be further improved. 

Montenegro has ratified most key international human rights instruments. Montenegro has yet to ratify 
the  2014  Protocol  to  the  ILO  1930  Forced  Labour  Convention.  The  European  Commission  against 
Racism  and  Intolerance  (ECRI)  visited  Montenegro  from  30 September  to  4 October  2024  and  the 
publication of its report is pending. On 28 March 2025, the UN Human Rights Committee published 
its concluding observations on the second report of Montenegro regarding the implementation of the 
International  Covenant  on  Civil  and  Political  Rights  (CCPR)  with  priority  recommendations  for  the 
rights  of  LGBTIQ  persons,  people  in  detention  (including  in  the  Dobrota  psychiatric  hospital), 
journalists  and  human  rights  defenders.  The  Committee’s  recommendations  also  addressed  strategic 
lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) and access to information. The Special Rapporteur on 
Human Rights Defenders plans to visit Montenegro in 2025.  

Montenegro needs to improve its mechanisms for reporting to UN human rights bodies and following 
up on their recommendations. 

European Court of Human Rights 

The  cooperation  with  the  European 
Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and 
the implementation of its judgements 
is  adequate.  During  the  reporting 
period,  the  ECtHR  delivered  nine 
judgements 
against  Montenegro. 
Currently,  there  is  on  case  under 
the 
supervision 
enhanced 
Committee  of  Ministers  related  to 
non-enforcement  of  final  domestic 
decisions 
State-owned 
against 
companies (three cases last year).  

by 

Montenegro 
address 
needs 
systematic  issues  or  structural  issues 
raised by the Court. 

to 

In  March,  Parliament  adopted  amendments  to  the  Law  on  Montenegro’s  Representative  before  the 
ECtHR, despite a ruling by the Constitutional Court five months earlier that the decree under which 
the current representative assumed that role was unconstitutional. 

Promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights 

The legal and institutional framework for the promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights 
is in place but needs to be improved. 

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The Constitutional Court adopted and implemented a plan to resolve its backlog of pending cases. The 
goal  was  to  reduce  the  duration  of  proceedings  to  comply  with  the  ECtHR’s  case  law  on  the 
effectiveness  of  the  constitutional  complaint  as  a  domestic  legal  remedy.  By  September  2025,  the 
backlog  of  cases  pending  before  the  Constitutional  Court  stood  at  2  135,  of  which  1  797were 
constitutional  complaints.  Out 
of these, only one case is older 
than three years (in June 2024, 
769  pending  cases  were  older 
than  three  years).  In  addition, 
of 
the 
proceedings  fell  to  one  year 
and eight months.  

duration 

average 

Montenegro has yet to adopt a 
monitoring 
comprehensive 
and  data  collection  system  to 
assess 
of 
implementation 
human 
rights  legislation,  policies  and 
strategies.  

level 
of 

the 

The  Ministry  of  Human  and 
Minority  Rights  (MHMR)  is 
finalising the drafting of a new 
law  on  the  Ombudsperson’s 
the 
Office 
regulatory and institutional framework of the Office with the Paris principles and secure an ‘A’ Status. 
The decisions and recommendations of the Office are non-binding, and Montenegro needs to improve 
their  systematic  follow-up  across  all  public  institutions.  The  2025  budget  for  the  Office  is 
EUR 908 306 (4.3% higher than in 2024) and is adequate and sustainable. The Office’s staffing levels 
are also satisfactory. The Ombudsperson’s Office also serves as an equality body.  

fully  align 

to 

Prevention of torture and ill treatment 

Montenegro provides insufficient legal guarantees for the prevention of torture and ill treatment, and 
the follow-up of cases needs to be improved. 

and 

Montenegro  made  some 
progress in addressing the 
recommendations  of  the 
European  Committee  for 
the  Prevention  of  Torture 
and 
or 
Inhuman 
Treatment 
Degrading 
the  UN 
(CPT) 
Committee 
Against 
Torture  (CAT).  The  CPT 
its 
plans 
periodic  visit 
the 
country before the end of 
the  year.    In  December 
2024,  Parliament  adopted 
amendments  to  the  Law 
on  free  legal  aid,  recognising  victims  of  torture  as  eligible  for  free  legal  aid,  which  addresses  CPT 
recommendations. 

conduct 
to 

to 

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The Criminal Code needs to be amended to abolish the statute of limitations for crimes related to the 
extortion  of  testimony  and  ill  treatment  and  to  align  the  definition  of  torture  with  CAT’s 
recommendations.  

There  was  some  progress  in  investigating  and  prosecuting  cases  of  alleged  violence  by 
law‑enforcement officers, as well as cases of violence in prisons. In 2024, the Department for Internal 
Police  Control  conducted 134  internal  oversight  procedures,  59  ex  officio  and 75  based  on  citizens' 
complaints.  Out  of  the  59  ex  officio  investigations,  in  11  cases  the  Department  conducted  checks 
concerning the conduct of police officers where there were grounds to suspect excessive use of police 
powers  or  unlawful  use  of  force  in  the  exercise  of  official  duties.  All  11  cases  were  referred  to  the 
competent state prosecutors to assess whether the conduct of the police officers met elements of the 
criminal offence of ill-treatment. As for the 75 complaints based on citizens’ complaints relating to the 
actions and behaviour of police officers, the Department assessed 18 complaints as founded, while in 
the  other  57  cases,  the  checks  did  not  establish  evidence  indicating  disciplinary  or  other  liability  of 
police officers.  Following the publication by the Supreme State Prosecutor of binding instructions for 
state prosecutors in cases of suspected ill treatment in May 2024, the number of cases opened, and the 
overall efficiency of the prosecutorial response increased. While from January 2023 until May 2024, 
the  SSP  opened  three  cases  against  22  police  officers  for  the  criminal  offense  of  torture,  from  May 
2024  until  September  2025,  the  SSP  opened  three  additional  cases  for  alleged  torture  involving  14 
police  officers.  During  the  same  period,  the  SSP  initiated  14  additional  cases,  in  which  criminal 
proceedings have not yet been launched. The adoption of standard operating procedures for the police 
to  ensure  compliance  with  CPT  standards  and  uphold  human rights  has  been  delayed.  This  delay  is 
due  to  the  postponement  of  the  adoption  of  the  Rulebook  on  the  execution  of  police  duties  and  the 
application of police authority.  

In 2024, the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions (AECS), in cooperation with the 
Police Academy in Danilovgrad and the Ombudsperson’s Office, carried out several training sessions 
on  human  rights  for  police  officers.  The  AECS  and  the  Ombudsperson’s  Office  organised  specific 
training  for  prison  doctors  and  medical  staff  on  how  to  document  injuries  in  line  with  the  Istanbul 
Protocol. 

The National Prevention Mechanism (NPM), which is part of the Ombudsperson’s Office, adequately 
fulfils its tasks to protect people deprived of liberty from torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or 
degrading  treatment  or  punishment.  In  2024,  the  NPM  received  122  complaints  against  the  AECS 
from individuals deprived of liberty, around 60% more than in 2023 (76), and 45 against the Police 
Administration (2023: 52). The NPM issued 60 recommendations to administrative authorities in 42 
cases, of which 43 were accepted and 17 are still pending.  

Execution of criminal sanctions 

The system for the execution of criminal sanctions (including probation) needs to be improved. 

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In  December  2024,  the  government  set  up  a  council  for  monitoring  the  2023-2026  strategy  for  the 
execution of criminal penalties and its action plans. In December 2024, the government amended the 
regulation  on  uniforms,  rank  insignia,  weapons,  vehicles  and  special  equipment  of  AECS  security 
officers.  The  construction  of  new  prison  facilities  in  Spuz  is  ongoing.  The  government  has  not  yet 
taken a decision on building a new prison facility in Mojkovac. The AECS expanded the capacity of 
the  Spuz  prison  from  175  to  246.  In 
addition,  by  relocating  the  Health 
Care  Sector,  the  capacities  of  the 
Podgorica  Remand  prison  (in  Spuz) 
have  increased  by  60  places,  from 
292 to 352 places. In the Bijelo Polje 
prison, the capacity has increased by 
60 additional places, now amounting 
to  175  places,  of  which  125  are  for 
detainees and 50 for prisoners. 

In April, 163 detainees in Spuz went 
on  a  two-week  hunger  strike  in 
protest  against  prison  conditions, 
long  pre-trial  detentions  and  alleged 
breaches of fundamental human rights.  In September, 66 detainees in the Spuz remand prison initiated 
a strike, including 48 who started a hunger strike.  

Protection of personal data 

The Law on personal data protection is still not aligned with the EU  acquis. Montenegro has not yet 
ratified  the  2018  Council  of  Europe  Protocol  amending  the  Convention  for  the  Protection  of 
Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data.  

The human and financial capacity and IT 
expertise  of  the  Agency  for  Personal 
Data  Protection  and  Free  Access  to 
Information  is  insufficient  to  implement 
effectively  the  Law  on  free  access  to 
information, which was presented to the 
Parliament  in  July  and  has  yet  to  be 
adopted,  and  the  planned  new  data 
protection  law.  In  December  2024,  the 
Agency’s  Director,  who  had  only  been 
appointed  by  the  Agency’s  Council  the 
previous  January,  resigned.  In  March, 
Parliament  appointed  a  new  member  to 
the  Council  of  the  Agency.  In  April 
2025, the Council appointed the Acting Director as the new permanent Director.  

Freedom of religion or belief 

Montenegro provides adequate legal guarantees for freedom of religion or belief. 

The rights to freedom of religion or belief are broadly respected. 

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------------------------- 

Freedom of expression 

Montenegro  continues  to  uphold  a  zero-tolerance  policy  to  violence  against  journalists.  Montenegro 
continues  to  enjoy  a  pluralistic  media  environment  and  provides  adequate  legal  guarantees  for  the 
freedom  of  expression.  The  country  provides  an  adequate  enabling  environment  for  the  media  to 
operate freely, independently and professionally. 

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Intimidation of journalists 

The authorities continue to provide a prompt and effective institutional and law enforcement response 
to new reports of violence against journalists, which mostly involves harassment and online threats. In 
November  2024,  a  journalist  was  physically  assaulted  in  Podgorica.  The  police responded  promptly 
and arrested the suspects, while the prosecution swiftly filed an indictment. In a first instance ruling 
delivered in April 2025, 3 defendants were convicted for the attack, with 2 sentenced to prison and 1 
receiving  a  conditional  sentence.  In  August,  two  photojournalists  and  one  reporter  were  physically 
mistreated, threatened and verbally abused while carrying out their professional duties in a village near 
Berane, reportedly in the presence of law enforcement officers. The prosecution authorities launched 
an investigation against multiple suspects, one of whom was arrested and ordered into 30-day pre-trial 
detention.  The  trial  in  one  of  the  most  serious  longstanding  cases  of  violence  against  the  media, 
involving the wounding of an investigative journalist in 2018, began in June 2025.  

A  legal  case  initiated in January 2025  by  the  brother  of the  Serbian  President against a  local  media 
outlet before the Podgorica Basic Court raised concerns. 

In  2024,  the  prosecution  authorities  handled  14  cases  of  violence  against  media  workers,  issuing 
indictments in 2 cases and initiating misdemeanour proceedings in 3. Over the same period, the police 
recorded 16 cases of violence against the media, including 7 classified by the prosecution authorities 
as criminal offences. 3 journalists remain under police protection. 

Although public authorities widely condemned acts of violence against journalists, instances of strong 
verbal attacks on the media and civil society representatives by public officials and political parties, 
including senior figures from the security and defence sector, have continued. 

Legislative environment 

Following  the  significant  legislative  improvements  introduced  by  the  comprehensive  media  laws 
package adopted in June 2024, the national media legislation is largely aligned with the EU  acquis. 
The authorities began a comprehensive review of its compliance with the European Media Freedom 
Act.  

Implementation of legislation/institutions 

The implementation of the improved legal and strategic frameworks for the media is yielding initial 
positive results. However, the full implementation of the legislative improvements, including through 
transparent and merit-based appointments, remains to be achieved to ensure the proper functioning and 
full independence of the Audiovisual Media Agency (AMU) and the public broadcaster RTCG. While 
the Parliament appointed in July three new members of the Council of the public broadcaster RTCG, it 
has repeatedly failed to appoint two members to the AMU Council, greatly exceeding the deadline set 
by the Law on Audiovisual Media Services. The Parliament cancelled the call for applications twice, 
initially launched in December 2024, with technical grounds cited as the reason. Additionally, in its 
third repeated attempt in July 2025, the Parliament once again failed to appoint members to the AMU 
Council.  This  is  hindering  the  full  implementation  of  the  legal  framework  and  could  also  have 
implications on Chapter 10. Montenegro must appoint the remaining members of the AMU Council as 
a  matter  of  urgency.  In  addition,  any  legal  change  in  this  area,  if  needed,  should  be  consulted  and 
discussed  with  all  relevant  stakeholders,  and  should  always  ensure  the  legal  safeguards  of  AMU’s 
independence  to  maintain  previous  progress  and  avoid  deviating  from  the  EU  acquis  and  European 
standards.  

Significant challenges persist in implementing the amended legal framework for access to information. 

Public service broadcaster 

The effective implementation of the new Law on the National Public Broadcaster RTCG adopted in 
June 2024, provided RTCG with sufficient institutional and financial independence and resources to 
carry out its mandate. 

The ongoing legal process challenging the lawfulness of the appointment of RTCG’s Director General 
continues  to  raise  questions  about  the  lack  of  transparency  and  the  potential  breach  of  legal 

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procedures.  In  November  2024,  the  prosecution  filed  an  indictment  against  members  of  the  RTCG 
Council accusing them of abuse of office during the appointment of the RTCG Director-General and 
the  court  proceedings  are  ongoing.  A  prompt  legal  resolution  of  this  case  is  essential  to  ensure  the 
public  broadcaster’s  full  compliance  with  both  the  law  and  the  highest  standards  of  professional 
integrity and accountability. 

Economic factors 

The  significant  increase  in  state  funding  for  media  under  the  new  Media  Law  is  supporting  the 
financial sustainability of commercial media, which otherwise remained constrained by the relatively 
small audience and a restricted advertising market. The local media market, particularly the television 
sector, is dominated by regionally and internationally owned media companies. 

State  funding  for  content  of  public  interest  in  broadcast,  print  and  online  media  remained  steady  at 
0.2% of the current national budget, allocated by the Media Pluralism and Diversity Fund. There was a 
notable increase in the number of public-sector organisations complying with the legal requirement to 
disclose the public funding allocated to the media. However, this requirement remains only partially 
fulfilled,  with  56%  of  registered  media  outlets  and  64%  of  public-sector  organisations  meeting  the 
disclosure  criteria.  Further  efforts  are  required  to  fully  implement  the  provisions  of  the  new  media 
legislation, particularly regarding the public funding of the media and the creation of a public media 
registry.  

Internet 

Internet services operated without undue restrictions. 

Freedom of artistic expression 

In September 2025, the screening of a film at an outdoor festival in Podgorica was forcibly interrupted 
after being targeted for featuring the Albanian language.  

Professional organisations and working conditions 

A  nationwide  trade  union  and  professional  organisations  in  the  media  sector  are  well-established, 
actively advocating for improvements in socio-economic conditions, professional standards and safety 
of media workers. 

The adoption of the new media law in June 2024 introduced media self-regulation as a prerequisite for 
securing funding from the Media Pluralism and Diversity Fund. Following the adoption, membership 
in  the  Council  for  Media  Self-Regulation  increased  significantly.  During  the  reporting  period,  the 
Council’s membership had grown from 17 to 75 media outlets.  

A  sectoral  collective  agreement  has  yet  to  be  signed,  making  it  more  difficult  for  media  industry 
workers to exercise their labour rights on an equal footing with workers in other sectors. Journalists’ 
salaries remain below the national average. 

RTCG union representatives have raised concerns over perceived undue management pressure, anti-
union discrimination, and delayed collective bargaining. 

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-------------------------- 

Freedom of assembly and association 

Montenegro provides adequate legal guarantees for the freedom of assembly and association and the 
regulation of assemblies is also adequate. In July, amendments to the Law on Public gatherings were 
withdrawn  from  Parliamentary  procedure  amidst  criticism  from  the  UN,  the  Council  of  Europe,  the 
EU and local CSOs, pending the opinion of the European Commission. 

Labour and trade union rights are covered in Chapter 19 - Social policy and employment. 

Property rights 

The legal and institutional framework for enforcing property rights is incomplete. 

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The process in restoring properties expropriated in the past has remained slow. Despite the resolution 
of  the  Council  of  Europe  Committee  of  Ministers  on  the  closure  of  the  case  Nesic  v.  Montenegro 
concerning expropriation of costal land in December 2023, the 2020 ECtHR decision has not yet been 
executed  through  all  judiciary  instances.  Montenegro  needs  to  ensure  fair  restitution  proceedings 
within a reasonable time and the full independence of the three Regional Restitution Commissions by 
amending the Law on restitution and compensation of expropriated property. 

Non-discrimination 

The legal and institutional framework on non-discrimination, hate crime and hate speech is largely in 
place, but remains to be fully aligned with the EU acquis. The capacity of the Ombudsperson’s Office 
is  adequate.  Montenegro  has  initiated  the  adoption  of  a  new  Law  on  anti-discrimination  aiming  to 
align with the EU acquis and European standards. 

Social  polarisation  continued  during the  reporting  period.  The most  vulnerable  in  society (including 
Roma  and  Egyptians,  persons  with  disabilities,  LGBTIQ  persons)  continued  to  be  subjected  to 
discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes. 

In 2024, the Ombudsperson’s Office worked on 166 complaints of discrimination (2023: 243). As in 
previous years, most complaints were related to labour and employment. 

Montenegro  needs  to  consistently  implement  strategic  measures  on  anti-racism,  rights  of  LGBTIQ 
persons and rights of persons with disabilities. 

Following  the  amendments  to  the  Criminal  Code  in  December  2023,  and  appropriate  institutional 
follow-up, including by law enforcement, there was an increase in the number of prosecuted cases of 
racism  and  hate  speech  (2023:  16  cases  against  19  people,  2024:  24  cases  against  38  people).  In 
addition, in May 2024, the Supreme State Prosecution Office adopted binding guidelines, as well as 
appointed a coordinator to oversee their implementation, to ensure a consistent and effective handling 
of  hate  speech  and  hate  crime  cases  in  line  with  international  standards,  including  the  European 
Commission  against  Racism  and  Intolerance  (ECRI),  the  UN’s  Rabat  Action  Plan,  and  established 
bias indicators.  

In  2024,  the  Ombudsperson  processed  6  cases  of  hate  speech  and  5  cases  in  the  field  of  public 
discourse / media, which also predominantly related to hate speech (2023: 12 and 7, respectively). 

Gender equality 

legal 

institutional 
and 
The 
framework  for  gender  equality 
and 
combating  gender-based 
violence  is  incomplete,  and  its 
be 
enforcement 
improved. 

needs 

to 

to 

Women 
face 
continue 
multiple  and  intersecting  forms 
and 
of 
discrimination, 
stigmatisation 
in 
Montenegrin  society,  including 
to 
against  women  belonging 
minorities.  Harmful 
gender 
norms that affect the position of 
women in society have been recently highlighted by several UN Human Rights Committee reports and 
the Group of Experts on Action against Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO). 
In addition, recommendations from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against 
Women still need to be addressed (CEDAW). 

is  prevalent 

The gender equality framework is hindered by a lack of human and financial resources, resulting in 
limited  policy  influence  and  authority  within  the  government.  There  is  an overall lack  of  awareness 
and  commitment  among  institutions  on  gender  equality,  including  mainstreaming.  There  are  also 

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discrepancies  in  the  application  of  implementing  legislation  and  regulations  and  weak  coordination 
with other national strategies. 

In  December  2024,  the  Ministry  of  Human  and  Minority  Rights  (MHMR),  in  cooperation  with  the 
OSCE  Mission  to  Montenegro,  conducted  an  ex-post  evaluation  of  the  2021-2025  gender  equality 
strategy.  The  Ministry  concluded  that  the  budget  for  its  implementation  is  limited,  and  often 
institutional 
insufficient, 
coordination is insufficient and there 
is a lack of specialised staff. 

with 

In  July,  the  government  adopted  a 
new  2025–2029  National  Gender 
Equality 
its 
Strategy, 
accompanying  Action  Plan  2025–
its 
2026.  The  Strategy  sets  as 
strategic  goal  the  advancement  of 
gender  equality 
in  Montenegro 
through  the  reduction  of  systemic 
the 
and 
empowerment  of  women  and  girls, 
the  prevention  and  elimination  of 
gender-based violence, and the integration of the principle of gender equality into all spheres of public 
and private life, with the aim of building a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society. 

inequalities, 

structural 

More efforts are needed in the collection of sex-disaggregated data in all spheres of life, particularly in 
the field of domestic and gender-based violence, incomes and salaries, health and social security. 

Gender-based violence is pervasive, affecting women across different spheres of life. Societal attitudes 
remain  troubling:  one  third  of  citizens  believe  women  fabricate  claims  of  psychological  abuse  for 
attention. Furthermore, the lack of accountability for perpetrators is an issue: only 10% of convictions 
for violence result in prison sentences. Women’s right’s civil society organisations play a key role in 
supporting victims of gender-based violence. 

The legal framework needs to be further aligned with the Istanbul Convention and the EU Directive on 
combating violence against women and domestic violence. The interinstitutional operational team for 
the  fight  against  family  and  gender-based  violence  is  active,  providing  recommendations  in  this 
regard. The amendments to the Law on protection from domestic violence are pending. Amendments 
to the Criminal Law, adopted in December 2023, resulted in a better definition of misdemeanour and 
criminal  acts  related  to  violence  in  the  family  or  family  community.  Psychological  violence  is  now 
taken into consideration, in addition to physical violence, and a broader definition of family has been 
introduced, including current and former unmarried partners and same-sex partners. 

It is composed of representatives of different government institutions, prosecution, judiciary and civil 
society.  The  Council  of  Europe  helped  assess  implementation  of  the  Protocol  on  prevention  and 
protection from gender-based violence and family violence, and the assessment was finalised in June 
2025. 

In  October  2024,  the  Supreme  State  Prosecutor  adopted  standard  operating  procedures  for  the 
prosecution  when  handling  cases  of  sexual  and  gender-based  violence,  in  line  with  the  amended 
Criminal Code of Montenegro, relevant articles of the Istanbul Convention and the EU Victim Rights 
Directive. The guidelines are already yielding positive results in improving the prosecution’s handling 
and  qualification  of  gender-based  violence  cases.  For  instance,  prosecutors  now  act  directly  in  all 
cases  of  violence,  allowing  for  more  proactive  case  management,  better  assessment  of  the  type  of 
protective  or  supervisory  measures  to  propose  to  the  court,  improved  verification  of  the  risk  of 
repeated violence assessed by the police and enhanced victim protection. However, sentencing is still 
mild in the majority of cases of gender-based violence and often imposed close to the legal minimum. 
Following the adoption of the guidelines, in 2025, 862 cases have been opened. 

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In December 2024, the government adopted the report on the implementation of the National Plan for 
the Implementation of the Istanbul Convention. 

In  2024,  the  Ministry  of  Social  Welfare,  Family  Care  and  Demography  allocated  EUR 300 000  for 
shelter  services  for  children,  adults  and  older  victims  of  abuse,  neglect,  gender-based  violence  and 
domestic  violence.  In  2025,  the  budget  increased  to  EUR 500 000.  Additionally,  Social  Welfare 
Centres  allocated  EUR 151 200  to  victims  of  such  violence.  However,  adequate  and  sustainable 
financing  of  specialised  services  for  female  victims  of  violence  should  be  ensured.  Robust  data 
collection and analysis among different institutions and coordinated policy implementation is needed. 
Action  is  also  urgently  required  in  relation  to  general  preventive  measures  and  training  of 
professionals.  Furthermore,  psycho-social  treatment  programmes  for  perpetrators  of  violence  are 
needed. 

The country also lacks crisis centres and clear procedures to address sexual violence, leaving survivors 
without adequate support. 

Rights of the child 

The legal and institutional framework for the rights of the child is in place, but implementation and 
enforcement need to be improved. 

The  legislative  and  institutional  framework  is  largely  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis  and  relevant 
international  standards.  Challenges  remain  in  the  effective  implementation  of  the  legislative  and 
institutional framework due to: (i) poor accountability; (ii) inappropriate and insufficient capacity; (iii) 
a  lack  of  systematic  monitoring  and  sufficient  funding;  (iv)  a  lack  of  quality  assurance  for  existing 
laws,  strategies  and  action  plans;  and  (v)  insufficient  cross-sectoral  cooperation.  The  chair  of  the 
Children’s  Rights  Council  remains  to  be  brought  back  to  an  appropriate  political  level  within  the 
government to ensure effective follow-up of recommendations.  

The  National  Strategy  on the  Exercise  of  Child  Rights  expired  in  2023,  and  a  new  one  has  still  not 
been adopted.  Montenegro  has  not  submitted  its  fourth  periodic report  to  the  UN  Committee  on the 
Rights of the Child yet (due in November 2023).  

To strengthen child protection systems and ensure effective realisation of rights, Montenegro should 
align with the EC Recommendation on integrated child protection systems and with the EU Strategy 
on the Rights of the Child.  

Montenegro has still not amended its family law to raise the minimum age for marriage to 18 years. 
This  was  recommended  by  the  UN  monitoring  bodies’  recommendations  and  the  2005  Resolution 
1468 of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. 

Violence against  and  among  children remains  a  matter  of  serious concern.  While Montenegro  has a 
well-established  legal  framework  for  addressing  peer  violence,  with  numerous  regulations  clearly 
setting  out  procedures  and  rules,  implementation  and  monitoring  remain  weak.  In  December,  the 
government  adopted  the  Strategy  for  the  prevention  and  protection  of  children  from  violence  2025-
2029  with  an  Action  Plan  2025-2026  and  created  a  sex  offenders  register.  Access  to  justice  for 
children, in particular in vulnerable situations, still needs to be improved. Child‑friendly proceedings 
are  still  only  implemented sporadically in  criminal court cases  for  children  in  conflict  with  the  law, 
child  victims  and  witnesses  of  crime.  In  civil  and  family  law‑related  misdemeanour  proceedings, 
children are often insufficiently taken into account. The law on the Treatment of Juveniles in Criminal 
Proceedings has yet to be amended. 

Persons with disabilities 

The  legal  and  institutional  framework  for  the  rights  of  persons  with  disabilities  is  incomplete  and 
needs to be further aligned with EU acquis, including the European Accessibility Act. Implementation 
and enforcement mechanisms also need to be improved. 

Persons  with  disabilities  cannot  fully  exercise  their  rights  and  continue  to  face  multiple  forms  of 
discrimination. Furthermore, some definitions of disability in Montenegrin legislation use derogatory 
terminology. 

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Montenegro needs to ensure implementation of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of 
Persons  with  Disabilities,  especially  regarding  the  reform  of  guardianship  and  decision-making  on 
behalf of persons with disabilities. 

In  March,  Montenegro  set  up  a  commission  to  draft  an  action  plan  to  implement  the  Committee’s 
recommendations. 

The government adopted in July 2025 a new Law on a unified disability determination system, while 
adoption by the Parliament is pending. This is a major reform aiming to ensure a more just and equal 
framework,  with  easier  access  to  rights,  enabling  a  shift  from  a  medical  to  a  human  rights-based 
model. 

In  December  2024,  the  government  allocated  premises  for  the  future  Institute  for  Disability 
Assessment; the process of adapting and equipping it is underway. 

In December, the government adopted the country’s first National Strategy on Deinstitutionalisation 
2025-2028 along with a two-year Action Plan. This needs to be swiftly followed by implementation to 
ensure  progress  in  moving  to  community-based  care  for  persons  with  disabilities.  The  National 
Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is still unable to carry out its work due to lack of 
institutional will.  

LGBTIQ persons 

The legal protection of the rights of LGBTIQ persons needs to be improved and further aligned with 
the  EU  acquis.  Moreover,  LGBTIQ  persons  continue  to  face  discrimination.  Seven  laws  have  been 
harmonised with the 2020 Same-sex Partnership Law, and work regarding six further laws is ongoing, 
but  the  process  needs  to  be  accelerated  as  it  is  long  overdue.  The  Draft  Law  on  Legal  Gender 
Recognition by Self Declaration underwent all necessary steps within the legislative process and was 
consulted with the European Commission, but the government has not yet adopted it. 

Hate speech against LGBTIQ persons is still widespread, including online hate speech. Cases of hate 
speech  are  often  prosecuted  under  the  Law  on  public  order,  rather  than  the  anti-discrimination  law; 
judicial practices for the prosecution of offenders therefore need to be streamlined. 

Procedural rights and victims’ rights 

The legal framework for procedural rights for suspects and accused and the rights of victims of crime 
is incomplete and needs to be improved. 

The  Criminal  Procedure  Code  is  not  yet  fully  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis  and  European  and 
international standards on victims’ rights and procedural safeguards. Montenegro still needs to further 
align the criminal legislation with the EU Victims’ Rights Directive to ensure that all provisions are 
implemented  and  that  the  rights  set  out  in  the  Directive  apply  to  all  victims  of  all  crimes.    A  first 
national  Strategy  on  Victims´  Rights  remains  to  be  adopted  to  ensure  a  harmonised  approach  to 
victims’ rights.  

In December, Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on free legal aid, expanding the scope of 
legal  aid,  particularly  for  persons  in  vulnerable  situations,  such  as  child  victims  of  crimes  against 
sexual freedom and children involved in child protection proceedings. Under the amended law, only 
specialised  lawyers  will  be  authorised  to  provide  legal  assistance  to  vulnerable  victims,  including 
those of trafficking in human beings and domestic violence. In 2024, the amount spent on free legal 
aid was EUR 79 847.19 (2023: EUR 106 476). 

Protection of minorities 

The legal and institutional framework for the protection of persons belonging to minorities is largely 
in  place  but  needs  to  be  improved  and  further  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  Persons  belonging  to 
minorities  are  well-integrated  into  society.  The  Law  on  minority  rights  and  freedoms  ensures  the 
protection  and  respect  of  human  rights  for  all  citizens,  including  the  right  to  publicly  express  their 
national, ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity. The implementation of the framework is still 
not sufficiently effective. 

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In  October  2024,  the  Advisory  Committee  on  the  Framework  Convention  for  the  Protection  of 
National  Minorities  (FCNM)  published  its  fourth  opinion  on  Montenegro  with  five  main 
recommendations for immediate action. These recommendations include a review of the appointment 
procedure for the Commission for Evaluation of the Fund for the Protection and Exercise of Minority 
Rights and an evaluation of the effects of current policy measures to foster integration into society. On 
the basis of these reviews, a coherent and wide-ranging strategy to foster a shared civic identity will 
have to be developed. 

Roma 

The legal and institutional framework for Roma is insufficient and needs to be further aligned with the 
EU acquis. Three main recommendations of the FCNM for immediate action concern the Roma and 
Egyptian  communities:  (i)  access  to  adequate  housing;  (ii)  access  to  secondary  and  university 
education;  and  (iii)  set  electoral  thresholds  for  national  minorities  to  ensure  the  principle  of  equal 
treatment. 

The threshold for political representation of Roma has not been reduced. The level of discrimination 
against Roma remains high in all spheres of life: education, employment, housing, access to services. 

According  to  the  2023 population  census  results  published  on  15 October 2024,  the total  number  of 
Roma in the country is 5 629 (0.90% of the total population), and there are 1 655 Egyptians (0.27% of 
the total population). Therefore, the total number of Roma and Egyptians is 7 284 or 1.17% of the total 
population. Romani is spoken by 4 658 people or 0.75% of the total population. 

An  official,  structured  catalogue  of  all  job  positions  for  Roma  mediators  in  the  area  of  health, 
employment  and  social  welfare  is  needed.  The  Ministry  of  Human  and  Minority  Rights  (MHMR) 
currently  provides  funding  for  the  salaries  of  21  mediators  on  an  annual  basis,  which  is  not 
sustainable.  Roma  mediators  in  pre-school  education  are  greatly  needed  in  order  to  prevent 
segregation and ensure better learning outcomes for Roma later in primary education. 

In January, the government adopted the Semi-annual report on the work of the Coordination body for 
monitoring  the  implementation  of  the  Poznan  Declaration  commitments  for  2024.  There  has  been 
limited progress in implementing the Poznan Declaration commitments due to the lack of coordination 
and political will to prioritise Roma inclusion. 

In  February,  the  government  adopted  the  National  Programme  for  the  Transformation  of  Informal 
Employment of Roma and Egyptians for 2024-2026. 

In November 2024, the MHMR organised the National Roma seminar for the first time in six years 
and an agreement on the seminar’s conclusions was reached only in June 2025. The National Roma 
Contact Person has limited capacity, and there is lack of political will and poor coordination among 
the institutions in implementing Roma policies. 

In November 2024, the Ministry of Justice appointed a court interpreter for the Romani  language for 
the first time. 

In 2024, the MHMR supported 33 NGO projects with EUR 500 000 in funding to improve the position 
of Roma and Egyptians in Montenegro. 

In a mid-term report published on 20 June 2025, the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for 
Regional or Minority Languages welcomed several policy steps taken by the Montenegrin authorities. 
However, the Committee expressed its regret that the recommendations in the sixth evaluation report 
of  2023  were  not  implemented.  These  recommendations  included  integrating  Romani  into  formal 
education, tackling the lack of qualified teachers and introducing Romani as an official language in at 
least one local self-government unit. The Committee recommends stepping up efforts to promote the 
Romani language in Montenegro, in cooperation with those who speak it. 

Refugees and internally displaced persons 

From  7 November  2009  to  7  July  2025,  there  were  15 277  requests  for  permanent  or  temporary 
residence.  Of  these,  15 268  requests  were  resolved,  and  nine  cases  are  pending.  A  total  of  12 430 

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people received permanent or temporary residence of up to three years, 338 requests were refused, and 
2 500 cases were suspended due to incomplete or duplicated requests.  

Since the entry into force of the new Law on foreigners in 2018 and its amendments in June 2025, 11 
people  were  recognised  as  stateless,  out  of  42  submitting  a  request.  Montenegro  has  yet  to  adopt 
amendments  to  the  Law  on  foreigners  to  strengthen  the  procedure  to  determine  statelessness, 
procedural guarantees and rights during the procedure and when stateless status is recognised. 

Citizenship rights 

Montenegro will have to align its legislative framework with the EU acquis on EU citizenship rights 
ahead of accession. This should include carrying out an analysis of the alignment and implementation 
needs arising from Directive 2004/38/EC across all policy areas affected.  

In 2024, the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued 1 282 decisions on granting Montenegrin citizenship in 
line  with  the  provisions  of  the  investor  citizenship  scheme  (385  for  applicants  and  899  for  family 
members).  The  applications  had  been  submitted  before  the  expiry  of  the  scheme  on  31 December 
2022.  21  applications  are  still  being  processed.  To  ensure  compliance  with  EU  law,  Montenegro 
should repeal the legal basis allowing for the (re)development of an investor citizenship scheme. Such 
schemes breach the EU law and pose risks related to security, money laundering, tax evasion, terrorist 
financing, corruption and infiltration by organised crime. 

2.2.2  Chapter 24: Justice, freedom and security 

The EU has common rules for border and migration management, visa policy, and asylum. Schengen 
cooperation entails the lifting of border controls inside the EU. There is also cooperation in the fight 
against serious and organised crime and terrorism, and judicial, police and customs cooperation, all 
with the support of the EU Justice and Home Affairs agencies. 

Fight against serious and organised crime 

The  legal  framework  on  serious  and  organised  crime  is  largely  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  The 
capacity to fight against serious and organised crime is broadly satisfactory. 

Legal alignment, strategic and institutional frameworks 

In  November  2024,  the  Ministry  of  Interior  adopted  the  strategy  for  the  fight  against  transnational 
organised crime 2024-2027. 

In  September  2024,  the  government  adopted  the  mid-term  review  for  2022-2024  of  the  serious  and 
organised  crime  threat  assessment  (SOCTA).  The  review  identified  11  high-risk  organised  crime 
groups (OCGs) in Montenegro whose dominant criminal activity is cocaine smuggling at international 
level. The SOCTA underlined the use of severe forms of violence in criminal activities and the use of 
corruption  through  OCGs’  infiltration  of  law  enforcement  and  the  intelligence-security  sector.  The 
related  security  risk  has  further  increased  due  to  ineffective  court  proceedings,  which  result  in  the 
release of a significant number of members of OCGs accused of organising and directly committing 
serious crimes. 

In line with the EU Directive on the exchange of information between the law enforcement authorities 
of Member States, in April 2025, the police administration set up the International Operational Room 
24/7  single  point  of  contact  (SPOC).  This  is  a  ‘one-stop  shop’  for  national  and  international  police 
cooperation,  bringing  together  the  country’s  international  police  cooperation  bureaux,  as  well  as  all 
criminal police, analysis and intelligence contact points. 

The  Police  Department  of  Internal  control  and  the  Ministry  of  Interior’s  anti-corruption  unit  have 
overlapping competences and both should be urgently reorganised. Further efforts need to be made to 
combat corruption in law enforcement agencies. The Special Investigative Measure (SIM) division of 
the Police Directorate should be reorganised to improve efficiency and effectiveness and reduce risks 
of leaking information. The SIM should also be fully equipped with the necessary technical equipment 
(such  as  software  for  investigative  analysis,  microphones  and  cameras)  to  support  its  investigative 
activities  

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The Director of Police as well as most of the departmental directors of the police currently hold their 
positions  in  an  acting  capacity,  which  affects  the  stability  and  sustainability  of  police  action  and 
increases  risks  of  political  interference.  In  September  2024,  Parliament  adopted  amendments  to  the 
Law on internal affairs concerning the recruitment of police officers without any public consultation or 
participation of NGOs. Following the adoption of these amendments, a recruitment campaign for 815 
police officers was launched in 2025 by the Ministry of Interior. Montenegro needs to ensure that the 
ongoing  recruitment  campaign  is  merit-based.  Procedural  safeguards  against  undue  political 
interference in law enforcement authorities must also be put in place. In July, amendments to Law on 
internal affairs concerning disciplinary proceedings and integrity checks were submitted to Parliament 
and subsequently withdrawn following pressure from civil society.  

In  December  2024,  the  government  adopted  a  new  rulebook  on  the  internal  organisation  and 
systematisation  of  job  positions  of  the  Ministry  of  the  Interior  and  the  Police  Directorate.  One  key 
innovation  is  that  the  Special  Police  Unit  (SPU)  will  receive  the  status  of  a  special  department 
separated from the Crime Fighting Sector. Following the European Commission’s recommendations, 
this will give the SPU a greater level of autonomy since it is the strongest operational service in the 
security  sector  and  works  on  the  most  complex  cases  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Special  State 
Prosecutor’s Office (SSPO). Furthermore, the number of planned positions in the SPU increased from 
50 to 60. However, in August, only 33 positions were filled. The condition of the SSPO and SPU’s 
offices  are  well  below  the  minimum  required  by  European  standards,  preventing  those  institutions 
from performing their duties effectively, efficiently and independently. 

In  2024,  the  Asset  Recovery  Office  (ARO)  processed  46  foreign  requests  to  identify  property  in 
Montenegro acquired through criminal activity, involving checks of 242 natural persons and 10 legal 
entities.  The  ARO  needs  to  be  strengthened  with  additional  human  resources,  currently  within  the 
International Police Cooperation Group (in which the ARO is embedded), out of six officers foreseen 
for ARO-related duties, only one officer has been assigned. Montenegro needs complete the alignment 
of its legal framework with the EU acquis on asset recovery. 

The new strategy to combat trafficking in human beings for 2025-2028 and its 2025 action plan was 
prepared following the forming of a working group by the Ministry of Interior in December 2024 

Following the mass shooting in Cetinje in January 2025 and in line with last year’s recommendations, 
the  Ministry  of  Interior  actively  worked,  with the  involvement  of  all  stakeholders,  on  amending  the 
Law on weapons to align it with the EU acquis. The draft law on weapons is currently being finalised 
following an extensive public consultation. 

On child sexual abuse online and offline, the 
legal  framework  should  be  amended  to  align 
with  the  Directive  on  combating  the  sexual 
abuse and sexual exploitation of children and 
child pornography. 

Implementation and enforcement capacity 

In  2024,  the  High  Court  in  Podgorica  had  a 
total  of  106  (cases  pending  against  769 
defendants  (713  individuals  and  56  legal 
entities).  The  number  of  final  convictions  in 
organised  crime  cases 
rise, 
highlighting  more  proactive  and  successful 
investigations and prosecutions. However, the 
track  record  needs  to  be  further  improved, 
particularly regarding crimes such as tobacco 
smuggling, cybercrime stand-alone money laundering offences and trafficking in human beings.  

the  on 

is 

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to  banks 

issued  orders 

The number of cases of asset freezing and asset seizures has slightly increased; however, the track 
record on final confiscation of assets remains limited and needs to be strengthened. The courts issued 
temporary security measures in nine cases (17 in 2023), including the prohibition of disposal and use 
of  real  estate  properties.  The  courts 
also 
to 
suspend  suspicious  transactions  on 
the  accounts  of individuals  and  legal 
entities,  for  a  total  of  approximately 
EUR 150 000.  Additionally,  despite 
the  number  of 
the 
financial  investigations  opened,  the 
number  of  confiscations  remained 
low. Montenegro needs to address the 
land 
problem  of 
cadastre,  which  hampers  financial 
investigations and the confiscation of 
assets  and  ensure  all  confiscation 
tools available are being used. 

incomplete 

increase 

its 

in 

Montenegro  continued 
its  good 
cooperation with Europol and the EU 
Agency 
for  Law  Enforcement 
Training  (CEPOL)  and  participated 
in  76  operational  actions  of  the  European  Multidisciplinary  Platform  Against  Criminal  Threats 
(EMPACT), including three as co-leader To foster further alignment with EMPACT, Montenegro is 
encouraged  to  benefit  from  its  access  to  the  EMPACT  Support  Network  (ESN)  established  by 
CEPOL. Montenegro is recommended to take advantage of its access to CEPOL’s training portfolio 
and  integrate  the  gained  knowledge  and  competencies  into  the  national  law  enforcement  training 
system. 

On money laundering, the SSPO launched investigations in 10 cases (five in 2023), eight of which 
followed notifications of suspicious transactions received by the Financial Intelligence Unit involving 
17 individuals. The High Court of Podgorica finalised three cases, two acquittals and one conviction 
through  a  plea  agreement,  and  real  estate  assets  valued  at  approximately  EUR 8 million  were 
permanently confiscated. Montenegro needs to improve its track record of investigations, prosecution 
and convictions of stand-alone money laundering offences. 

On  tobacco  smuggling,  the  total  number  of  cigarette  packs  smuggled  across  customs  was  442 192, 
resulting  in  a  financial  loss  of  EUR 442 270 096  for  the  Montenegrin  budget.  The  Basic  State 
Prosecutor’s  Offices  filed  25  criminal  charges  (21  in  2023)  against  25  individuals  (39  in  2023).  In 
total, approximately 1 707kg of cut tobacco worth EUR 93 392 was seized. 

In November 2024, the Customs Administration completed the inventory of the confiscated cigarettes 
stored in the Free Zone of the Port of Bar with the support of the United Kingdom’s HM Revenue and 
Customs  authority.  Between  June  and  September,  the  destruction  of  the  confiscated  cigarettes  was 
completed with approximately 1.7 million kilograms of seized tobacco being destroyed.   

Progress  continued  in  the  reporting  period  in  improving  the  fight  against  and  prevention  of 
cybercrime and. Members of the Group for Suppression of High-Tech Crime carried out a prevention-
focused  investigative  operation  to  identify  victims  of  child  sexual  exploitation. The  members  of  the 
group also carried out a series of lectures for pupils to raise awareness of cybersecurity. 

EN 

  EN 

 
 
the 

track 

and 
in 

in  which 
convicted, 

convictions 
human 

record  of 
In  2024, 
for 
prosecutions 
trafficking 
beings 
continued to improve. The court made 
the 
two  final  decisions 
for 
defendants  were 
exploitation of forced marriage and for 
begging  and  again  exploitation  of 
forced  marriage  and  sentenced 
to 
imprisonment. In October 2024, at the 
initiative of the Supreme Court and the 
Ministry  of  the  Interior,  informational 
material on access to free legal aid was 
and 
created 
distributed  to  all  relevant  institutions. 
The  Judicial  Training  Centre  started 
developing  specialised 
training  on 
trafficking in human beings to increase lawyers’ capacity to provide legal aid to victims. 

languages 

five 

in 

The  multidisciplinary  victim  identification  team,  which  is  in  charge  of  identifying,  referring  and 
providing initial assistance to victims, identified 28 victims in 2024 (2023: 18). 

Montenegro  currently  has  two  licensed  shelters  for  victims  of  trafficking  in  human  beings:  one  for 
women  and  one  for  children.  The  provision  of  accommodation  for  trafficking  victims  must  be 
expanded, particularly to include male victims, as already recommended in the past years. 

On firearms, in 2024 a total of 879 firearms, 62 194 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, and 17 
711  pieces  of  mines  and  explosive  devices  were  seized.  This  is  a  stark  increase  compared  to  the 
previous year. 

Police officers receive specialised training on cases of gender-based violence. Currently, seven police 
stations  are  equipped  with  dedicated  rooms  for  interviewing  victims  of  gender-based  and  domestic 
violence.  

Cooperation in the field of drugs 

The legal framework for cooperation in the field of drugs needs to be improved. 

Legal alignment, strategic and institutional frameworks 

In  December  2024,  after  a  prolonged  period  with  no  strategic  framework  since  the  expiry  of  the 
previous strategy in 2020, the government adopted the national drugs strategy 2024-2027. The strategy 
was prepared in line with the EU Drugs Strategy 2021-2025. In October 2024, Montenegro signed a 
working arrangement with the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA). 

The  National  Drug  Observatory  is  operational  with  three  full-time  staff.  It  cooperates  well  with 
national health and security institutions. Its involvement in the activities of EUDA is satisfactory. The 
national early warning system is operational and has been associated to the EU’s system. 

Implementation 
capacity 

and 

enforcement 

Montenegro  continued  to  be  a  transit 
country  for  drugs  as  a  part  of  the 
Balkan route.  

Montenegro  has  not  addressed 
its 
insufficient  storage  capacity  for  seized 
drugs  and  has  yet  to  make  legislative 
changes to only keep a sample of drugs 
as  evidence  for  court  proceedings. 

EN 

  EN 

 
 
Progress  was  made  on  the  destruction  of  seized  drugs  through  an  operation  in  June  2025,  which 
destroyed approximately 2 941 kg of narcotics from the deposit of the High Court in Podgorica. The 
previous destruction operation from the Court’s deposit was carried out in 2022.    

Montenegro has sufficient operational capacity to actively engage in international police cooperation 
on drugs-related cases, including via Europol and INTERPOL. 

Throughout the reporting period, the Police 
Administration  carried  out  lectures  across 
primary  and  secondary  schools  to  raise 
awareness  of  the  harmful  effects  of  taking 
drugs.  Efforts  are  underway  to  involve 
more  municipalities  in  the  funding  of 
‘Kakaricka Gora’, the public institution for 
rehabilitation and resocialisation of persons 
who  use  drugs  through  the  signing  of 
cooperation agreements (now in place with 
and 
two 
local 
Danilovgrad) 
governments 
the 
treatment of patients. 

Cetinje 
through  which 
financially 

municipalities: 

support 

Fight  against  terrorism  and  prevention 
of radicalisation and violent extremism 

The legal framework for the fight against terrorism is largely aligned with the EU  acquis. The fight 
against terrorism is broadly satisfactory. 

Montenegro’s legal framework for countering violent extremism is largely aligned with the EU acquis. 
The countering of violent extremism is broadly satisfactory. 

The  legal framework for  critical infrastructure  protection and the resilience  of  critical entities  is not 
aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  The  protection  of  critical  infrastructure  and  the  resilience  of  critical 
entities need to be improved. 

Legal alignment, strategic and institutional frameworks 

In 2024, Montenegro continued to implement measures set out in the Joint Action Plan on  Counter-
Terrorism  for  the  Western  Balkans.  In  October  2024,  Montenegro  received  assistance  from  the  EU 
Radicalisation  Awareness  Network  (RAN)  to  draft  its  new  National  Strategy  on  the  Prevention  and 
Suppression of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism [. A growing concern is the increasing presence 
of  right-wing  extremist  content  online,  along  with  hate  speech  and  disinformation.  This  has  been 
further intensified by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. 

In December 2024, the government appointed the fourth National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism 
in  three  years.  The  Coordinator  is  in  charge  of  the  National  Operational  Team  (NOT)  for  the 
prevention  and  suppression  of  radicalisation,  violent  extremism,  terrorism,  money  laundering  and 
terrorism  financing.  Activities  to  set  up  a  fully  functional  Passenger  Information  Unit  continued.  A 
working group appointed by the NOT prepared the final draft of the Agreement with state authorities 
on the use of passenger data in air traffic. 

Implementation and enforcement capacity 

In  2024,  no  individual  was  convicted  for  a  terrorism  offence  in  Montenegro.  The  country  needs  to 
create a network of local focal points for the prevention of violent extremism in local municipalities; 
preparation  in  this  regard  has  started  in  Bijelo  Polje.  In  June,  the  National  Security  Agency,  in 
cooperation with the police, prevented the establishment of a radical Islamist network in Montenegro. 
The operation led to the expulsion of a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina who was attempting to set 
up a parallel religious structure in Plav, outside the framework of the official Islamic Community of 
Montenegro. 

EN 

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In  2024,  implementation  was  limited  to  the  two  National  Strategies  on  Prevention  of  Terrorism, 
Money  Laundering  and  Terrorism  Financing  2022-2025  and  on  Prevention  and  Suppression  of 
Radicalisation and Violent Extremism 2020-2024 and their action plans. Montenegro is in the process 
of drafting its new national strategies. 

Montenegro  continued  its  good  cooperation  with  Europol  on  foreign  terrorist  fighters.  In  2024,  the 
number  of  messages  exchanged  with  foreign  counterterrorism  units  through  Europol’s  Secure 
Information Exchange Network Application (SIENA) communication link rose to 525 (2023: 480). 

No action is currently being taken to repatriate the 14 Montenegrin foreign terrorist fighters and family 
members reported to be in Syria and Iraq. 

Judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters 

Judicial  cooperation 
criminal matters is satisfactory. 

in  civil  and 

legal  framework  for 

judicial 
The 
cooperation 
in  civil  and  criminal 
matters is largely aligned with the EU 
acquis  to  the  extent  that  alignment  is 
already possible. 

In  October  2024,  Parliament  adopted 
the Law on the ratification of the 2019 
Hague Convention  on the recognition 
and  enforcement  of  foreign  court 
judgments  in  civil  and  commercial 
matters.  This  Convention  will  enter 

into force on 1 March 2026. 

Cooperation  between  Montenegro  and  the  EU  Agency  for  Criminal  Justice  Cooperation  (Eurojust) 
continued with the country being involved between 1 March 2024 - 31 July 2025 in 41 new cases at 
Eurojust, most related to organised crime, drug trafficking and money laundering; half (20) of these 
cases  were  opened  at 
the  request  of 
Montenegro’s  Liaison  Prosecutor.  To  date, 
Montenegro  has  not  been  part  of  any  joint 
investigation  teams  with  an  EU  Member 
State.  In  September  2022,  the  European 
Public  Prosecutor’s  Office  (EPPO)  and  the 
SSPO  signed  a  working  arrangement. 
Montenegro  should  further  improve  the 
speed  and  efficiency  of 
international 
judicial cooperation by increasing its use of 
judicial  cooperation  instruments,  such  as 
joint  investigations  teams  and  direct  court-
to-court  cooperation.  Montenegro  needs  to 
expedite 
judicial 
processing 
cooperation requests, particularly mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, through the application 
of  the  European  Convention  on  Mutual  Legal  Assistance  and  its  additional  protocols.  Furthermore, 
Montenegro should focus on ensuring that its authorities, which are competent to deal with matters of 
judicial cooperation, including in the field of criminal asset recovery, have the necessary resources to 
deal with foreign requests quickly and effectively. 

the 

of 

Legal and irregular migration 

The legal framework for the management of legal and irregular migration is partially aligned with the 
EU acquis. 

The management of legal and irregular migration is broadly satisfactory. 

EN 

  EN 

 
 
Legal alignment, strategic and institutional frameworks 

Montenegro  is  currently  implementing  its  2021-2025  strategy  on  migration  and  reintegration  of 
returnees to further align its legislation with the EU acquis. The strategy focuses on key areas such as 
legal migration, asylum, prevention of irregular migration, readmission, return, integration, internally 
displaced persons and statelessness. 

Implementation and enforcement capacity 

intention 

In  2024,  3 153  migrants  were  apprehended  crossing  the  borders  illegally,  a  40%  decline  compared 
with  2023 
(5 314).  The 
majority  of  these  migrants 
registered  an 
to 
and  were 
seek 
asylum 
with 
provided 
and 
accommodation 
two 
at 
healthcare 
the 
reception 
In 
centres. 
addition,  141  migrants  were 
the 
held 
Centre for Foreigners (2023: 
83). 

in  detention 

in 

In  2024,  there  was  a  large 
increase  in  the  number  of 
arrivals  of  unaccompanied 
minors 
registered). 
Montenegro must ensure the adequate application of standard operating procedures for the treatment 
of  unaccompanied  minors,  particularly  in  terms  of  accommodation  and  individual  assessment  by 
social workers. 

(195 

In  October  2024,  the  Montenegrin  police  successfully  dismantled  a migrant  smuggling  network  and 
arrested  13  migrant  smugglers.  These  smugglers  were  suspected  of  being  part  of  a  criminal 
organisation  that  trafficked  352  people  from  countries,  including  Pakistan,  Bangladesh,  Nepal  and 
Syria,  into  Montenegro.  In  December  2024,  the  Specialised  Operational  Team  for  Dismantling 
Networks of Migrant Smuggling was set up in the Police Directorate. 

In 2024, a new migratory route opened in the north of Montenegro (Rožaje), with migrants arriving in 
Montenegro from either Kosovo or Serbia. A working group was created to put in place a system for 
identifying and registering migrants that is similar to the Eurodac system in line with the Master Plan 
developed by Frontex. Equipment for the electronic identification and registration of foreigners who 
express  their  intention  to  apply  for  international  protection  is  now  operational  at  two  border  police 
premises  in  Božaj  and  Pljevlja.  Montenegro  must  continue  to  strengthen  its  technical  and  human 
capacities across the new migratory route. 

The readmission agreement with the EU continued to be implemented. As of 2024, Montenegro had 
implementing  protocols  with  15  EU  Member  States  further facilitating  its 
implementation. 
Montenegro  continues  ensuring  good  cooperation 
to  readmission  requests.  
Reintegration assistance is available for Montenegrin returnees. 

in  responding 

Montenegro  additionally  has  a  bilateral  readmission  agreement  with  Croatia  and  11  readmission 
agreements  with  non-EU  countries,  including  all  five  Western  Balkan  countries  and  Türkiye. 
However, it has no formal agreement nor administrative arrangement with the main countries of origin 
of  migrants  arriving  in  Montenegro.  In  2024,  184  people  were  readmitted  from  Montenegro  to 
neighbouring  countries,  mainly  to  Kosovo  (2023:  70).  Readmissions  of  non-EU  nationals  from 
neighbouring countries to Montenegro continued to decline, with 35 readmissions in 2024 (2023: 50). 
In 2024, 82 voluntary returns from Montenegro were carried out (2023: 31). The border police carried 
out 40 returns to neighbouring countries, and the International Organization for Migration carried out 
42 returns to countries of origins, primarily Russia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye. 

EN 

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In 2024, Montenegro started discussions with some third countries of main origin of migrants coming 
to  Montenegro  (Bangladesh,  Pakistan,  and  Nepal)  to  draft  labour  mobility  agreements,  which  could 
include a return component. 

Montenegro  should  ensure  that  legal  pathways  developed  towards  third  country  nationals  prevent 
irregular secondary movements to the EU. 

Montenegro continues to take part in the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling and is invited 
to renew its engagement at the occasion of the Global Alliance's second conference scheduled to take 
place end of 2025. 

Asylum 

The legal framework on asylum is largely aligned with the EU acquis. 

The management of asylum is broadly satisfactory. 

Legal alignment, strategic and institutional frameworks 

Cooperation  with  the  EU  Agency  for  Asylum  was  strengthened  in  March  with  the  signature  of  the 
Second Joint Roadmap for Cooperation (2024-2027). Cooperation with the EU Agency for Asylum is 
very good and continued to reinforce Montenegro’s overall asylum system. 

The  Directorate  General  for  Administrative  Affairs,  Citizenship  and  Foreigners  underwent  a 
reorganisation, and a new Director was appointed. Although the Directorate for Asylum continued to 
increase its staffing capacity in 2024, four vacant positions have still not been filled. 

Implementation and enforcement capacity 

In  2024,  2 970  people  registered  an 
intention  to  request  asylum  (2023: 
4 973),  reflecting  a  downward  trend 
in  irregular  entries.  132  individuals 
ended  up  lodging  a  formal  asylum 
the 
claim. 
Administrative Court handed down a 
decision on an administrative dispute 
in  asylum  proceedings  for  the  first 
time. 

In  November  2024, 

In  2024,  the  Directorate  for  Asylum 
continued  to  reduce  the  backlog  of 
asylum  applications.  Decisions  are 
routinely  made  within  six  months 
except in complex cases, where a 21-month deadline applies. Few decisions have been overturned at 
second instance in recent years, reflecting an improvement in the quality of the determination process. 

In 2024, the number of asylum seekers accommodated in Montenegro’s reception centres was 1 745, 
decreasing  from  3  093  in  2023.  Montenegro  has  two  reception  centres  with  a  total  capacity  of  164 
beds, and their operating costs are covered by the state budget. In 2024, the government allocated a 
budget for improvements to the Spuz centre, and the Ministry of Interior formally requested that the 
reconstruction of the Božaj centre be recognised as a multi-year activity within its 2025 Budget Law. 

the 

In 
region,  Montenegro 
continued to be the country hosting 
the  largest  number  of  Ukrainian 
temporary 
under 
nationals 
protection, having fled Russia’s war 
in  both  absolute 
of  aggression, 
its 
relative 
figures 
population.  In  March  2025,  the 
temporary 
decision 

grant 

and 

to 

to 

EN 

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protection was extended by one year until March 2026 in line with the EU. 

Montenegro  continued  to  provide  Ukrainians  under  temporary  protection  with  access  to  health 
services and accommodation that exceeds minimum EU standards. However, Montenegro still largely 
relies  on  ad  hoc  solutions  for  those  under  international  protection.  Administrative  barriers  hinder 
access  to  healthcare  for  temporary  protection  holders.  To  mitigate  these  barriers,  several  pieces  of 
implementing  legislation  still  need  to  be  adopted,  and  the  Law  on  health  insurance  needs  to  be 
amended. 

Visa policy  

Montenegro’s visa policy is not fully aligned with the EU’s, in particular the list of countries whose 
nationals  require  a  visa  to  enter  the  EU.  Montenegro’s  list  of  visa-free  countries  continues  to  differ 
from the EU’s by nine countries. 

Of the nine countries on the EU’s list of visa-required countries, Montenegro has exempted eight from 
visa  requirements  on  a  permanent  basis  (Azerbaijan,  Bahrain,  Belarus,  China,  Qatar,  Russia,  Saudi 
Arabia  and  Türkiye).  In  addition,  one  country  has  a  seasonal  visa  waiver  to  enter  Montenegro  for 
tourism purposes between March and October (Kazakhstan). 

In  December  2024,  Montenegro  added  Bahrain  and  Saudi  Arabia  (previously  subject  to  seasonal 
exemptions)  to  its  permanently  exempt  list.  In  February  2025,  Montenegro  adopted  a  decision  on 
seasonal visa waivers for the tourist season from 1 March to 1 November and reinstated Uzbekistan, 
which had been removed from the list in 2024. In February 2025, following the EU’s decision to add 
the country to its visa-required list, Montenegro removed visa waivers for citizens of Vanuatu. After 
the regression on visa policy alignment at the start of the year, in October 2025, Montenegro abolished 
the visa-free regime with Kuwait, Egypt, Armenia, and Uzbekistan (effective as of 29 October).  

Full alignment with the EU’s list of visa-required countries is a closing benchmark requirement under 
Chapter  24.  Montenegro  should  continue  making  progress  and  enhance  efforts  on  aligning  its  visa 
policy  as  a  matter  of  urgency.  Furthermore,  it  should  address  seasonal  visa  waivers,  which  are 
incompatible  with  EU  visa  acquis.  It  should  also  implement  visa  procedures  in  line  with  Schengen 
standards,  including  by  collecting  biometric  data  as  part  of  the  examination  of visa requests  and  by 
implementing implement targeted security measures, such as a screening of visa-exempted arrivals.   

In 2024, 1282 individuals were granted Montenegrin citizenship through pending applications of the 
investor citizenship scheme which ended on 31 December 2022. Of these individuals, citizenship was 
granted to citizens of the Russian Federation (709) to citizens of Belarus (42) and to citizens of Saudi 
Arabia (29). Montenegro should perform the necessary security checks while analysing the remaining 
applications  for  citizenships  under  the provisions  of  the  investor  citizenship  scheme and  ensure  that 
the  citizenship  granted  via  that  scheme  to  persons  subject  to  international  restrictive  measures  is 
revoked. 

Schengen governance and external borders 

The legislative and strategic framework for the management of external borders is largely aligned with 
the EU acquis. The management of borders is broadly satisfactory. 

Legal alignment, strategic and institutional frameworks 

Implementation of the Schengen acquis is currently supported by the Schengen Action Plan adopted in 
2017. However, Montenegro has not yet formally appointed a national Schengen Coordinator. 

Given  the  need  to  reinforce  and  establish  solid  foundation  for  the  Schengen  system,  the  Schengen 
Action Plan is currently under revision process, with the aim of developing a robust national Schengen 
governance  system,  as  the  existing  plan  only  partially  defines  such  framework  and  of  strengthening 
Montenegro’s  capacity  and  capabilities  to  ensure  the  effective  and  timely  implementation  of  all 
Schengen requirements, including those related to border management and fight against cross-border 
crime.  

In  April  2025,  the  government  adopted  the  Integrated  Border  Management  Strategy  for  2025-2028, 
along with an action plan for 2025-2026. 

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In  December  2024,  Parliament  adopted  the  Law  on  the  ratification  of  the  Agreement  between 
Montenegro  and  the  European  Union  on  operational  activities  conducted  by  European  Border  and 
Coast  Guard  Agency  (Frontex)  in  the  country.  The  EU-Montenegro  status  agreement  entered  into 
force on 1 March. As of September, there were 87 Frontex-deployed officers in Montenegro stationed 
at the country’s borders with Albania, Croatia, Kosovo and Serbia as well as its airports in Podgorica, 
Tivat and Bar. The renewal of the Police Directorate’s working arrangement with Frontex is ongoing. 

Implementation and enforcement capacity 

In  2024,  956  out  of  1 508  posts  (63%)  in  the  Border  Police  Sector  were  filled.  This  is  the  sector’s 
lowest staffing level since it was set up. To reduce this gap, 249 border police officers are planned to 
be recruited under the police’s public recruitment call launched in January. 

In 2024, Montenegro conducted 719 joint border patrols with neighbouring countries (2023: 647), and 
in April 2025, a new shared border crossing point between Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina 
was opened in Zupci. 

Montenegro is working on putting in place an electronic surveillance system on Lake Skadar and the 
Bojana River. Video surveillance systems are currently available at 14 border crossing points. 

Montenegro’s  border  management  equipment  continued  to  be  upgraded  in  line  with  the  Schengen 
Action Plan. However, the country remained heavily reliant on support from the EU and other donors, 
both for securing funds to purchase equipment and for the acquisition process. 

The Border Police Sector intensified cooperation with Frontex via Joint Operation Montenegro 2025 
with nearly 90 officers deployed by Frontex currently stationed at the country’s borders with Albania, 
Croatia,  Kosovo  and  Serbia  as  well  as  its  airports  in  Podgorica,  Tivat  and  Bar.  The  border  police 
strengthened  its  collaboration  with  the  prosecution  office  and  the  criminal  police,  leading  to  the 
opening of several new Europol SIENA cases, including on people smuggling. 

Euro counterfeiting (criminal law aspect) 

The  legislation  on  the  suppression  of  counterfeit  currency  is  largely  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  In 
2024, the State Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against eight individuals for the criminal offence of 
counterfeiting  money.  Indictments  were  filed  and  confirmed  against  four  individuals,  and  14 
indictments were pending before the court, out of which five individuals were convicted. 

EN 

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2.3 

ECONOMIC CRITERIA  

2.3.1. The existence of a functioning market economy 

Economic governance 

The  government  adopted  a  new  fiscal  strategy  and  the  Europe  Now  2  Programme.  The  main 
element of the fiscal strategy is the reduction of the labour tax wedge, resulting in a sizeable revenue 
loss that is only partially offset by compensatory measures. The Europe Now 2 Programme, adopted in 
September  2024  and  effective  since  October  2024,  introduced  two  major  changes:  (i)  a  significant 
increase in minimum wages, from EUR 450 to either EUR 600 or EUR 800 a month, depending on the 
level of education; and (ii) changes to pension contributions. Employee contributions to the Pension 
and  Disability  Insurance  Fund  were  reduced  from  15%  to  10%,  and  employer  contributions  (5.5%) 
were abolished. The resulting fiscal impact is mitigated by introducing a third VAT rate (including for 
tourism, accommodation services and catering). 

Policy guidance set out in the conclusions of the Economic and Financial Dialogue with the EU 
of May 2024 was partially implemented. Progress was made in improving financial supervision and 
meeting  the  revised  budget  target,  but  the  fiscal  strategy  does  not  anticipate  compliance  with  the 
numerical  rules  for  the  general  government  deficit  (3%  of  GDP)  and  debt  (60%  of  GDP)  in  2025-
2027.  The  Fiscal  Council  has  not  been  set  up  yet,  and  structural  reforms  aiming  to  improve  SOE 
governance have only been partially implemented. 

There  were  some  political  setbacks  that  affected  adherence  to  the  principles  of  central  bank 
independence, including to the country’s commitments under the economic fundamentals and Chapter 
17  of  the  accession  negotiations  (economic  and  monetary  policy).  The  appointments  of  two  central 
bank  vice-governors  have  been  pending  since  September  2024,  with  Parliament  rejecting  the 
candidates proposed by the governor in May 2025 without any explanation. The appointments of four 
members  to  the  Central  Bank  Governing  Board  have  also  been  significantly  delayed.  Montenegro 
needs to  ensure  a  transparent  selection  of  the  Board’s  members, including  vice-governors, based  on 

EN 

  EN 

Table 19:202220232024Montenegro - Key economic figuresGDP per capita (% of EU-27 in PPS)1)46485254Real GDP growth 2.37.76.53.2Activity rate of the population aged 15-64 (%), total63.167.771.772.6      female56.261.466.366.4      male70.073.977.078.6Unemployment rate of the population aged 15-64 (%), total16.715.113.411.6      female16.813.114.312.4      male16.716.612.611.0Employment of the population aged 15-64 (annual growth %)-0.617.210.52.9Nominal wages (annual growth %)1.511.211.89.7Consumer price index (annual growth %)1.311.98.73.6Exchange rate against EUR1.01.01.01.0Current account balance (% of GDP)-16.5-12.9-11.2-17.1Net foreign direct investment, FDI (% of GDP)9.513.26.16.4General government balance (% of GDP)-4.6-4.20.6-3.2General government debt (% of GDP)77.170.859.361.3Notes: 1) EurostatSources: MONSTAT, Central Bank of Montenegro, Ministry of Finance and Eurostat2016-21 average 
 
 
candidates’ skills and in compliance with the central bank law. 

Macroeconomic stability 

economic 
to 
due 

in 
Following  a  strong  expansion 
growth 
2022-2023, 
a  weak 
decelerated 
performance of exports. GDP growth 
stood at 3.2% in 2024 and at 3.1% y-o-
y  in  the  first  half  of  2025,  down  from 
6.5%  in  2023.  Economic  expansion 
was  mainly  driven  by 
recovering 
investment  and  private  consumption, 
underpinned  by  growing  disposable 
income  and  credit.  Further  support 
came  from  government  consumption. 
The  performance  of  exports  was 
disappointing  due  to  a  contraction  in  goods  exports,  while  the  growth  in  tourism-related  services 
decelerated sharply after strong increases in previous years. Overall, the contribution of net exports to 
GDP growth was negative. Montenegro’s per capita GDP in purchasing power standards stood at 54% 
of the EU-27 average in 2024 compared with 52% in 2023 and 44% in 2020. 

External  imbalances  widened  over  the 
reporting  period.  The  current  account 
deficit  increased  from  11.4%  of  GDP  in 
2023 to 17.1% in 2024 and further to 17.7% 
in  the  second  quarter  of  2025,  owing  to  a 
contraction  in  exports.  The  decline  in 
exports was broad-based, with services and 
merchandise exports contracting by 3% and 
8%  in  2024,  respectively.  The  fall  in 
merchandise  exports  was  caused  by 
unfavourable  weather  conditions  and  weak 
exports  of  electricity.  The  secondary 
income surplus declined to 5.6% of GDP in 
2024 due to lower remittances. The primary 
income balance turned negative, at 0.3% of GDP, due to higher dividend payments. Less than half of 
the  current  account  deficit  was  financed  by  net  foreign  direct  investment  (FDI)  inflows,  with  the 
remainder  covered  by  new  debt.5  Net  FDI  inflows,  with  a  substantial  share  going  to  real  estate, 
increased slightly from 6.3% in 2023 to 6.4% of GDP in 2024, due to a combination of higher inflows 
of equity investment and inter-company debt and lower outflows. In Q2 2025 net FDI inflows declined 
slightly to 6.1% of GDP6 while international reserves stood at EUR 1.5 billion in Q2 2025, equivalent 
to 3.5 months of imports of goods and services. In Q2 2025 net FDI inflows declined slightly to 6.1% 
of GDP7 while international reserves stood at EUR 1.5 billion in in Q2 2025, equivalent to 3.5 months 
of imports of goods and services. 

Average inflation declined to 3.6% in 2024 on the back of lower import prices, while  domestic 
price  pressures  persisted.  Year-on-year  Inflation  reached  the  lowest  point  of  1.4%  in  September 
2024 but reaccelerated to 4.6% in August 2025. The reduction in headline inflation in 2024 took place 
on the back of lower prices for food and energy, while core inflation hovered around 5%. 

5 Errors and omissions stood at 1.3% of GDP in 2024. 
6 The four-quarter moving net FDI. 
7 The four-quarter moving net FDI. 

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The 2024 budget recorded a deficit in line with the revised target, while the budget balance is set 
to  deteriorate  somewhat  in  2025.  The  2024  budget  deficit  stood  at  3.2%  of  GDP8,  which  is  a 
substantial deterioration compared with 
the  small  surplus  seen  in  2023.  The 
deterioration  is  mainly  explained  by  a 
in  public  spending 
large 
(18%). This included: (i) a 23% rise in 
social transfers  driven by a  hike  in the 
minimum pension9; (ii) a 26% surge in 
capital  spending;  and  (iii)  a  16% 
increase  in  transfers  to  institutions, 
including  for  health,  as  well  as  a  40% 
decrease 
revenues. 
Parliament  adopted  the  2025  budget 
law  with  a  delay  in  February  2025.  It 
projects  the  budget  deficit  to  rise  to 
3.5% of GDP, driven by the full implementation of the Europe Now 2 Programme for the whole year. 
In January-July, the budget deficit stood at 1.2% of projected GDP compared to a surplus of 0.6% of 
GDP in the same period of 2024. 

increase 

one-off 

in 

Recent measures weakening the revenue base and raising current spending, coupled with large 
upcoming  repayment  needs,  point  to  significant  fiscal  vulnerabilities.  At  the  end  of  2024,  the 
public debt ratio increased to 61.3% of GDP, up from 60.3% of GDP a year earlier. The increase was 
partially driven by borrowing to accumulate reserves for the Eurobond repayment due in 202510. Debt 
rollover  needs,  including  of  Eurobonds,  are  particularly  substantial in  2025  and  2027,  amounting to 
10.3%  and  11.1%  of  GDP,  respectively11.  The  Medium-Term  Debt  Management  Strategy  for  2025-
2027, adopted at the end of 2024, aims (i) to secure sufficient financing for debt repayment and fiscal 
buffers  for  2025  and  2026  by  issuing  bonds  on  foreign  and  domestic  markets,  (ii)  extend  the  debt 
maturity,  (iii)  smoothen  its  repayment  profile  and  (iv)  avoid  peaks  in  every  two  years12.  In  March 
2025,  Montenegro  made  progress  in  meeting  financing  needs  by  selling  a  record-high  EUR 850 
million Eurobond (around 10.7% of projected GDP in 2025) with a seven-year maturity and an interest 
rate of 4.875%. The public debt to GDP ratio increased to 61% in Q2 2025. Montenegro also plans to 
issue a first retail bond of around EUR 50 million, tapping into the large deposit base held by banks 
and  yielding  low  interest  rates.  To  stabilise  the  debt  ratio  below  60%  of  GDP  as  prescribed  by  the 
fiscal rule, additional measures might be needed, which would offset adverse fiscal dynamics resulting 
from  high  mandatory  spending  and  a  narrow  revenue  base,  which  was  further  weakened  by  cuts  in 
pension contributions. 

Fiscal  policy  is  the  main  tool  to  manage  aggregate  demand  and  support  disinflation  in 
Montenegro’s  ‘euroised’  economy.  Newly  adopted  policy  measures  weakened  the  fiscal  position, 
and  they  do  not  ensure  compliance  with  the  fiscal  rules  or  the  building  of  fiscal  buffers  that  would 
strengthen the economy’s resilience to adverse shocks. 

Functioning of product markets 

Business environment 

Work  on  improving  the  regulatory  business  environment  continued.  In  March  2024,  the 

8 The general government budget deficit stood at 3.2% of GDP in 2024, which is slightly better than the target of 3.3% 
adopted in the revised budget in September. 
9 The government increased the minimum pension by 52% to EUR 450 from 2024 onwards. 
10 In autumn 2024, the authorities also secured an EUR 180 million loan facility provided by the World Bank, the French 
development agency (AFD) and the OPEC Development Fund. 
11 
 The surge in 2025 (EUR 821 million) is driven by a maturing Eurobond (EUR 500 million), and the peak in 2027 (EUR 972 
million) is due to the repayment of a Eurobond issued in 2020 (EUR 750 million). 
12 Montenegro has more large debt repayments in 2029 and 2031. 

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Competitiveness  Council  adopted  an  Action  Plan  aiming  to  eliminate  11  key  barriers  to  business. 
Following this, a technical secretariat was tasked in December to revise the Action Plan and align it 
with  the  timelines  in  the  Reform  Agenda.  The  revised  document  focuses  on  four  action  areas:  (i) 
suppressing  the  grey  economy;  (ii)  improving  the  business  environment;  (iii)  advancing  legislative 
work; and (iv) making the public administration more efficient. However, progress so far is slow, with 
just  4  out  of  37  of  the  plan’s  activities  completed.  In  July  2025,  Montenegro  adopted  the  Law  on 
companies and the Law on registration of business and other entities, which introduced fully electronic 
procedures for company registration, improved legal certainty and the overall business environment. A 
new e-government portal was launched in December 2024 and is expected to serve as a central access 
point  for  public  administration  services.  However,  consolidating  digital  services  into  a  single  e-
government  portal  and  improving  interoperability  and  data  exchange  among  institutions  remains  a 
challenge. The integration of all public registers into the Unified System of Electronic Data Exchange 
has yet to be completed. 

in  tackling  the 

informal  economy  remains  slow  and  harms  Montenegro’s 
Progress 
competitiveness.  Undeclared  work  is  particularly  harmful  to  small  and  medium-sized  enterprises 
(SMEs) and microenterprises in the services sector that operate legally. It is driven by shortcomings in 
the  institutional  and  regulatory  environment,  weaknesses  in  the  labour  market,  insufficient 
enforcement capacity of public authorities, corruption and tax non-compliance.  In January 2025, the 
government adopted political guidance and support to help implement the Action Plan for eliminating 
the informal economy. This plan aims to strengthen institutional coordination and trust between public 
and private sectors and provide support to the monitoring committee. 

State influence on product markets 

Although the government continued to apply measures to contain price increases, ensuring State 
aid  is  transparent  and  efficient  remains  a  challenge.  The  government  extended  a  price  cap 
programme  in  cooperation  with  the  country’s  largest  supermarket  chains,  which  was  launched  in 
March 2024, to mid-May 2025. This effort aims to contain surging prices for staple food items (such 
as  flour,  sugar,  oil  and  salt)  and  support  domestic  producers.  In  December  2024,  the  Agency  for 
Protection  of  Competition  (APC)  issued  a  decision  on  unlawful  State  aid  to  Montenegro  Airlines, 
which should be repaid. While Montenegro made progress in ensuring the transparency of State aid 
decisions, further work is needed to raise more awareness of State aid rules among aid grantors and 
increase the number of APC staff.  

Privatisation and restructuring 

The privatisation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) has not made progress, but some steps were 
taken to improve SOE governance and profitability. In February 2025, the Ministry of Finance set 
up  an  updated  register  of  national  and  local  SOEs,  aiming  to  collect  data,  help  monitor  SOEs  and 
report on the related fiscal risks. Based on the analysis of SOE legal and regulatory frameworks, the 
government  prepared  draft  laws  on  the  governance  of  state-owned  enterprises,  and  state  ownership 
policy. Improving SOE governance is a major feature of Montenegro’s Reform Agenda. The ambition 
is to boost SOEs’ financial performance by transforming their management structures and eliminating 
political patronage.  

Functioning of the financial market  

The banking system remained well-capitalised, liquid and profitable in 2024 and the first half of 
2025. Banks continued to fund themselves mainly through domestic deposits, although deposit growth 
decelerated significantly to 3.4% in 2024, down from 15.1% in 2023. In the first half of 2025 deposit 
growth  pick-ed  up  to  some  6%  y-o-y.  The  returns  on  assets  and  on  equity  declined  from  2.8%  and 
19%  in  Q4-2024  to  2.2%  and  15.2%,  in  Q2-2025,  respectively.  The  non-performing  loan  ratio 
continued declining from 4.0% at the end of 2024 to 2.9% in Q2-2025, compared with 5% in 2023. 
The capital adequacy ratio of the banking sector (regulatory capital to risk-weighted assets) was stable 
around 19.5% from Q4-2024 to Q2-2025. As a precautionary measure to ensure financial stability, the 
Central  Bank  of  Montenegro  requires  banks  to  keep  capital  buffers  between  3.4%  and  3.9%  of  the 
total risk exposure amount. 

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Following  the  adoption  of  the  Law  on  the  development  bank  in  October  2024,  the  Investment 
Development  Fund  of  Montenegro  was  officially  transformed  into  the  Development  Bank  of 
Montenegro in December. The law is not aligned with several EU legal acts in the field of banking, 
regulation of credit institutions and payments and raises strong concerns about the law’s compliance 
with EU competition and State aid rules. 

Credit activity continued to grow despite higher lending rates. Credit growth accelerated to 13.3% 
in 2024 and further to some 15% y-o-y in the first half of 2025, up from 10.8% in 2023. Compared 
with  6.1%  in  early  2024,  borrowing  costs,  measured  by  nominal  weighted  average  lending  rate, 
increased  to6.5%  by  the  end  of  2024  and  moderated  to  6.3%  in  July  2025.  The  nominal  weighted 
average rate on deposits stood at only 0.26% over this period. The large spread between lending and 
deposit rates supported the increased profitability of the banking sector in 2024.  

Functioning of the labour market 

the 

force 

Economic growth supported further labour market improvement, but structural labour market 
challenges  persisted.  According  to  the 
labour 
average 
survey, 
unemployment rate fell from 13.4% in 2023 
to  11.6%  in  2024  and  further  to  10.7%  in 
Q2  2025.  The  number  of  people 
in 
employment  increased  by  2.9%,  bringing 
the  employment  rate  to  64.2%  in  2024.  In 
Q2  2025  the  employment  rate  climbed  to 
65.7% The average net wage, supported by 
the  cut  in  pension  contributions,  rose  by 
24.3%  year-on-year  to  EUR 1 012  at  the 
end  of  2024.  During  2025  the  net  average 
wage  remained  roughly  stable,  reaching 
EUR 1 014 in July. Regional disparities persisted in 2024, with the unemployment rate varying from 
2% in the coastal region to 8.4% in the centre and 25.7% in the poorer northern region. The gender 
gap also persisted with the activity rate of women (68.4%) significantly below that of men (78.7%) in 
Q2  2025.  Other  major  structural  challenges  to  be  tackled  are  youth  unemployment  (aged  15-24), 
which rose from 23.3% in 2023 to 26% in 2024 and 31.3% in Q2 2025, and long-term unemployment, 
with 74.5% of all unemployed people having been looking for a job for more than 12 months in 2024, 
which  declined  to  64%  in  Q2  2025.  Ongoing  reform  efforts  aimed  at  improving  administrative 
capacities  and  the  digitalisation  of  the  Employment  Agency  (EA)  are  expected  to  result  in  more 
targeted  and  effective  employment  activation  measures.  There  was some  progress in  digitalising  the 
EA’s  services,  which  led  to  the  launch  of  the  pilot  phase  of  the  Youth  Guarantee  in  three 
municipalities. 

2.3.2. The capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the EU 

Education and innovation 

The quality of education and skills mismatches in the vocational education and training system 
are  still  long-standing  challenges.  In  April  2025,  the  government  adopted  a  comprehensive 
multiannual  education  sector  strategy  (2025-2035)  aiming  to  improve  the  alignment  of  educational 
outcomes with the market’s needs. 

A newly opened technology park is expected to strengthen the national innovation system.  The 
Science  and  Technology  Park  of  Montenegro  was  opened  in  mid-2024,  aiming  to  facilitate  the 
commercialisation  of  research  and  boost  cooperation  between  business  and  academia.  The  links 
between academia, research institutes and business are weak, with research staff mostly working for 
the government or in the higher education sector. The Innovation Fund continued to play a vital role in 
implementing the national innovation policy through managing seven innovation support programmes 
in  2024.  These  programmes  aim  to  encourage  cooperation  between  the  private  sector  and  research 
institutions in developing innovative projects and products.  

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Physical capital and quality of infrastructure 

Some progress was made in improving energy infrastructure. While the use of renewable energy 
sources  is  high,  there  is  a  lack  of  diversification  of  renewable  sources  and  insufficient  focus  on 
environmental  standards  in  energy  infrastructure  projects.  Electricity  production  mainly  relies  on 
hydropower,  accounting  for  more  than  40%  of  electricity  production  in  2024.  To  advance 
diversification, the national electric power company started to run two solar projects in June 2025 and 
started building a new wind-power plant in November 2024. Montenegro is planning for the thermal 
(lignite) power plant in Pljevlja to remain in service until 2041. This is vital for security of supply and 
the stability of the country’s power system, but the plant remains the main polluter. The Pljevlja plant 
produced  around  40%  of  Montenegro’s  electricity  in  2024,  but  it  was  temporarily  closed  for 
renovation and ecological upgrades in spring 2025. The national energy and climate plan has yet to be 
adopted. 

Investment in digital infrastructure continued over the reporting period. In December 2024, the 
government adopted a decision to establish the Cybersecurity Agency and started initial work. The 5G 
spectrum had been activated in all municipalities as of the end of 2024, covering more than 90% of the 
population  with  a  5G  network  signal.  Despite  the  integration  of  various  government  systems  and 
portals into the centralised e-government portal, there was no noticeable improvement in the quality 
and the number of e-services available as of the end of 2023. 

Modernising the transport sector requires a strategic approach and close partnership with the 
EU.  In  July  Montenegro  adopted  the  Law  on  railways,  which  establishes  an  independent  Railway 
Agency and meets the EU standards for market opening and fair competition in the rail sector. After 
significant  delays,  the  EU-funded  update  to  the  feasibility  study  of  the  Bar-Boljare  highway  was 
completed in November 2024. Improving road transport connections, in particular the corridor linking 
the  major  port  of  Bar  to  Boljare  at  the  border  with  Serbia,  is  a  national  priority  for  Montenegro. 
Following  the  relaunch  of  a  technically  updated  tender,  which  includes  European  Bank  for 
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and EU financing (EUR 500 million), 5 consortia, from 10 
bids  submitted,  were  selected  to  progress  to  the  second  round  of  the  tender  for  the  design  and 
construction  of  the  Matesevo–Andrijevica  highway  section.  Work  on  upgrading  the  Bar-Vrbnica 
railway,  the  EU-funded  core  network  corridor,  continued  despite  significant  delays  during  the 
reporting  period,  indicating  a  limited  absorption  and  management  capacity  of  the  country’s 
administrative bodies. The procedure for the concession award for the country’s two main airports (in 
Podgorica and Tivat) is not yet finalised, pending an appeal by one of the two bidders.  

Sectoral and enterprise structure 

The structure of the economy remains dominated by the services sector. Micro, small and medium 
enterprises  (MSMEs)  accounted  for  nearly  53%  of  total  employees  in  2024.  The  share  of 
microenterprises  stood  unchanged  at  95%  of  all  MSMEs.  Across  sectors,  the  distribution  of 
employment  remained  broadly  stable  in  2024:  the  services  sector  accounted  for  76.6%  of  total 
employment, while the shares for industry and construction (19%) and agriculture (4.3%) were much 
lower. The share of agriculture and industry in gross value added13 continued to decline to 6.5% and 
10.9%  in  2024,  down  from  9.1%  and  13.5%  in  2020,  respectively.  The  share  of  services  rose  to 
78.8%, up from 70% in 2020. 

Economic integration with the EU and price competitiveness 

13 Eurostat data. 

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Import  growth  drove  the  increase  in  merchandise  trade  amid  weak  exports.  Montenegro’s 
foreign trade  in  nominal  terms expanded  by  4.5%  year-on-year,  with  exports  of  goods  shrinking  by 
7% and imports increasing by 6.7% in 2024. The export base therefore remained very narrow. Despite 
a small decline of 1.7% in bilateral trade with the EU, the EU remained Montenegro’s main trading 
partner, accounting for 30% and 46% of merchandise exports and imports, respectively. The share of 
Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) countries was also substantial, accounting for 48% 
and 26% of Montenegro’s total exports and imports of goods, respectively. The EU is also the main 
source of FDI inflows, accounting for 28% of total FDI inflows in 2024, followed by Serbia, Russia 
and Türkiye.  

2.4. PUBLIC PROCUREMENT, STATISTICS AND FINANCIAL CONTROL 

Chapter 5: Public procurement  

EU  rules  ensure  that  public  procurement  of  goods,  services  and  works  in  any  Member  State  is 
transparent and open to all EU companies on the basis of non-discrimination and equal treatment. 

Institutional set-up and legal alignment 

The  legal  framework  on  public  procurement  is  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis,  the  Law  on  public 
procurement including a specific chapter on defence and security procurements. The Law on public-
private  partnership  and  Law  on  concessions  are  aligned  with  Directive  2014/23/EU,  while  clear 
limitation of the two legislations should be maintained. 

The  Agreement  on  Cooperation  in  Tourism  and  Real  Estate  Development  with  the  United  Arab 
Emirates  (UAE),  concluded  in  March  2025,  states  that  any  contracts,  programmes  and  agreements 
with  investors  from  UAE  are  exempted  from  legislation  of  both  countries  on  public  procurement. 
Montenegro  must  ensure  that  the  implementation  of  this  and  other,  similar  agreements  does  not 
contravene  or  circumvent  the  EU  acquis  on  public  procurement.  The  way  the  agreement  will  be 
interpreted, applied and implemented will need to be managed carefully, and will be closely monitored 
by the EU. 

Implementation and enforcement capacity  

The public procurement market represented 11.38% of GDP in 2024 from 9.87% in 2023. 

The  administrative  capacity  in  the  area  of  public  procurement  is  adequate  and  remains  stable. 
Trainings and courses for procurement officers are organised systematically. 

In February 2025, the Ministry of Finance adopted the Code of Ethics in Public Procurement, based on 
national and EU legislation. The Code promotes the principles of good governance, professionalism, 
transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.  

Regarding  prevention  of  corruption  in  public  procurement,  progress  has  taken  place  on  the 
framework  on  integrity  and  conflict  of  interest  in  public  procurement.  Further  improvements  to  the 
electronic  procurement  system  were  implemented  in  2024  and  2025  to  reinforce  monitoring 
mechanisms and prevent corruption. Montenegro needs to amend the Law on public procurement and 
the  Law  on  prevention  of  corruption,  reinforcing  definitions  of  corruption  and  fraud  in  public 

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procurement,  strengthening  corrective  mechanisms,  direct  misdemeanour 
inspection controls and linking the relevant provisions of the two laws. 

liability,  budgetary 

Efficient remedy system 

Appeal  procedures  are  in  line  with  EU  standards  and  practice.  There  are  no  significant  delays  in 
treating and resolving complaints and the remedy system works efficiently. 

Chapter 18: Statistics  

European statistics are developed, produced and disseminated by EU Member States, guided by the 
principles  and  quality  criteria  elaborated  in  the  Regulation  on  European  statistics,  such  as 
professional  independence,  impartiality,  reliability,  accessibility  and  statistical  confidentiality. 
Common  rules  are  in  place  for  the  methodology,  production  and  dissemination  of  statistical 
information,  which  are  further  specified  in  sectoral  legislation  that  constitute  the  EU  acquis  on 
statistics. 

The  legal  framework  for  statistical  infrastructure  remains  broadly  in  line  with  the  European 
standards  and  integrates  the  principles  of  the  European  Statistics  Code  of  Practice.  In  March  2025, 
Parliament amended the Law on official statistics and the official statistics system. The law provides 
for the transfer of responsibility for government finance statistics (GFS) from the Ministry of Finance 
to the Statistical Office of Montenegro (MONSTAT). On operational level, MONSTAT, the Ministry 
of Finance and the Central Bank need to finalise a trilateral memorandum to enable the production of 
GFS and start producing them immediately, in line with the requirements of the European System of 
Accounts (ESA) 2010.  

The  lack  of  proper  premises  for  MONSTAT  remains  a  serious  issue,  without  any  viable  solution in 
sight.  The  number  of  employees  remains  at  about  60%  of  the  number  of  posts  envisaged  in  the 
organisation chart. The number of staff dealing with important areas of statistics, such as GFS, is still 
not sufficient and significantly impacts on MONSTAT’s ability to produce statistics required by the 
EU acquis.  

In  the  area  of  macroeconomic  statistics,  and  implementation  of  ESA  2010,  Montenegro  needs  to 
achieve  significant  progress,  both in  terms  of  quality  and  completeness.  Regular  production  of  GFS 
data  is  still  not  in  place  and  excessive  deficit  procedure  (EDP)  tables  submitted  to  Eurostat  are 
incomplete.  

On  social  statistics,  the  final  results  of  the  census  of  population,  households,  and  dwellings  were 
published in October 2024. Demographic statistics became highly compliant with the EU  acquis. In 
the field of agriculture statistics, the agricultural census was implemented in December 2024 and its 
preliminary  results  were  published  in  February  2025.  On  price  statistics,  the  harmonised  index  of 
consumer prices is now highly compliant with the acquis. 

There were no relevant developments on classifications and registers, business and trade statistics, 
as  well  as  transport  and  energy  statistics.  In  some  areas,  such  as  short-term  business  statistics, 
compliance with the EU acquis decreased.  

Chapter 32: Financial control 

The  EU  promotes the  reform  of  national governance  systems  to  improve  managerial accountability, 
sound  financial  management  of  income  and  expenditure,  and  external  audit  of  public  funds.  The 
financial control rules further protect the EU’s financial interests against fraud in the management of 
EU funds and the euro against counterfeiting. 

Public internal financial control 

Montenegro’s  strategic  framework  for  public  internal  financial  control  (PIFC)  is  in  place.  The 
government  has  adopted  an  annual  report  in  the  public  sector  on  PIFC  and  on  public  financial 
management  in  June  and  the  new  action  plan  on  public  finance  management  foreseeing  corrective 
measures for a credible reform direction on PIFC. 

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The legislative and operational framework for internal control and internal audit is in place. However, 
in order to better enforce various aspects on financial management and control system in the public 
sector,  a  new  draft  Law  on  governance,  internal  control  and  internal  audit  in  the  public  sector  was 
adopted  in  June  and  further  secondary  legislation  was  developed,  such  as  a  new  internal  audit 
methodology and rulebook on governance and internal control in public sector. Those should improve 
relevant  components  of  the  implementation  of  the  PIFC  standards  line  with  the  new  global  internal 
audit standards in order to increase internal audit productivity, coverage and implementation of audit 
recommendations  enabling  improvements  of  internal  control  systems  in  risk  areas.  Despite  the 
regulatory framework on managerial accountability and improvement through the most recent draft 
law, the overall delegation of decision-making authority to appropriate level of management is applied 
only in 56% of line ministries. Further improvement is expected through corrective measures based on 
an analysis conducted by the Central Harmonisation Unit (CHU) [see for more public administration 
reform section]. Further progress is noted on risk management, as 94% of budget users identified and 
assessed  strategic  and  operational  risks.  There  is  need  to  clearly  delineate  roles  and  responsibility 
between  the  budget  inspection  and  internal  audit  functions  to  safeguard  overlaps  and  that  budget 
inspection does not hinder improvement of PIFC in the public sector. 

The  CHU  promoted  strengthening  of  internal  audit  and  financial  management  and  control  systems 
within SOEs, and its capacities have been improved.  

Internal  audit  practices  showed  improvement,  supported  by  consistent  planning,  reporting,  and 
internal  quality  assurance  processes  including  on  state-owned  enterprises  (SOEs)  aligning  with  the 
latest international internal audit standards Additionally, CHU prepared an analysis on PIFC in SOEs 
and identification of recommendations for corrective measures. Nevertheless, the implementation rate 
of  internal  audit  recommendations  remains  to  be  improved,  and  internal  audit  departments  need  to 
close the gap on administrative capacities. Capacity building within the CHU has improved. 

External audit 

The  legislative  framework  on  external  audit  is  in  place  and  in  line  with  international  standards. 
However, its financial and operational independence needs to be better ensured in practice. Parliament 
has  yet  to  adopt  the  President  of  the  Senate  of  the  State  Audit  Institution  (SAI)  (vacant  since  July 
2022)  When  it  comes  to  parliamentary  scrutiny,  more  parliamentary  engagement  is  needed  in 
supporting  the  uptake  of  SAI  recommendations  from  public  administration.  Some  efforts  were 
undertaken in this regard as Parliament adopted a conclusion requiring the government to implement 
SAI’s  recommendations.  However  their  uptake  across  the  public  administration  remains  low  and 
constrained only to 30% implementation rate. The SAI staffing capacities remain weak and should be 
strengthened.  

Protection of the EU’s financial interests 

Montenegro has  harmonised  the  amendments to the Criminal  Code  with  EU  acquis  on fight  against 
fraud  to  the  EU's  financial  interests  by  means  of  criminal  law  (PIF  Directive),  which  have  been 
adopted in October. Additionally, it has adopted a new national anti-fraud strategy 2025-2027 in July. 
The Anti-Fraud Coordination Service continues to strengthen its knowledge and skills through training 
activities.  In  2024,  Montenegro  reported  14  irregularities  through  the  Irregularities  Management 
System.  The  Anti-Fraud  Coordination  Service  continues  to  strengthen  its  knowledge  and  skills 
through EU-funded training activities. 

Protection of the Euro against counterfeiting 

Montenegrin legislation on the protection of the euro against counterfeiting  is fully aligned with EU 
regulations.  

3.  GOOD NEIGHBOURLY RELATIONS AND REGIONAL COOPERATION 

Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation form an essential part of Montenegro’s European 
integration process. They contribute to stability, reconciliation and a climate conducive to addressing 
open bilateral issues and the legacies of the past. 

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Montenegro maintained its engagement in a number of regional cooperation initiatives, such as the 
Central  European  Free  Trade  Agreement  (CEFTA),  the  Energy  Community,  the  Transport 
Community,  the  South-East  European  Cooperation  Process  (SEECP)  and  the  Regional  Cooperation 
Council  (RCC).  Montenegro  also  actively  participates  in  initiatives  such  as  the  Central  European 
Initiative (CEI), the Regional Initiative for Migration, Asylum and Refugees (MARRI), and the Centre 
for Security Cooperation (RACVIAC). In April 2025, Montenegro joined the Three Seas Initiative as 
an associate member, with full membership to follow upon accession to the EU. 

In October 2024, Montenegro hosted the Brdo-Brijuni Summit in Tivat, gathering heads of states of 
the Western Balkans six, Slovenia and Croatia. At the end of October, the EU-Western Balkans Justice 
and Home Affairs Ministerial Forum took place in Budva, convening Ministers of Justice and Interior 
of the region.  

The fifth annual EU-Western Balkans Summit took place in Brussels in December 2024, reaffirming 
the  EU  membership  perspective  of  the  Western  Balkans  and  pursuing  the  new  momentum  for 
deepening cooperation and further advancing gradual integration. Montenegro actively engaged in the 
regional  dimension  of  the  Growth  Plan for  the Western  Balkans,  participating  in  both ministerial 
and leaders’ meetings, and attended the Growth Plan Summit in Skopje in June 2025. 

On the Common Regional Market (CRM), at the Berlin process summit in London in October 2025, 
the  leaders  of  the  region  endorsed  a  revised  and  streamlined  action  plan  to  implement  the  Green 
Agenda  for  the  Western  Balkans,  adopted  a  Western  Balkans  Climate  Adaptation  Roadmap  and 
committed  to  make  progress  in  the  promotion  of  regional  mobility  and  implementation  of  relevant 
regional  agreements  and  CEFTA  decisions.  .  Montenegro  signed  the  fifth  mobility  agreement  on 
access  to  higher  education  and  admission  to  studies  in  the  Western  Balkans  and  adopted  the  CRM 
action  plan  for  2025-2028.  Montenegro  has  ratified  of  all  of  the  five  regional  mobility  agreements. 
The  roadmap  for  roaming  between  the  Western  Balkans  and  the  EU  entered  the  first  phase  of 
implementation. Implementation of the twelve major decisions were agreed by the Central European 
Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) Joint Committee in October 2024, following an agreement between 
CEFTA members that allowed decision making in the organisation to be unblocked. 

The  Commission  on  Missing  Persons  of  Montenegro  continued  cooperating  with  neighbouring 
countries under bilateral cooperation protocols. There are 51 active cases of missing persons who are 
Montenegrin citizens or whose families reside in Montenegro. 

Montenegro generally maintains good bilateral relations with other enlargement countries in the region 
and with neighbouring EU Member States. 

Relations  with  Albania  remained  good.  With  occasional  high-level  visits,  the  countries  continued 
work to improve and strengthen bilateral cooperation in fields of mutual interest. 

Relations  with  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  remained  good  overall.  Presidential-level  discussions  were 
held on strengthening economic ties and regional cooperation. The Zupci–Sitnica joint border crossing 
on  the  Trebinje–Herceg  Novi  route  was  officially  opened.  Occasional  developments  in  Republika 
Srpska have sparked strong reactions from high-level Montenegrin officials. 

Relations  with  Kosovo*  remained  good,  with  several  ministerial-level  consultations,  confirming  the 
common European and Euro-Atlantic perspective. However, there are occasional inter-party tensions 
within  Montenegro’s  parliamentary  majority.  Montenegro  supports  Kosovo’s  independence  and 
sovereignty. 

Relations with North Macedonia remained good with no pending bilateral issues. High-level meetings 
between  representatives  of  both  countries  took  place  during  the  reporting  period,  including  in  the 
context  of  the  Growth  Plan.  Montenegro  observed  a  day  of  mourning  following  the  tragic  event  in 
Kocani. 

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the 
Kosovo declaration of independence. 

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Relations with Serbia are generally stable, albeit with occasional mutual accusations. High-level visits 
took place, and cooperation agreements were signed between the two countries.  

Bilateral relations with Türkiye remained stable and included high-level visits with stated intentions to 
further develop bilateral cooperation, specifically on economic development. 

Montenegro  continued  providing  unequivocal  support  to  Ukraine  in  light  of  Russia’s  war  of 
aggression,  including  humanitarian  and  military  aid.  Montenegro  participated  in  regional  initiatives 
including  the  2024  Ukraine  –  South-East  Europe  Summit  and  the  first  Ukraine  –  Southeast  Europe 
Foreign Ministerial Meeting. The presidents of the two countries met. 

Relations  with  the  Republic  of  Moldova  are  good.  Montenegro  and  Moldova  maintain  relations 
through  the  SEECP.  Following  a  meeting  at  presidential  level,  a  memorandum  of  cooperation  on 
European integration and the accession process was signed in May 2025. 

Relations  with  Croatia  intensified  through  the  ongoing  dialogue  to  find  solutions  to  outstanding 
bilateral issues. In addition to dialogue at ministerial level, several high-level visits and meetings also 
took place, including between the Prime Ministers in the margins of the Bled strategic forum.  

Relations  with  Italy  remained  good  and included  presidential-level  meetings,  highlighting  key  areas 
for further cooperation. 

4.   ABILITY TO ASSUME THE OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP 

CLUSTER 2: INTERNAL MARKET 

This cluster covers: free movement of goods (Chapter 1); freedom of movement for workers (Chapter 
2);  right  of  establishment  and  freedom  to  provide  services  (Chapter  3);  free  movement  of  capital 
(Chapter  4);  company  law  (Chapter  6);  intellectual  property  law  (Chapter  7);  competition  policy 
(Chapter 8); financial services (Chapter 9) and consumer and health protection (Chapter 28).  

Chapter 1: Free movement of goods  

The free movement of goods ensures that many products can be traded freely across the EU based on 
common  rules  and  procedures. Where  products  are governed  by  national  rules,  the  principle  of  the 
free movement of goods prevents these rules from creating unjustified barriers 

General principles 

In February 2025, the government adopted the 2025 EU Accession Programme (covering the period 
2025-2026), as well as the Report on the implementation of obligations from the 2024 EU Accession 
Programme.  

Non-harmonised areas 

Montenegro continued to implement its action plan for compliance with Articles 34-36 of the Treaty 
on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) on the prohibition of quantitative restrictions. 

Harmonised area: quality infrastructure 

On standardisation, the Institute for Standardisation of Montenegro (ISME) continued to address the 
recommendations of the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the European Committee 
for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) to ensure its full membership of these bodies. From 
June 2024 until April 2025, ISME published 1 059 Montenegrin standards aligned with EU standards.  

Regarding metrology, since January 2023, Montenegro’s Bureau of Metrology is a full member of the 
International  Organization  of  Legal  Metrology.  Laboratories  for  temperature  and  pressure  and  for 
testing precious metal articles improved their capacity, both in terms of human resources and material 
resources. 

The  Accreditation  Body  of  Montenegro  (ATCG)  accredited  41  conformity  assessment  bodies  and 
terminated four accredited conformity assessment bodies. No new accreditations were granted during 

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the reporting period. In November 2024, European cooperation for Accreditation (EA) carried out a 
peer review. Work is ongoing to address the identified non-conformities.  

Montenegro  has  yet  to  align  to  the  latest  EU  acquis  on  market  surveillance.  From  July  2024  to 
February  2025,  a  total  of  1 018  market  surveillance  inspections  were  carried  out,  during  which  645 
types of dangerous and non-compliant products were identified (a total of 17 870 items). 

Harmonised area: sectoral legislation 

Regarding ‘new and global approach product legislation’, in September 2024 Montenegro adopted 
implementing legislation on toy safety and in February 2025 implementing legislation was adopted on 
construction products, ensuring partial alignment with the old EU acquis.  

On procedural measures, there were no new developments to report. 

Under the ‘old approach product legislation,’ legislative work intensified aiming to align with the 
EU  acquis  on  medicinal  products  for  human  use,  on  medicinal  products  for  veterinary  use  and  on 
pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceutical products. This however remains to be completed. 

On  anti-corruption  measures  under  this  chapter,  the  integrity  plan  of  the  Administration  for 
Inspection Affairs (covering market surveillance) is in place. 

Chapter 2: Freedom of movement for workers  

Citizens of one Member State have the right to work in another Member State and must be given the 
same working and social conditions as other workers. 

Regarding  access  to  the  labour  market,  there  were  no  legislative  developments  in  the  reporting 
period. The government launched early preparations for developing legislative amendments that would 
revoke work and other restrictions for EU citizens. In 2024, the Ministry of interior issued a total of 
38 019 permits for temporary residence and work. The government set at 28 988 the annual number of 
permits for temporary residence and work of foreigners in 2025. 

On  European  network  of  employment  services (EURES),  the  adoption  of  the  amendments  to  the 
Law  on  employment  mediation  and  rights  during  unemployment  in  March  2025  created  legislative 
precondition to proceed with digitisation of the Employment Agency of Montenegro (EAM) to ensure 
its future participation in EURES and interoperability of databases between the EAM and other state 
institutions. Further strengthening of administrative and technical capacities is necessary, along with 
additional  IT  system  upgrades.  In  March  2025,  Montenegro  adopted  the  Law  on  voluntary  pension 
funds  to  enhance  worker  mobility  by  improving  the  acquisition  and  preservation  of  supplementary 
pension rights.  

On  the  bilateral  coordination  of  social  security  systems,  Montenegro  has  agreements  on  social 
security  in  place  with  16  EU  Member  States.  Social  insurance  agreements  are  in  place  with  25 
countries. 

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is recognised under the Law on compulsory health 
insurance  but  will  only  be  introduced  after  EU  accession.  Montenegro  should  prepare  a  feasibility 
study on the impact of EHIC on its public finances by end of 2025.  

Chapter 3: Right of establishment and freedom to provide services  

EU  natural  and  legal  persons  have  the  right  to  establish  themselves  in  any  Member  State  and  to 
provide  cross-border  services.  For  certain  regulated  professions,  there  are  rules  on  mutual 
recognition of qualifications. EU rules on postal services focus on improving the quality of universal 
service, gradual market opening to competition, and the establishment of an independent regulator. 

On  the  right  of  establishment  and  freedom  to  provide  cross-border  services,  in  July  2025, 
Parliament adopted amendments to the horizontal Law on services ensuring compliance with directive 
2006/123/EC  on  Services.    The  mapping  exercise  on  the  state  of  play  of  the  alignment  of  sectoral 
legislation  with  the  Services  Directive  was  completed  and  a  satisfactory  planning  regarding 
completion  of such alignment  was  outlined. Work  is also ongoing to  expand the  interactivity  of the 
Point of Single Contact, established in 2024, to allow online submission of requests.  

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On postal services, the national legislation is aligned with the  Postal Services Directive and largely 
with the Regulation on cross border parcel delivery services. Work is ongoing to amend the Law on 
postal services to achieve full alignment with the regulation. There is one universal service provider 
and 34 other postal operators. The government successfully implemented key measures of the 2024-
2025 Action Plan in the context of the new strategy for the Development of the Postal Services 2024-
2028, including in areas related to the sustainability of the universal service and the development of 
new e-services. Montenegro should continue to ensure sufficient institutional capacity for monitoring 
of the postal market and enforcement of postal rules.  

On  mutual  recognition  of  professional  qualifications,  Montenegro  continued  aligning  with  the 
Directive  2005/36/EC  on  the  recognition  of  professional  qualifications  as  amended,  with  a  special 
focus on the minimum training requirements acquis concerning seven professions and over 55 medical 
and dental specialties benefiting from the automatic recognition in line with directive 2005/36/EC. To 
that end, in July 2025, Montenegro adopted a number of sectorial Laws and related rulebooks namely, 
the Law on healthcare protection, amendments to the veterinary Law and amendments to the Law on 
spatial  planning  and  construction  of  structures  facilities.  Subsequent  legislative  amendments  on 
healthcare were also adopted in October. Work is ongoing to align the study training programmes for 
five  professions  (doctors  with  basic  medical  training,  dental  practitioners,  architects,  general  care 
nurses and pharmacists) with the Minimum Training Requirements of Directive 2005/36/EC. In May 
2025, the government revised and adopted a new list of regulated professions: 129 professions are now 
regulated in Montenegro. Progress was registered revoking nationality requirements, and in July 2025, 
several Laws were amended and adopted to that end.   

Montenegro should step up efforts to strengthen institutional capacity. This includes establishing the 
organisational structure and training the competent authorities handling the recognition of professional 
qualifications. By accession, Montenegro should ensure that a verification system or training models 
are  in  place  to  ensure  that  the  necessary  verification  is  made  when  assessing  applications  for 
recognition  of  midwives  and  veterinary  surgeons  from  EU  countries  (under  the  general  system  of 
Directive  2005/36/EC)  and  when  assessing  applications  from  non-EU  countries  under  national 
procedures. Efforts to ensure harmonisation with the minimum training requirements of all professions 
benefitting from automatic recognition should continue.  

Montenegro  is  currently  working  on  amendments  to  the  Law  on  the  recognition  of  professional 
qualifications for regulated professions to align with the proportionality test Directive.  

Chapter 4: Free movement of capital  

In the EU, capital and investments must be able to move without restriction, with common rules for 
cross-border payments. Banks and other economic operators apply certain rules to support the fight 
against money laundering and terrorist financing. 

In the area of capital movements and payments, in March 2025, Parliament adopted amendments to 
the  Law  on  ownership  rights.  The  amendments  prescribe  that  EU  nationals,  upon  Montenegro’s 
accession  to  the  EU,  should  have  the  same  property  ownership  rights  as  Montenegrin  nationals, 
notably  when  purchasing  real  estate  properties.    However,  restrictions  remain  in  place  on  the 
acquisition of agricultural land by EEA nationals. In addition, some geographical restrictions remain 
in force in the Law on Voluntary Pension Funds.  

In  the  area  of  payments,  after  having  undertaken  the  necessary  alignment  with  the  acquis, 
Montenegro  joined  the  geographical  scope  of  the  Single  Auro  Payments  Area  (SEPA)  schemes  in 
November 2024. The legal framework was further aligned with the EU acquis in February 2025, with 
the amendments to the Law on payment system. In October, Montenegro officially and operationally 
became part of SEPA. 

In October 2024, Parliament adopted the Law on the development bank of Montenegro. The bank is 
entitled to provide payment transactions, even though it is not subject to the same legal obligations as 
credit institutions and not subject to the Montenegrin law on payments services. This is not compliant 
with the EU acquis and needs to be urgently amended.  

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In  the  area  of  fight  against  money  laundering  and  terrorism  financing,  in  February  2025 
Parliament  adopted  amendments  to  the  Law  on  prevention  of  money  laundering  and  financing  of 
terrorism, aiming to align it with Financial Action Task Force recommendations. Some discrepancies 
remain between the national legislation in force and the acquis (definition of terrorism financing, data 
protection and record retention periods, sanctions) that need yet to be addressed.   

In 2024 and 2025, the CBCG strengthened controls of compliance with regulations in this  field and 
imposed fines on 6 out of 11 banks operating in the country upon detected irregularities. In parallel, 
the Capital Market Authority developed guidelines for a risk-based approach and the creation of a risk 
analysis for money laundering and terrorism financing for capital market participants. The number of 
Suspicion Transaction Reports to FIU increased in 2024 by 41% in comparison to 2023, to 736. 

Chapter 6: Company law  

The EU has common rules on the formation, registration and disclosure requirements of a company, 
with complementary rules for accounting and financial reporting, and statutory audit. 

In the area of company law, Montenegro adopted in July 2025, a new company Law and a Law on the 
registration  of  business  and  other  entities   and  related  secondary  legislation.  Subsequent  legislative 
amendments were adopted in October 2025.  With these two new laws, Montenegro has thus  aligned 
its national legislation with the core EU company law acquis , namely  with the directives on certain 
aspects  of  company  law  (Directive  2017/1132),  on  the  use  of  digital  tools  and  processes  (Directive 
2019/1151),  on  cross-border  conversions,  mergers  and  divisions  (Directive  2019/2121),  on  gender 
balance  among  directors  of  listed  companies  (Directive  2022/2381),  and  on  the  encouragement  of 
long-term  shareholder  engagement  (Directive  2017/828).  In  September  2025,  Montenegro  finalised 
and  adopted  the  revised  Corporate  Governance  Code.  Montenegro  should  ensure  that  the  national 
business  register  is  technically  ready  to  interconnect  with  the  Business  Registers  Interconnection 
System (BRIS). 

In  the  area  of  company  reporting,  in  June  2025  Montenegro  adopted  amendments  to  the  Law  on 
capital  markets  aligning    with  the  EU  acquis  on  transparency  requirements  for  listed  companies, 
namely  Directive  2004/109  and  its  complementing  Directive  2007/14.Concerning  accounting  and 
auditing,  in  July  2025  Montenegro  adopted  the  Law  on  accounting  aligning  with  the  accounting 
directive  concerning  financial  reporting  regime  for  micro  and  small  companies,  and  dividend 
distribution and the directive 2021/2101 on country by country reporting. In July 2025, Montenegro 
adopted  the  Law  on  auditing  to  align  with  the  Directive  on  statutory  audits  of  annual  accounts  and 
consolidated  accounts,  and  partly  with  the  audit  Regulation  on  specific  requirements  regarding 
statutory audit of public-interest entities.  

The capacity of both the Department for Audit Oversight, with two quality assurance inspectors, and 
the Department for Accounting, with two employees may require further strengthening in the coming 
period. 

Chapter 7: Intellectual property law  

The EU has to a large extent harmonised rules for the legal protection and enforcement of intellectual 
property  rights  (IPR),  covering  notably  patents,  biotechnological  inventions  and  pharmaceuticals, 
including  supplementary  protection  certificates  (SPCs),  trade  marks,  designs,  geographical 
indications (GIs), including craft and industrial GIs, as well as copyright and related rights. 

Significant  progress  was  registered  in  all  areas  in  this  chapter,  which  was  provisionally  closed  in 
December  2024.  In  the  area  of  copyright  and  related  rights,  on  10 October  2024,  Montenegro 
adopted further amendments to the Law on copyright and related rights to align with the Directive on 
the exercise of copyright and related rights applicable to certain online transmissions of broadcasting 
organisations and retransmissions of television and radio programmes, (SatCab II); and the Directive 
on  copyright  and  related  rights  in  the  Digital  Single  Market.  Training  was  also  held  regarding  the 
implementation  of  the  collective  management  of  copyright  and  related  rights  law  and  the  above-
mentioned legislation.  

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When  it  comes  to  industrial  property  rights,  in  March  2025,  Parliament  adopted  the  Law  on  the 
ratification  of  the  agreement  on  the  application  of  Article 65  of  the  European  Patent  Convention 
(EPC).  This  agreement  aims  at  reducing  the  costs  related  to  the  translation  of  European  patents.  In 
March  2025,  Parliament  adopted  amendments  to  the  Law  on  patents.  This  law,  prepared  in 
cooperation with the European Patent Office (EPO), provides the legal basis for concluding working 
agreements on search cooperation in the field of patents. In December 2024, the Ministry of Economic 
Development re-established fully functional online registers of industrial property rights. In May 2025, 
the government adopted the Action plan for 2025 for the implementation of IPR strategy 2023-2026, 
including the report on realisation of the Action plan for 2024. 

On  enforcement,  in  October  2024,  Montenegro  adopted  the  rulebook  on  internal  organisation  and 
systematisation  of  the  Ministry  of  Economic  Development,  integrating  the  market  inspection 
department  within  the  Directorate  for  Internal  Market  and  Competition,  while  ensuring  work 
continuity. Enforcement records for 2024 show a minimal downward trend in the number of controls 
executed  and  the  amount  of  fines  imposed  through  misdemeanour  orders  compared  to  2023.  In 
December 2024, Parliament adopted amendments to the Criminal Code of Montenegro, providing for 
a clear distinction between criminal offences and misdemeanours regarding IP infringements, thereby 
creating  an  adequate  legal  framework  for  improving  criminal  enforcement.  Training  sessions  on 
intellectual  property  including  for  police  officers  increased.  Montenegro  secured  additional  storage 
facilities  in  Podgorica  for  temporarily  seized  goods.  Efforts  should  continue  in  strengthening 
administrative capacities by hiring additional personnel.  

Chapter 8: Competition policy  

EU  rules  protecting  free  competition  include  abuses  of  dominant  positions,  rules  prohibiting 
concentrations which would significantly impede effective competition and antitrust rules prohibiting 
restrictive  agreements  between  companies.  EU  rules  also  set  out  a  system  of  State  aid  control. 
Governments  are  only  allowed  to  grant  State  aid  if  restrictive  conditions  are  met,  with  a  view  to 
preventing distortion of competition. 

In February 2025, the government adopted the action plan for the fulfilment of closing benchmarks in 
Chapter  8  competition  policy.  However,  the  steps  to  fulfil  the  benchmarks  need  to  be  urgently 
implemented in line with the government’s ambition for the closure of the chapter.   

Antitrust and mergers  

Although the legislative framework is broadly aligned with the EU acquis and the Stabilisation and 
Association Agreement, the government should intensify the work on the draft Law on protection of 
competition to ensure substantial further alignment, including on financial independence and powers 
of Agency for Protection of Competition (APC) (including ability to impose fines). The law must be 
adopted by parliament in the course of 2025 to enable further work on the closing benchmarks.  

As regards the institutional framework, some progress was achieved through personnel restructuring. 
The  APC  recruited  two  more  staff  members  in  2024,  but  Montenegro  should  still  fill  a  significant 
number of the systemised positions, thus ensuring proper administrative capacity for enforcement. The 
APC’s  operational  and  financial  capacity  also  needs  to  be  strengthened.  Limited  cooperation  with 
regulators is hampering the performance of the APC. The judiciary needs further awareness raising on 
competition matters. 

As regards implementation, in 2024 the APC adopted two decisions prohibiting cartel practices and 
79 decisions approving notified concentrations, most with extraterritorial effect. The APC reduced the 
number of decisions on individual exemptions over 2023-2024 – only three in 2023 and four in 2024 
or 50% reduction as compared to 2022 (eight). Individual exemptions are not in conformity with EU 
competition rules but still present in the Montenegrin competition law.  

The  APC  continued  2  sectoral  analyses  (retail  and  wholesale  markets  for  food,  beverages,  and 
household hygiene products).  

State aid  

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Montenegro needs to fully align its legislative framework with the EU acquis. A crucial step in this 
direction is the adoption of the new Law on State aid control in July 2025, which needs to be followed 
with the adoption of implementing legislation and rules for further aligning with the State aid acquis.   

The  Law  on  the  Development  Bank  of  Montenegro,  adopted  on  9 October  2024,  aims  to  support 
access  to  finance  for  companies  and  entrepreneurs.  However,  the  State  guarantee  of  the  bank’s 
obligations may provide more favourable conditions for attracting deposits compared to commercial 
banks, raising concerns in relation to State aid rules. In addition, the lack of clear separation between 
promotional and commercial activities could affect competition.  

On  implementation,  in  2024,  the  APC  adopted  39  decisions  and  opinions  in  ex  ante  and  ex  post 
procedures.   

In  the  reporting  period,  the  APC  continued  ongoing  investigations  on  potential  unlawful  State  aid, 
including  the  agreement  between the  National  Tourist  Organisation  of  Montenegro  and  Montenegro 
Airlines; the financial support for the Bar-Boljare highway and to the national carrier ‘ToMontenegro’. 
In December 2024, the APC started a formal investigation procedure on compatibility of aid granted to 
the economic entity ‘Monteput’. The APC continued investigating a question of economic continuity 
between ‘Montenegro Airlines’ and ‘ToMontenegro’. Montenegro still needs to bring final outcomes 
of  the  ongoing  benchmark  State  aid  investigations,  including  full  recovery  of  unlawful  aid  (or 
exhaustion of legal means for recovery).  

On the enforcement side, the APC issued a decision on unlawful State aid against the Elektroprivreda 
Crne Gore (EPCG). The EPCG appealed to the Administrative Court and the administrative dispute is 
ongoing.   

The cooperation between APC and State aid grantors from public administration at central and local 
level intensified with the purpose of increasing State aid awareness and the number of notifications. 
Frequent  consultations  in  between  APC  and  central  level  grantors  are  organised  as  well  as  several 
workshops  and  seminars  for  grantors.  However,  public  administration  guidelines  on  systematic 
consultation with the APC when formulating new policies with a potential impact on competition  or 
State aid are still missing.  

The  APC  regularly  participates  in  legislative  processes  to  ensure  the  compliance  of  new  legislation 
with State aid rules.  

 Liberalisation  

There are no significant developments in this area.  

Chapter 9: Financial services  

EU rules aim at ensuring fair competition among financial institutions, and the stability and integrity 
of  financial  markets,  namely  in  the  field  of  banking,  insurance,  supplementary  pensions,  investment 
services  and  securities.  They  include  rules  on  authorisation,  operation  and  supervision  of  these 
institutions.  

In  the  area  of  banks  and  financial  conglomerates,  in  November  2024  Parliament  adopted 
amendments to the Law on bank bankruptcy and liquidation and the Law on resolution of the credit 
institutions. In February 2025, Parliament adopted amendments to the Laws on credit institutions and 
on financial conglomerates. In July 2025, Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on bankruptcy 
and winding up of banks and numerous secondary legislation acts. These legal changes are aimed to 
align  rules  on  capital  requirements,  bank  recovery  and  resolution,  and  the  supervision  of  financial 
conglomerates with the currently applicable EU standards.  

In October 2024, Parliament adopted the Law on the development bank of Montenegro. The bank is 
thoroughly  excluded  from  the  EU-aligned  Montenegrin  banking  legislation  and  will  follow  a  less 
robust regulatory framework, including on prudential supervision, despite being able to take deposits 
and offer loans. The Law is not compliant with the EU  acquis on banking and needs to be urgently 
amended.  

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In  the  area  of  insurances  and  occupational  pensions,  in  February  and  March  2025,  Parliament 
adopted  the  Laws  on  voluntary  pension  funds  and  on  insurance,  aimed  at  aligning  Montenegrin 
legislation with current EU acquis in this area. In June 2025, Parliament also adopted amendments to 
the Law on compulsory traffic insurance. 

Regarding  financial  market  infrastructure,  there  were  no  relevant  developments  in  the  reporting 
period. Montenegro remains partially aligned with the relevant EU acquis. 

On securities markets and investment services, in February 2025, Parliament adopted the Law on 
alternative  investment  funds  and  the  Law  on  open  investment  funds  with  public  offering,  aimed  at 
aligning  Montenegrin  legislation  with  current  EU  acquis  in  these  areas.  In  June  2025,  Parliament 
adopted amendments to the Law on capital markets. In July 2025, Parliament also adopted the Law on 
the  recovery  and  resolution  of  investment  firms  and  the  Law  on  the  issuance  and  supervision  of 
covered bonds. 

On  sustainable  and  digital  finance,  in  March  2025  Montenegro  adopted  the  ‘Roadmap  for  the 
financial  sector  towards  sustainable  finance’.  The  document  provides  a  structured  approach  to 
integrating  environmental,  social,  and  governance  criteria  into  financial  decision-making  for  all 
financial services providers. 

Chapter 28: Consumer and health protection  

EU  rules  protect  consumers’  economic  interests  and  in  relation  to  product  safety,  dangerous 
imitations  and  liability  for  defective  products.  The  EU  also  ensures  high  common  standards  for 
tobacco control, blood, tissues, cells and organs. The EU also has rules for upholding patients’ rights 
in  cross-border  healthcare  and  in  preparing  for  and  responding  to  serious  cross-border  health 
threats, including communicable diseases. 

Consumer protection 

On  horizontal  aspects,  Montenegro  continued  to  implement  the  recommendations  of  the  EU  peer 
review  on  consumer  protection.  Low  levels  of  local  governments  activity  on  consumer  protection 
remains a challenge. In February 2025, a Law on consumer credit was adopted, designed to be aligned 
with  the  EU  acquis.  In  March  2025,  the  role  of the Consumer  Protection  Council  was  strengthened 
through a government decision, allowing the Council to organise special working groups and bodies to 
address  specific  issues  and  giving  it  authority  to  request  data  and  reports  from  other  competent 
authorities.  

Concerning enforcement and redress, the composition of the Committee for out-of-court settlement 
of consumer disputes was improved. A total of 587 complaints were registered in the central consumer 
information system in 2024. Out of these, 276 were found to be justified and fully accepted, while 40 
were partially accepted. In 192 cases, consumers were advised to seek judicial protection. In 30 cases, 
jurisdiction could not be determined, and in 31 cases, the consumer withdrew the complaint. 

On product safety and consumer protection, national legislation needs to be further aligned with the 
EU acquis. (See also Chapter 1 on market surveillance.)  

Public health 

In the area of public health, in December 2024, the government adopted the Strategy for Improving 
the Quality of Healthcare and Patient Safety for the period 2025–-2028, along with the Action Plan for 
2025-2026. On e-Health, in December 2024 the government adopted the 2024-2028 National Digital 
Health Development Strategy and 2024–-2025 Action Plan to improve health data systems. 

There were no developments on tobacco control. On communicable diseases, in December 2024, the 
Clinic  for  Infectious  Diseases  and  Dermato-venerology  was  opened.  The  national  immunisation 
strategy needs to be finalised and adopted. Initiatives were launched to increase the immunisation rate 
of  children  against  measles,  mumps,  and  rubella  (MMR).  On  antimicrobial  resistance  (AMR),  three 
workshops were held aimed at rationalising antibiotic use in hospitals. 

On  blood,  tissues,  cells  and  organs,  the  first  public  stem  cell  bank,  established  at  the  Blood 
Transfusion  Institute  of  Montenegro,  became  operational  in  January  2025.  Implementing  legislation 

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was adopted to further align with the EU acquis on patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare. On 
mental health, in September 2024, the Clinic for Psychiatry was opened as part of the Clinical Centre 
of  Montenegro.  In  May  2025,  the  Government  adopted  the  Programme  for  the  protection  and 
improvement  of  mental  health  in  Montenegro  for  the  period  2025-2026  with  an  action  plan  for  the 
same period. 

Montenegro is yet to align with the new EU Regulation on Health Technology Assessment. 

Regarding  cancer,  new  equipment  was  purchased  which  removed  the  previous  three-month  waiting 
period  for testing  for  HPV  positive  women.  Regarding  drug  abuse  prevention,  in  December  2024, 
the  government  adopted  the  Strategy  for  Drugs  2024-2027  with  an  Action  Plan  for  2024-2025.  On 
nutrition,  work  is  ongoing  to finalise  the  Programme  of measures for  the improvement of nutrition 
and nutritional status 2025-2027. In addition, a number of awareness-raising activities were organised 
regarding breastfeeding as well as proper nutrition and physical activity for children. There were no 
developments to report on harmful use of alcohol. 

On  health  inequalities,  the  quality  and  non-discriminatory  character  of  healthcare  for  LGBTIQ 
persons was improved by ensuring a systemic solution for access to hormone therapy for transgender 
women. In line with the new Law on health care, adopted by the Parliament on 31 July 2025, women 
are entitled to free health care services, including the right to choose their own  gynaecologist, whose 
services are provided at no cost. 

On  anti-corruption,  on  consumer  protection,  the  Ministry  of  Economic  Development  introduced 
additional activities to strengthen its Integrity Plan 2024-2026. Montenegro has identified healthcare 
as  a  high-risk  sector  for  corruption  and  adopted  a  2024-2028  Anti-Corruption  Strategy  and  related 
action plans. The 2023-2025 Health Ministry Integrity Plan includes measures to prevent and address 
corruption  risks  within  its  departments,  and  to  ensure  that  all  public  health  institutions  develop  and 
publish their own integrity plans. 

CLUSTER 3: COMPETITIVENESS AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH  

This  cluster  covers:  digital  transformation and  media  (Chapter 10); taxation (Chapter 16); economic 
and  monetary  policy  (Chapter  17);  social  policy  and  employment  (Chapter  19);  industrial  policy 
(Chapter  20);  science  and  research  (Chapter  25);  education  and  culture  (Chapter  26);  and  customs 
union (Chapter 29). 

Chapter 10: Digital transformation and media  

The  EU  supports  the  smooth  functioning  of  the  internal  market  for  electronic  communications, 
electronic commerce and audiovisual services. The rules protect consumers and support the universal 
availability of modern services. 

In  the  field  of  electronic  communications,  in  October  2024,  after  Parliament  had  adopted  national 
legislation  aligning  with  the  European  Electronic  Communications  Code,  the  Ministry  of  Economic 
Development  continued  work  on  amending  the  Law  on  Electronic  Communications.  In  December 
2024,  the  government  adopted  the  National  Plan  for  the  Development  of  Broadband  Infrastructure.  
Montenegro should align with the Gigabit Infrastructure Act by the end of 2025 and put primary and 
secondary legislation in place to set up a secure information system.  

Regarding  digital  trust  and  cybersecurity,  in  November  2024,  Parliament  adopted  the  Law  on 
Information  Security,  aligned  with  the  Network  and  Information  Security  Directive  (NIS  2). 
Montenegro should  work on  achieving  full alignment  of  national  legislation  with  the  NIS  2 and the 
Open Data Directive. The country should speed up the process of establishing a Cybersecurity Agency 
and  work  on  meeting  NIS  2  requirements  for  critical  infrastructure,  CIRT  teams  and  cybersecurity 
frameworks.  Montenegro  is  not  yet  aligned  with  the  e-Privacy  Directive  and  needs  to  start  the 
implementation of the EU 5G Cybersecurity Toolbox including assessing the risk profile of suppliers 
and  putting  in  place  appropriate  restrictions  and/or  exclusions  for  high-risk  suppliers.  Regarding 
electronic  identification  and  trust  services,  Montenegro  is  encouraged  to  swiftly  align  its  national 
legislation with the new EU Digital Identity and Trust Services framework.  

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Concerning digital services, alignment with the Digital Services Acts and Digital Markets Act needs 
to  be  stepped  up.  Montenegro  presented  the  AI  Landscape  Assessment  and  should  start  working 
towards aligning with the Artificial Intelligence Act, ensuring necessary enforcement structures. 

In  the  field  of  media  policy,  after  several  failed  attempts  to  appoint  the  missing  members  of  the 
Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services (AMU) Montenegro must ensure the effective 
implementation of media laws adopted in 2024 and safeguard the independence of the media regulator. 
Montenegro  should  also  step  up  its  institutional  response  to  disinformation  and  hate  speech,  as 
outlined in Montenegro’s National Media Strategy 2023-2027 to ensuring media freedom, pluralism, 
and  the integrity  of  the information space. Montenegro  will  need  to  align  national media  legislation 
with the European Media Freedom Act  

Chapter 16: Taxation  

EU rules on taxation cover value-added tax, excise duties and aspects of corporate taxation. They also 
cover cooperation between tax administrations, including the exchange of information to prevent tax 
evasion. 

In the area of indirect taxation, in September 2024, Parliament adopted amendments to the VAT law 
and amendments to the excises law thus further aligning Montenegrin legislation with the relevant EU 
acquis in this area. Parliament also adopted amendments to the Law on contributions for mandatory 
social insurance reducing previous rates. Montenegro needs to further remove indirect tax exemptions 
that  are  not  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis,  including  those  on  fuel  supplied  to  pleasure  boats  and 
introduce fuel markers to avoid misuse of reduced-rate fuel. 

Regarding  direct  taxation,  in  September  2024,  Parliament  adopted  amendments  to  the  Law  on 
personal  income  tax  and  amendments  to  the  Law  on  corporate  income  tax  aligned  the  legislation 
further  with the  EU  acquis.  Legislation in  the  area  of  direct  taxation  is mostly  aligned  with  the  EU 
acquis provisions of certain laws will come into force only from the date of Montenegro’s accession to 
the EU. 

On  administrative  cooperation  and  mutual  assistance,  Montenegro  needs  to  continue  increasing 
staffing  of  the  Tax  Administration  to  the  level  necessary  for  effective  and  efficient  operations, 
including fighting corruption, and to provide further extensive training in the fields of tax inspection 
and risk assessment. The Tax Administration adopted the Human Resources Management Strategy for 
2025-2028 and a pertinent Action Plan. 

Montenegro needs to progress in complying with its exchange of information obligations in the field 
of  taxation according to  a recent  OECD  assessment,  as  regards  automatic  exchanges  and  exchanges 
upon  request.  Montenegro  further  developed  the  procedure  (BEPS  Action  13)  that  includes  general 
information on planned processes, responsible persons, and the workflow related to the exchange of 
information,  fulfilling  one  key  condition  for  the  removal  of  the  OECD's  negative  assessment. 
Montenegro  further  developed  guidelines  on  the  appropriate  use  of  data  contained  in  Country-by-
Country reporting. 

As concerns operational capacity and computerisation, Montenegro needs to demonstrate sufficient 
progress in developing the IT systems and functionalities that are needed for the implementation and 
enforcement  of  the  national  tax  legislation.  Montenegro  needs  to  adopt  and  implement  a  national 
multiannual  IT  strategy  and  implementation  plan  and  ensure  the  necessary  budgetary  and  human 
resources  for  the  development  and  maintenance  of  the  required  national  tax  IT  systems  and 
functionalities, and the interconnection with the relevant EU IT systems on VAT and excise as well as 
tax cooperation and exchange of information. 

On  anti-corruption  measures,  Montenegro’s  tax  administration  adopted  a  code  of  ethics,  tax 
inspectors  need  to  undergo  training  in  ethics  and  integrity.  A  department  for  internal  control  is 
surveying anti-corruption and ethics within in the tax administration.  

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Chapter 17: Economic and monetary policy  

EU  rules  require  the  independence  of  central  banks  and  prohibit  them  from  directly  financing  the 
public sector. Member States coordinate their economic  policies and are subject to fiscal, economic 
and financial surveillance. 

Montenegro does not have standard monetary policy tools at its disposal, as it uses the euro as legal 
tender, leaving fiscal policy as the main macroeconomic policy instrument. Montenegro’s use of the 
euro  is  based  on  a  decision  that  the  authorities  made  under  exceptional  circumstances  and  is  fully 
distinct from membership of the euro area.  

In  November  2024,  the  Central  Bank  of  Montenegro  (CBCG)  adopted  its  Strategic  Plan  for  2025-
2028,  outlining  key  priorities  for  upgrading  its  institutional  and  administrative  capacities  to  ensure 
alignment with Eurosystem standards. In January 2025, the ECB granted an extension to the CBCG 
for the use of the temporary liquidity line until 31 January 2027.  

The  parliamentary  appointments  for  two  CBCG  vice-governor  posts  are  pending  since  September 
2024.  In  a  separate  parliamentary  procedure,  the  appointments  of  four  members  of  the  CBCG 
Governing Board are also delayed for several months. To comply with the central bank independence 
principle under Chapter 17 and economic criteria of the accession, Montenegro must ensure that that 
all  appointments  to  the  CBCG  Governing  Board  are  timely,  transparent,  focused  on  candidates’ 
technical competence, and not subject to partisan political activities.  

In the area of economic policy, there was some progress in terms of alignment with Council Directive 
on  requirements  for  budgetary  frameworks  of  the  Member  States  and  the  European  System  of 
Accounts  (ESA  2010)  standards,  mainly  on  the  division  of  responsibilities  between  the  Ministry  of 
Finance, the CBCG and the statistical office for the production of government finance statistics (GFS, 
see Chapter 18 - Statistics). All relevant actors need to enhance efforts in developing the appropriate 
capacity to produce GFS and fiscal notifications in line with the EU acquis.  

In  January  2025,  the  government  adopted  and  submitted  its  2025-2027  Economic  Reform 
Programme, integrating macroeconomic and fiscal reform plans into a single strategic document. The 
document ensures that key structural reforms presented in the Reform Agenda are consistent with the 
macro-fiscal framework. The implementation of the policy guidance set out in the conclusions of the 
Economic and Financial Dialogue of May 2024 has been partial. 

Chapter 19: Social policy and employment  

EU  rules  in  the  social  field  include  minimum  standards  for  labour  law,  equality  and  non-
discrimination  and  health  and  safety  at  work.  They  also  promote  social  inclusion  and  social 
protection, and social dialogue at EU level. 

Amendments to the Labour law are pending adoption. They ensure harmonisation with the Directive 
on work-life balance for parents and carers, on transparent and predictable working conditions as well 
as  with  the  EU  Framework  Agreement  on  Telework.  In  September,  the  parliament  adopted 
amendments  to  the  Law  on  civil  servants  and  state  employees,  ensuring  permanent  employment  for 
inspectors  and  replacing  the  previous  five-year  mandate  in  line  with  the  International  Labour 
Organisation’s principles on labour inspector stability. The Law on equality protection and prohibition 
of discrimination was adopted by the Government and is now in parliament procedure.  

The Law on occupational health and safety is not fully harmonised with the  EU acquis and lacks 
implementation and enforcement. There is no supervision for licensed occupational safety and health 
OSH  coordinators  in  place.  The  capacities  of  the  labour  and  OSH  inspection  services  need  be 
strengthened, as enforcement of legislation remained weak. 

Regarding social dialogue a new branch collective agreement was signed, and the two existing ones 
were  extended.  Collective  bargaining  primarily  occurs  at  the  sector  and  national  level,  with 
agreements predominantly regulating employees’ salaries and working hours. Some important sectors 
remain without collective agreements, such as the banking sector and the media. The tripartite Social 
Council met three times in plenary sessions and five times at the level of the presidency. Opinions of 
the Social Council are often not taken into account and remain without feedback from the government. 

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Social  partners  are  involved  in  relevant  policymaking  processes  on  labour,  but  their  involvement  in 
other areas is weak and needs to be strengthened.  

As concerns employment policy, the effectiveness and coverage of active labour market measures are 
insufficient, especially among young people and marginalised groups. The adoption of amendments to 
the  Law  on  mediation  in  employment  and  rights  during  unemployment  in  March  2025  enabled  the 
digitalisation of services of the Employment Agency. However, the amendments did not sufficiently 
address the flexibility needed for the implementation of active labour market measures. The latter also 
remains  underfunded.  The  digitalisation  of  the  Employment  Agency and  its  various  services  is  well 
advanced.  The  pilot  phase  of  the  Youth  Guarantee  started  in  three  municipalities.  A  decline  in  the 
unemployment rate and the number of unemployed persons registered with the Employment Agency, 
increasing personal income tax and social security contributions indicate some level of formalisation 
of the labour market. Overall, undeclared work and informal economy remain a matter of concern.  

Regarding  labour  force  participation  and  unemployment  rate  see  the  statistical  annex  and  the 
section on the functioning of the labour market under 2.3 Economic criteria.  

Concerning  social  protection  and  inclusion,  the  risk  of  poverty  rate  in  Montenegro  is  20.1%  with 
children being the most exposed. Income inequality persists, with the northern region at a higher risk 
of poverty. 40.4% of children under 18 years are ‘at the risk of poverty or social exclusion’ as per the 
at-risk  of  poverty  or  social  exclusion  (AROPE)  indicator  (40.4%  in  2023  and  45.5%  in  2022,  EU 
average  24.3%).  The  social  protection  reform  advanced  with  the adoption  of  a new  social  and  child 
protection  strategy  in  December  2024.  A  new  law  on  social  and  child  protection  is  in  preparation 
addressing  the  lack  of  child,  family  and  victim  support  services.  The  Law  on  a  unified  disability 
determination system was adopted by the Parliament. . The strategic framework for the transition from 
institutional to community and family-based services has progressed with the adoption of the Strategy 
for deinstitutionalisation in December 2024. Following the invitation by the European Commission, 
a national contact point for the European Child Guarantee has been nominated. 

On non-discrimination in employment and social policy, women face significant barriers, including 
a  gender  pay  gap,  limited  access  to  leadership  positions,  and  the  disproportionate  burden  of  unpaid 
care  work.  Women’s  labour  force  participation  remains  lower  than  men’s,  especially  in  rural  areas. 
Traditional  gender  roles  continue  to  shape  occupational  choices,  with  women  underrepresented  in 
high-paying  industries  and  overrepresented  in  lower-paying,  precarious  jobs.  Gender  based 
stereotypical  preconceptions  about  childcare  and  household  work  being  a  woman’s  responsibility 
persist.  There  are  not  enough  and  affordable  kindergarten  and  early  childhood  education  and  care 
facilities  throughout  the  country  in  order  to  enable  parents  to  participate  in  the  labour  market.  The 
provision of quality childcare throughout the country is a reform step under the growth plan to raise 
awareness on that matter. The new Law on social and child protection should implement tax benefit 
systems so that both parents have similar financial incentives to work. Montenegro should start initial 
steps to align with the EU Pay Transparency Directive.  

regard 

With 
to  equality 
between  women  and  men 
in  employment  and  social 
policy,  Montenegro 
is 
broadly aligned with the EU 
acquis on gender equality in 
the  area  of  employment  and 
social  policy.  Measures  for 
elimination 
sexual 
harassment in the workplace 
and  discriminatory  gender 
wage 
well 
developed. 
gender 
equality  index  has  increased 
over 
years. 
However, the  latest estimate 

The 

last 

not 

the 

are 

of 

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of  the  gender  pay  gap  in  Montenegro  is  around  20%  (2021).  The  biggest  share  of  women  is  in 
wholesale  and  retail,  education  and  health,  and  social  work.  Although  the  majority  of  employees  in 
these areas are women, only a fraction of them reach decision-making positions.  

Preparations for the participation in the European Social Fund are progressing. (See also Chapter 22 
- Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments). 

Chapter 20: Enterprise and industrial policy  

EU  industrial  policy  strengthens  competitiveness,  facilitates  structural  change  and  encourages  a 
business-friendly environment that stimulates small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 

In  the  area  of  enterprise  and  industrial  policy  principles,  the  implementation  of  the  2024-2028 
industrial policy, aligned with the current EU industrial policy, is ongoing. The Action Plan for 2025-
2026  was  adopted in  June  2025.  Montenegro  implements the  Programme  for  the  suppression  of  the 
informal  economy  2024-2026,  but  without  applying  the  specified  monitoring  provisions,  notably  on 
the publicly available annual report. 

In  the  area  of  enterprise  policy  and  instruments,  in  March  2025,  the  Competitiveness  Council 
adopted an updated version of the action plan on barriers for doing business identifying 11 key barriers 
and  37  actions,  further  developed  and  classified  into  4  areas:  suppressing  the  grey  economy; 
improving  the  business  environment;  improving  the  legislative  framework  and  improving  the 
efficiency  of  public  administration.  The  SME  definition  does  not  correspond  to  the  EU 
Recommendation. 

Regarding sectoral policies, in February 2025, the Ministry of Finance updated the publicly available 
register of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and included basic information on municipal enterprises.  

In  October  2024,  Parliament  adopted  the  Law  on  deadlines  for  settlement  of  financial  obligations 
aligned with the EU Directive on combating late payment in commercial transactions.  

Chapter 25: Science and research  

The EU provides significant support for research and innovation.  All EU Member States associated 
countries and third countries participate in the EU’s research and innovation programmes, and can 
benefit  from  them,  especially  where there is a  scientific  excellence  and  solid  investment in research 
and innovation. 

Concerning  research  and  innovation  policy,  the  implementation  and  completion  of  the  Smart 
Specialisation Strategy for 2019-2024 was finalised in December 2024. The final implementation and 
evaluation  report  for  2024  for  the  first  cycle  of  the  Smart  Specialisation  Strategy  for  2019-2024  is 
underway.  Montenegro  is  in  the  process  of  adopting  a  new  Smart  Specialisation  Strategy  for  2026-
2031, with an action plan for 2025 as bridge between the two cycles.  

Montenegro  is  increasing  its  Concerning  the  2025  funding  allocated  to  research  and  development, 
Montenegro increased research. It is estimated at 0.4 % of the GDP for 2024, but further efforts are 
needed. 

The Innovation Fund continues to provide grants and support to innovative start-ups and companies, 
and  the  Innovation  and  entrepreneurship  center  Tehnopolis  keeps  increasing  its  own  technical 
capacities  and  opening  new  programmes  for  interested  citizens  and  businesses.  The  Science  and 
Technology  Park  of  Montenegro  has  accepted  26  tenants,  while  Tehnopolis  has  now  42  tenants 
compared to 21 in 2024. 24 national scientific research projects are being implemented based on the 
co-financing call of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation in 2024, with a total funding of 
around EUR 2.2 million.  

Collaboration  with  the  European  Innovation  Council  remains  strong,  with  the  Innovation  Fund’s 
collaborative grants programme being implemented based on the certification for integration into the 
European Innovation Council Accelerator’s Plug-In scheme, received in 2023. In the 2025 European 
innovation scoreboard Montenegro is an Emerging Innovator with performance at  45.3 % of the EU 
average.  

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Montenegro’s  performance  in  the  Horizon  Europe  programme  has  increased  compared  to  previous 
Framework Programmes: Montenegrin applicants have signed 31 grants with a funding of 4,83 million 
Euro so far.  

Chapter 26: Education and culture  

The  EU  supports  cooperation  in  education  and  culture  through  funding  programmes  and  the 
coordination  of  Member  State  policies  through  the  ‘open  method  of  coordination’.  The  EU  and  the 
Member States must also prevent discrimination and ensure quality education for children of migrant 
workers, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Education and training 

In April 2025 the government adopted the Education Reform Strategy 2025-2035 and its Action Plan 
for 2025-26. The new strategy includes all levels of education and consists of four key pillars: quality 
and equity, support to teachers, governance and financing, and school infrastructure and equipment. It 
focuses on the development of ‘future-proof’ key skills and competencies, reforms of the initial and 
in-service  training  of  teachers,  on  enhancing  the  overall  governance  and  resilience  of  the  education 
system  and  on  ensuring  sustained  financing  of  reforms.  It  includes  also  large-scale  investment  in 
improving school infrastructure. On 31 July 2025, Montenegro adopted a series of amendments to the 
General Law on Education aiming, among others, at ensuring education institutions are a safe learning 
environment for all, enhancing career guidance, and improving quality of teaching. 

Around 8.99% of the state budget for 2024 is dedicated to education (except tertiary education). The 
2024 public budget for education increased by approximately 20% for non-salary items, including an 
almost 8 times higher allocation for teachers’ professional development compared to 2023  

The  percentage  of  children  enrolled  in  preschool  education  increased  in  2024/2025  by  3.4%  in 
comparison  to  2023/2024,  with  a  coverage  rate  of  3–6-year-old  children  standing  at  79.6%  (EU 
average in 2024 was 94.,6%). 

Regarding  international  assessments  of  secondary  education,  Montenegro  took  part  to  the  Teaching 
and Learning International Survey (TALIS 2024). This test aims at providing evidence-based data on 
the  working  conditions  of  teachers  and  school  leaders  and  learning  environments  in  their  schools. 
Montenegro  is  participating  to  PISA  2025.  Moreover,  Montenegro  has  enrolled  to  join  future  tests 
Progress  in  International  Reading  Literacy  Study  (PIRLS)  2026,  TIMSS  2027  and  International 
Computer Information and Literacy Study (ICILS) 2028. 

Regarding  vocational  education  and  training  (VET),  the  Ministry  of  Education  continued  to  be 
committed  to  the  Osnabruck  Declaration  and  reforms  to  address  skills  mismatches.  More  focus  is 
needed on work-based learning at both VET and higher education levels.  

The strategy on higher education recognises the need for better alignment of study programmes with 
the  needs  of  the  labour  market,  adequate  recognition  of  higher  education  qualifications  and 
improvement  of  infrastructure.  Furthermore,  the  strategy  underlines  the  necessity  to  improve  the 
higher education system in accordance with European Higher Education Area (Bologna process) and 
European Research Area standards and to strengthen the role of institutions of higher education on the 
international  level.  On  higher  education,  according  to  the  2024  Bologna  Process  implementation 
report, Montenegro still needs to work on the full implementation of the key commitments, especially 
with regards to system level automatic recognition for academic purposes as well as quality assurance. 
The implementation of the Bologna tools and commitments are key to strengthen higher education in 
Europe and to foster transnational higher education cooperation. EU policies in higher education build 
upon,  and  work  in  synergy  with  the  Bologna  process.  Its  full  implementation is  therefore  central to 
achieve the European Education Area in higher education.  One Montenegrin university participates in 
European Universities alliances.   

As  for  inclusive  education,  enrolment  of  Roma  and  Egyptian  children  remained  a  challenge.  The 
number  of  Roma  children  enrolled  in  preschool  education  stayed  low,  and  the  number  of  Roma 
children  in  primary  and  secondary  education  dropped  by  7%  and  16%,  respectively.  On  the  other 

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hand,  the  number  of  children  with  disabilities  enrolled  in  regular  education  continued  to  rise  in 
comparison  to  2023,  by  27%,  14%,  and  1%,  in  preschool,  primary,  and  secondary  schools, 
respectively.  To  ensure  better  support  to  children  from  vulnerable  groups,  Montenegro  updated 
relevant regulations and increased the number of school support staff and assistants in social inclusion 
of Roma and Egyptian children. Currently, children from other countries make 7% of the total number 
of  students  enrolled  in  preschool,  primary,  and  secondary  education  in  Montenegro.  This  number 
reaches almost 30% in primary schools in some municipalities 

In terms of gender balance, participation in education is relatively even between boys and girls up to 
and throughout secondary school level. However, at higher education level in 2024, 37% of graduates 
were boys and 63% were girls. 

The  digitalization  of  education  is  progressing,  in  alignment  with  the  EU  Digital  Education  Action 
Plan  2021-2027.  More  than  50%  of  teachers  and  20%  of  students  are  active  among  the  35  600 
registered users of the national Digital School Platform. Over 100 schools established EdTech hubs. 

There is still no specific strategy focusing on green skills development. However, the issues of climate 
change, green economy, environmental protection, sustainable cities and settlements, biodiversity, and 
health education are included in school subjects. [ 

Montenegro benefits from the international dimension of the 2021–2027 Erasmus+ Programme. As 
part of the enhanced partnership with the region, Montenegro can apply for the European Universities 
Initiative  calls  and  one  Montenegrin  university  was  selected  as  partner  in  a  funded  alliance.  In 
November  2024, Montenegro  appointed  members  for  the  European  Education  Area  working  groups 
2021-2025 and is now participating in all groups.  

Youth centres and clubs established under the Law on youth should have a multifunctional space and 
develop activities from the Youth Strategy (2023-2027). However, only 11 centres are active and work 
on  Youth  Plans,  despite  not  having  stable  funding.  A  working  group  was  established  to  work  on 
amendments  to  the  Youth  Law  to  introduce  concrete  measures  for  sustainable  funding  for  youth 
centres. The Ministry of Sports and Youth needs to reinforce the existing youth centres and set up new 
ones  in  other  more  municipalities  as  they  are  fundamental  for  delivering  activities  under  the  Youth 
Strategy and should play a role in the outreach regarding the youth guarantee. 

The  National  Youth  Council  established  as  an  advisory  body  with  representatives  of  Ministry  of 
Sports and Youth, Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation and Ministry of Labour and Social 
welfare  met  for  the  first  time  on  13 September  2024.  On  2 December  2024,  the  Youth  Parliament 
convened  in  Montenegro  and  discussed  key  issues  affecting  young  people,  including  the  Law  on 
youth, the Law on non-governmental organisations, and mechanisms to enhance youth representation 
in national and local parliaments, as well as their involvement in policymaking. Montenegro needs to 
ensure a proper follow-up to this important initiative to promote inclusion of youth in policy dialogue 

In the field of sports, in September 2024, Parliament approved amendments to the Corporate Income 
Tax Law which became effective on 1 January 2025. These amendments recognised the role of sports 
for public health, national identity and youth engagement and introduced tax incentives for companies 
engaged  in  the  development  of  sports.  The  Strategy  for  development  of  Sport  2024-28  is  under 
implementation. Montenegro continued to participate in the European Week of Sport. 

Regarding  culture,  in  December  2024,  Montenegro  hosted  the  meeting  of  the  South  East  Europe 
Ministers of Culture in Herceg Novi, culminating in the adoption of the ‘Herceg Novi Declaration on 
Culture  and  Arts  for  Sustainable  Development.  In  2025,  Montenegro  hosted  also  the  2025  Western 
Balkans Ministerial Forum on the Creative Economy, held on 28 May in Kotor as part of the Berlin 
Process (co-organised by the British Council and the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro). Montenegro 
took  part  fully  in  the  Creative  Europe  Programme.  Montenegro  has  ratified  the  2005  UNESCO 
Convention  on  the  Protection  and  Promotion  of  the  Diversity  of  Cultural  Expressions.  The  city  of 
Nikšić was designated 2030 European Capital of Culture.  

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Chapter 29: Customs union  

All  Member  States  are  part  of  the  EU  customs  union  and  follow  the  same  customs  rules  and 
procedures.  This  requires  legislative  alignment  as  well  as  adequate  implementing  and  enforcement 
capacity, and access to and interoperability with the EU electronic customs environment. 

On  customs  legislation,  in  December  2024  the  government  adopted  the  Customs  Tariff  for  2025, 
aligned  with  the  Combined  Nomenclature  of  the  EU  for  2025.  In  June  2025  Parliament  adopted 
amendments  to  TIR  Convention.  In  July  2025  Parliament  ratified  the  Convention  on  a  Common 
Transit Procedure (CTC), the Convention on the Simplification of Formalities in Trade in Goods and 
amendments to the Regional Convention on Pan-Euro - Mediterranean preferential rules of origin. In 
September 2025 the EU-CTC Joint Committee decided on Montenegro’s accession to the Convention 
on Common Transit from 1 November 2025. 

Concerning  operational  and  administrative  capacity,  in  August  2024  the  Customs  Administration 
(CA) adopted the Business Strategy for 2024-2026, with its Action Plan for the same period. The IT 
Strategy 2024-2026 was adopted in May 2025. The new personnel plan for CA lists 598 job positions, 
while the current number of employees is 482. In February 2025, the CA adopted the Integrity Plan for 
2025-2026, an internal anti-corruption plan that contains a set of measures of legal and practical nature 
aiming to prevent opportunities for corrupt behaviours.  

17  operators  are  currently  licensed  in  the  Authorised  Economic  Operator  Programme.  The 
implementation phase of the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) started in October 2024. The 
monitoring mission confirmed in May 2025 that Montenegro fulfils the conditions for accession to the 
Common Transit Convention, which is planned for Q4 2025.  

In December 2024, the government revoked the consent for the establishment and operation of the free 
zone  ‘Novi  Duvanski  Kombinat’  (‘New  tobacco  factory’)  in  Podgorica,  which  formally  ceased  its 
operations.  

In November  2024,  officers  of  the  Customs  and  Police  Administrations,  with  the  support  and 
supervision of the United Kingdom’s Revenue and Customs Administration (HMRC), completed the 
recount of seized cigarettes at the Port of Bar. In June 2025, the government adopted the decision on 
destruction of these illicit tobacco products. The destruction was completed in September 2025.  

In  August  2024,  the  CA  started  full  implementation  of  the  World  Customs  Organization’s  Cargo 
Targeting  System  in  the  Port  of  Bar.  The  system  enables  electronic  declaration  of  manifests  in 
maritime traffic, contributing to a more efficient control of goods arriving at the Port of Bar using the 
risk  analysis  system.  In  June  2025,  the  Port  of  Bar’s  information  system  was  integrated  with  the 
SEED+ system, which enables assessment of pre-arrival information and enhances risk analysis, while 
facilitating the movement of lorries in and out of the free zone.  

In 2024, the total customs revenues amounted to EUR 1.29 billion, 9.78% more than in 2023 Excise 
revenues  stood  at  EUR 368.6  million,  growing  by  14.1%  in  comparison  to  2023.  The  upward  trend 
continued in 2025, with the customs revenues totalling EUR 788.85 million in the first seven months 
of 2025, which is 9.1% more than in the corresponding period of 2024. 

Montenegro should continue  combating customs fraud,  in  particular  smuggling of tobacco products, 
and further extend its cooperation with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). 

On  the  implementation  of  the  Framework  Convention  on  Tobacco  Control  and  its  Protocol  to 
Eliminate  Illicit  Trade  in  Tobacco  Products,  in  Q1 2025  Montenegro  developed  a  roadmap  towards 
establishing a test version of a Track&Trace system. 

CLUSTER 4: THE GREEN AGENDA AND SUSTAINABLE CONNECTIVITY  

This  cluster  covers:  transport  (Chapter  14);  energy  (Chapter  15);  trans-European  networks  (Chapter 
21); and environment and climate change (Chapter 27).  

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Chapter 14: Transport policy  

The EU has common rules on technical and safety standards, security, social standards, State aid and 
market  liberalisation  in  road  transport,  railways,  inland  waterways,  multimodal  transport,  aviation 
and maritime transport. 

As  regards  general  transport,  there  was  no  progress  on  the  update  of  the  national  transport 
development  strategy.  Implementation  of  the  Transport  Community  action  plans  remained  slow  to 
moderate.  The  inter-ministerial  coordination  of  transport  policies  remains  a  challenge,  especially  on 
road  safety  and  transport  of  dangerous  goods.  There  was  no  progress  regarding  the  development  of 
sustainable urban mobility plans. 

the 

road 

area  of 

In 
transport, 
Montenegro advanced with the revision of 
key national legislation on road transport, 
including  social  rules  and  tachographs, 
while 
pending. 
adoption 
Montenegro  also  set  targets  for  reducing 
its high number of road deaths and serious 
road  traffic  injuries,  but  a  lead  agency  or 
national  coordination  body  to  implement 
the new road safety strategy is still not in 
place. In July 2025, the Law on transport 
of  dangerous  goods  was  amended, 
ensuring further alignment with the EU acquis. A new mid-term road maintenance and rehabilitation 
programme was adopted in June 2025 with the estimated total investments of EUR 2.14 billion in the 
period  2025  -  2028.  Work  on  the  delayed  implementation  of  the  Intelligent  Transport  Systems 
programme  2022  –  2026  for  national  roads  continued  with  funding  by  the  European  Bank  for 
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).  

their 

is 

On  rail  transport,  in  July  2025,  Montenegro  adopted  a  new  law  on  railways  in  line  with  the  EU 
acquis. Work on setting up the Railway Agency needs to start, ensuring proper administrative capacity 
and independence of the agency in enforcing the new law. The preparation of key national legislation 
on rail safety and interoperability advanced but remains to be adopted. The railway companies were 
listed  with  accumulated  tax  debt  in  2024,  and  this  situation  poses  a  considerable  risk  to  the 
sustainability of railway transport. Montecargo received state aid of EUR 225 000 within the reporting 
period. In April 2025, its only private sector competitor was prohibited from freight operations by the 
authorities on alleged safety concerns without giving an opportunity for the operator to take remedial 
actions.  The  strategic  and  policy  frameworks  for  implementation  of  the  European  Rail  Traffic 
Management System are not in place.  

In  the  area  of  maritime  transport,  in  December  2024,  the  second  phase  of  the  vessel  traffic 
monitoring and information system became operational, ensuring full and effective maritime transport 
monitoring.  Montenegro  has  a  National  Maritime  Single  Window  in  place,  as  well  as  adequate 
resources  and  related  implementing  regulations.  There  were  no  developments  regarding  further 
legislative alignment in the area of maritime safety and port services. 

In the area of inland waterway transport, there were no relevant developments. 

As regards aviation, Montenegro progressed well on aligning with the technical aspects of air traffic 
management  (ATM)  but  still  needs  to  address  key  concerns  regarding  alignment  with  the  Single 
European  Sky  (SES  2+)  Regulation  related  to  the  issue  of  the  joint  air  navigation  services  provider 
with Serbia and must still implement the rules on the performance and charging schemes and ATM 
ground conformity assessment. In addition, in February 2025, Parliament ratified amendments to the 
European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) Agreement and its Annex I, on the rules applicable to civil 
aviation. Good level of implementation of EU safety acquis in the domain of air crew licensing was 
confirmed  during  the  European  Aviation  Safety  Agency  (EASA)  inspection  conducted  in  February 
2025.  Montenegro  is  moving  towards  the  second  phase  of  the  ECAA  Agreement  but  still  needs  to 
address outstanding concerns on the competition and State aid requirements. 

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There were no relevant developments on multimodal transport. Montenegro has not yet aligned with 
the EU Combined Transport Directive. 

On  passenger  rights,  the  Law  on  obligations  and  legal-property  relations  in  air  transport  was 
amended  in  July  2025,  aimed  at  strengthening  the  complaint  filing  procedure  and  the  work  of  the 
inspection  services.  While  the  legislation  on  air  transport,  including  concerning  persons  with 
disabilities and persons with reduced mobility, and waterborne sectors was adopted in full alignment 
with EU acquis, such alignment of provisions on bus and coach as well as rail passenger rights is yet 
to  be  completed.  Montenegro  should  designate  a  national  enforcement  body  to  fulfil  the  tasks  and 
responsibilities required by the EU Passenger Rights Regulation in rail, road and maritime transport. 

With  regard  to  anti-corruption  measures,  in  April  2024,  the  former  Ministry  of  Transport  and 
Maritime Affairs adopted a two-year integrity plan.  

Chapter 15: Energy  

EU  energy  policy  covers  energy  supply,  infrastructure,  the  internal  energy  market,  consumers, 
renewable  energy,  energy  efficiency,  nuclear  energy  and  nuclear  safety,  radiation  protection,  and 
nuclear safeguards.  

In  the  area  of  security  of  supply,  in  December  2024,  the  Law  on  security  of  supply  of  petroleum 
products  was  adopted,  complemented  by  implementing  legislation  on  the  obligation  to  maintain 
minimum state stocks of crude oil and/or derivatives. In December 2024, the government adopted the 
Action  Plan  for  the  establishment  of  emergency  oil  stocks  in  Montenegro.  In  the  electricity  sector, 
alignment  with  the  EU  Risk-Preparedness  Regulation  by  the  adoption  of  the  Law  on  cross-border 
exchanges in electricity and natural is yet to be completed. 

Montenegro  has  no  functional  gas  market.  The  country  has  aligned  its  gas  legislation  with  the  EU 
acquis,  but  there  is  no  transmission  or  distribution  infrastructure,  nor  gas  consumption  on  a 
commercial scale.  

With  regard  to  the  internal  energy  market,  a  wholesale  market  exists  but  coupling  with  the  EU 
market  and  competitiveness  need  strengthening.  Montenegro  adopted  the  Law  on  energy  in  March 
2025, while the Law on cross-border exchanges in electricity and natural gas is pending adoption, both 
in  view  of  fully  aligning  with  the  Electricity  Integration  Package,  which  is  a  precondition  for  EU 
market integration. The day-ahead electricity market is functional, and the local integration project for 
its  coupling  with  Italy  is  established.  The  methodology  for  coordinated  capacity  calculation  for  the 
day-ahead  and  intraday  markets  timeframes  within  the  Montenegro-horizon  Capacity  Calculation 
Region  was  publicly  consulted  until  30  July  2025.  The  national  energy  regulatory  authority’s 
(REGAGEN)  institutional  independence  should  be  enhanced  by  aligning  its  staff  regulations  with 
those applicable to other independent bodies. The procedure of appointment of the new REGAGEN 
Board by the Parliament lacked a set of objectives, transparent and published criteria, as required by 
the Energy Community acquis.    

In the area of hydrocarbons, the Law on safety measures in offshore exploration and production of 
hydrocarbons was adopted in May 2025 and is designed to be in line with the EU acquis.  

On  renewable  energy, Montenegro  is  to  yet complete  its legislative  alignment  with the  EU  acquis. 
The government, together with the Electrical Power Company of Montenegro (EPCG), implemented 
two  programmes  installing  solar  panels  in  households,  leading  to  an  increased  level  of  installations 
compared  to  last  year.  In  November  2024,  Montenegro  started  the  construction  of  the  Gvozd  wind 
park  with  completion  expected  by  the  end  of  2025,  with  an  installed  capacity  of  55 MW  and  an 
expected  annual  production  of  around  150  GWh.  Montenegro  is  developing  documentation  for 
hydropower  plants  to  increase  the  energy  baseload  while  planning  the  gradual  phasing  out  of  the 
Thermal  Power  Plant  in  Pljevlja.    Montenegro  launched  its  first  solar  power  auction  in  July  2025, 
targeting a capacity of up to 250MW over a 12-year period.  

In the area of energy efficiency, Montenegro has achieved a high level of alignment with the EU legal 
framework. In December 2024, the Ministry of Energy completed the development of the registry of 
issued  energy  certificates.  Montenegro  increased  the  mandatory  annual  renovation  target  for  state-

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owned  official  buildings  from  1%  to  3%  and  completed  a  study  on  improving  energy  efficiency  in 
buildings.  The country also intensified activities of energy efficiency programmes, including for the 
hotel industry and rural households, with funding from the 2023 EU Energy Support Package.  

On  energy  labelling  and  eco-design,  Montenegro’s  legal  framework  has  a  high  level  of  alignment 
with the EU acquis. In February 2025, Montenegro adopted implementing legislation on the method of 
calculating  primary  energy  savings  from  co-generation  and  energy  efficiency  labelling  for  air-
conditioners, but continued efforts are necessary to fully implement and enforce these standards.  

In the area of governance, the NECP, setting Montenegro’s climate and energy targets until 2030, is 
yet to be finalised and adopted.  

Regarding  nuclear energy, nuclear safety and radiation protection, following the adoption of the 
Law on ionising radiation protection, radiation and nuclear safety and security in 2024, the adoption of 
the remaining related implementing legislation, as foreseen by the law, is pending. In November 2024, 
the  government  adopted  the  Strategy  for  disaster  risk  reduction  for  2025-2030,  while  the  Integrated 
nuclear  security  sustainability  plan  for  2026-2031  is  yet  to  be  adopted.  Furthermore,  Montenegro 
should  accelerate  its  efforts  to  participate  in  the  European  Radiological  Data  Exchange  Platform 
(EURDEP).   

On  nuclear  safeguards,  upon  EU  accession,  the  existing  systems  of  accountancy  and  control  of 
nuclear materials would need to be adapted to accommodate for the safeguard provisions (Chapter 7) 
of the Euratom Treaty.   

Chapter 21: Trans-European networks  

The EU promotes trans-European networks in transport, telecommunications and energy to strengthen 
the internal market and contribute to growth and employment. 

Overall compliance with key TEN-T indicators remains limited given the slow implementation pace of 
large projects. Further efforts are necessary to strengthen and mainstream anti-corruption measures. In 
the area of transport networks, the development of the TEN-T rail corridor Bar-Vrbnica continued 
with  significant  delay,  due  to  limited  absorption  and  management  capacity  of  the  responsible 
administrative bodies.  

On road networks, in November 2024, the EU-financed update to the Bar-Boljare highway feasibility 
study was completed, confirming the feasibility of the project. In the meantime, Montenegro continued 
to fast-track the construction of the next priority section of the highway (Matesevo – Andrijevica). In 
September  2024,  the  government  announced  a  necessary  re-alignment  of  about  50%  of  the  route  to 
mitigate  social  and  environmental  concerns  raised  by  a  local  community,  followed  by  a  tender 
procedure. In July 2025, the Government signed a loan and project agreement with EBRD, ensuring 
financing from the state budget, with co-financing from the EBRD (EUR 200 million loan) and the EU 
(EUR 150 million grant). 

A  number  of  road  development  projects  were  included  in  the  new  spatial  plan  of  Montenegro  until 
2040, such as two parallel routes for the for the new planned Adriatic-Ionian Road corridor, one inland 
and  another  coastal.  Those  are  additional  to  the  plans  agreed  under  the  TEN-T  network  and  the 
country’s Transport Community commitments. In December 2024, the government released a partial 
update of the Single Project Pipeline. Its transport sector investment volume is approximately EUR 4.4 
billion,  compared  with  the  ambitious  road  development  plan,  which  is  worth  approximately  EUR 9 
billion. 

In  the  area  of  energy  networks,  the  Law on  cross-border  energy  infrastructure  projects  is  yet  to  be 
finalised and adopted, in line with the Energy Community requirements. On electricity interconnection 
with  neighbouring  countries,  the  construction  of  the  Montenegrin  section  of  the  Trans-Balkan 
electricity corridor progressed, notably on spatial planning for the construction of the 400 kV overhead 
line  (OHL)  connecting  the  thermal  power  plant  in  Pljevlja  to  the  border  with  Serbia.  The 
implementation of projects should accelerate, especially those listed in the Central and South-Eastern 
Europe Energy Connectivity (CESEC) Action Plan on Electricity and Renewable Energy and Projects 
of Energy Community Interest, involving Montenegro.  

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The country is yet to fully align its legislation with the EU acquis on TEN-T and TEN-E, including the 
recent revisions. 

Chapter 27: Environment and climate change  

The EU promotes strong climate action, sustainable development and protection of the environment. 
EU  rules  contain  provisions  addressing  climate  change,  water  and  air  quality,  waste  management, 
nature protection, industrial pollution, chemicals, noise and civil protection. 

In  June  2025,  the  government  adopted  the  eighth  semi-annual  report  on  the  implementation  of  the 
action  plan  for  fulfilment  of  the  closing  benchmarks  in  Chapter  27.  The  report  showed  that  out  of 
overall 281 planned activities 109 were implemented (38%).  

In  the  fields  of  environment  and  climate  change,  Montenegro  needs  to  urgently  strengthen  its 
administrative  capacities  at  central  and  local  level  by  hiring  additional  personnel  and  address 
insufficient inspection services at both levels. Montenegro should ensure that there is an institutional 
structure in place to deliver coordinated, strategic planning for sustainable environmental and climate 
investments, 
the  preparation,  adequate  public  consultations  and 
implementation of investments. 

the  quality  of 

including 

In  April  2025  Montenegro  joined  fully  the  EU  LIFE  Programme  for  Environment  and  Climate 
Action, an  important milestone  which  gives  Montenegro  access to  EU  funding to  support initiatives 
targeting critical areas such as pollution reduction, improved waste management, and climate actions.  

Environment 

As  regards  horizontal  legislation,  in  the  reporting  period,  Montenegro  completed  15  strategic 
environmental  assessments  (SEA)  and  199  environmental  impact  assessments.    Montenegro  is 
encouraged  to  increase  synergies,  coordination  between  Strategic  Environment  Assessments  and 
Environmental  Impact  Assessments  to  make  better  use  of  such  documents  in  its  planning  and 
implementation.  

On  air  quality,  the  adoption  of  the  strategy  on  air  quality  management  2021-2029  and  the  related 
action plan are still pending.  

To  allow  proper  implementation  of  the  Law  on  waste  management,  the  government  adopted  21 
implementing acts over the reporting period, and the work is ongoing on additional acts, to ensure its 
implementation.  The  national  waste  management  plan  for  the  period  (2025-2029)  was  adopted  in 
October 2025, an important development laying the foundation to transition to a circular economy and 
gradually  reduce  the  amount  of  waste  ending  up  in  landfills,  while  simultaneously  increasing  the 
recycling  rate,  protecting  citizens'  health,  and  preserving  the  environment.  As  from  October  2024, 
Montenegro started to implement the ban on placing plastic bags with a thickness of 15-50 microns 
and the use of single use plastic products. This ban produced positive results with certain retail chains 
recording  a  reduction  in  the  use  of  plastic  bags  overall  by  around  50%  between  October  2024  and 
January 2025 compared to the same period last year. Media awareness raising campaigns and proper 
enforcement rules, targeting citizens and local authorities, about prevention, separation of waste and 
recycling, are needed.  

With  regards  to  water  quality  management,  in  December  2024,  the  government  adopted  the  2025 
programme for monitoring surface and ground water.  

With  regards  to  nature  protection,  the  Law  on  nature  protection  and  the  National  strategy  for 
biodiversity  and  its  action  plan  are  still  pending.  The  work  on  the  Natura  2000  network  continued. 
Montenegro still needs to address the recommendation of the Bern Convention related to Skadar lake. 
Montenegro needs to find adequate solution for the military training polygon at Sinjajevina. Work is 
ongoing on the management plan for Ulcinj Salina; however, the set-up of the company for sustainable 
management of the site is still pending and more active involvement from both central and local level 
is needed to address this issue. 

Concerning  industrial  pollution  and  risk  management,  the  ecological  reconstruction  for  Pljevlja 
coal power plant is ongoing, without addressing the core issues. Montenegro needs to step up efforts to 

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permanently  close  the  plant  to meet  EU emission standards.  Montenegro  needs a  strategic  approach 
for a just transition by providing economic alternatives to the communities who will be most affected 
by the coal phase-out. 

In May 2025, the report on the implementation of the action plan for 2024 for the implementation of 
the national chemicals management strategy 2024-2025 was adopted.  

The  Ministry  of  Ecology,  Sustainable  Development  and  Northern  Region  Development  started 
drafting a new law on environmental noise protection to align with the acquis in the area of noise. 

Montenegro  is  a  member  of  the  EU  Civil  Protection  Mechanism  since  2015  and  since  2024,  the 
country is connected to the common emergency communication and information system (CECIS). In 
November 2024, the government adopted the Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction for 2025-2030 with 
an  action  plan  for  2025-2026.  The  country  is  preparing  measures  for  prevention  against  and 
preparedness for disasters. 

Climate change 

Montenegro needs to significantly strengthen its administrative capacities in the climate change sector, 
as deficiencies in this area hamper progress. 

The  Law  on  protection  from  the  negative  effects  of  climate  change  aiming  to  align  with  the  2050 
climate  neutrality  target  and  introducing  legal  basis  for  monitoring,  reporting,  verification  and 
accreditation (MRVA) of greenhouse gas emissions is pending adoption by Parliament. Montenegro is 
encouraged  to  fully  align  with  the  MRVA  acquis,  to  cover  the  full  EU  Emissions  Trading  System 
(ETS)  scope,  thus  include  stationary  installation,  aviation,  shipping  and  ETS2  (buildings,  road 
transport  and  small  industry)  sectors  and  commence  its  full  implementation  as  soon  as  possible. 
Decisive steps are needed to improve current and/or establishing new carbon pricing mechanisms, to 
facilitate joining the EU ETS upon accession. 

In June 2025, the government adopted the national climate change adaptation plan covering the period 
until 2035, along with an accompanying action plan valid till 2027. Attention now will pass towards 
its implementation. Montenegro needs to finalise and adopt strategic documents in the area of climate 
change,  in  particular,    the  long-term  low-carbon  development  strategy  in  line  with  2050  climate 
neutrality objective, and the national energy and climate plan (NECP).  Montenegro still needs to align 
with EU  acquis on emissions from the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector 
and emissions from vehicles, and more broadly increase its alignment with EU climate acquis. 

In  February  2025,  Montenegro  submitted  its  first  biennial  transparency  report  and  a  new  nationally 
determined  contribution  (NDC)  setting  new  economy  wide  greenhouse  gas  (GHG)  emissions 
reduction  targets,  thus  accounting  for  emissions  and  sinks  from  the  land  use,  land  use  change  and 
forestry  (LULUCF)  sector  that  were  previously  excluded.  The  new  NDC  sets  a  goal  to  reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and 60% by 2035.  

CLUSTER 5: RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND COHESION  

This  cluster  covers:  agriculture  and  rural  development  (Chapter  11);  food  safety,  veterinary  and 
phytosanitary  policy  (Chapter  12);  fisheries  and  aquaculture  (Chapter  13);  regional  policy  and 
coordination of structural instruments (Chapter 22); and financial and budgetary provisions (Chapter 
33). 

Chapter 11: Agriculture and rural development  

The EU’s common agricultural policy supports farmers and ensures Europe’s food security. It helps 
tackle climate change and the sustainable management of national resources; maintains rural areas 
and landscapes across the EU; and keeps the rural economy alive by promoting jobs in farming, agri-
food industries and associated sectors. This requires strong management and control systems. There 
are also common EU rules for marketing standards, quality policy and organic farming.  

On  horizontal  issues,  legislative  alignment  with  EU  acquis  on  agriculture  and  rural  development 
needs to continue. Good progress was made with the adoption in July 2025 of an Implementation plan 

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for the setting up of a Paying Agency and the establishment of an integrated administration and control 
system  (IACS)  as  required  by  the  closing  benchmarks  and  the  adoption  of  a  law  setting  down  the 
operational  obligations  and  requirements  of  the  paying  agency.  Procurement  for  new  ortho-photo 
maps is underway, and the land parcel identification system (LPIS) update needs to proceed speedily 
ensuring  adequate  staff  resources  are  available  for  the  task.  Detailed  steps  for  developing  the  Area 
Monitoring  System  must  be  elaborated.  The  2024  Agriculture  Census  will  facilitate  the  continued 
development  of  the  Farm  Sustainability  Data  Network.  The  farm  advisory  services  must  be 
strengthened.   

As regards agricultural markets - common market organisation (CMO), Montenegro needs to continue 
to  advance  with  the  implementation  of  activities  under  the  action  plan  on  EU  acquis  alignment. 
Legislation in the wine sector further aligning with the EU acquis was adopted. Work on the electronic 
vineyard register remains to be completed. Legislation on olive growing and olive oil aligning with the 
EU acquis was adopted in July 2025.  

In  the  area  of  rural  development,  implementation  of  the  IPARD  II  programme  ended  in  December 
2024  with  around  90%  absorption  of  the  EU  funds.  Montenegro  has  received  entrustment  of  four 
measures under the IPARD III programme and is strongly encouraged to ensure full absorption of all 
related  funds.  Montenegro  must  ensure  the  recruitment  of  additional,  qualified  staff  for  the  future 
paying agency.  

As  regards  quality  policy,  a  draft  law  further  aligning  with  EU  acquis  is  under  preparation. 
Recommendations  of the  2019  EU  peer review mission  continued,  including activities to  strengthen 
the control and enforcement system.  

On  organic  farming,  in  December  2024,  the  Parliament  adopted  the  Law  on  Organic  Production, 
further aligned with the EU acquis. Activities to strengthen the control and enforcement system need 
to continue. 

On  the  fight  against  corruption  the  IPARD  bodies  are  obliged  to  prevent,  detect  and  report 
irregularities. 

Chapter 12: Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy  

The EU food acquis, including hygiene rules for foodstuff production, ensures a high level of food and 
feed safety and a high level of protection of consumers’ interests. Animal health and welfare and the 
safety  of  food  of  animal  origin  are  safeguarded,  together  with  quality  of  seeds,  plant  protection 
material, protection against harmful organisms and animal nutrition.  

In  the  area  of  general  food  safety,  Montenegro  has  not  yet  adopted  a  framework  legislation 
harmonising the EU acquis on official controls. The Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary and 
Phytosanitary Affairs (AFSVPA) implemented the 2024 programme for food and feed safety quality 
measures, including the monitoring programme for residues in animals and products of animal origin 
and  prepared  the  2025  programme.  Administrative  capacities,  including  infrastructure  of  official 
laboratories  and  border  control  posts,  are  still  not  sufficient  for  the  operation  of  the  official  control 
system 

The  number  of  official  control staff is still insufficient, efforts  to  recruit  being hampered  by lack  of 
available national veterinarian and lack of attractivity of the salaries proposed.  

Farm  registration  and  animal  identification  still  present  major  deficiencies  that  are  required  to  be 
addressed.  

As  regards  veterinary  policy,  the  veterinary  sector  of  AFSVPA  hired  four  new  employees. 
Implementing  legislation  on  the  internal  organisation  and  systematisation  of  AFSVPA  envisaging 
significant  increase  of  staff  number  was  prepared  and  submitted  to  the  competent  Montenegrin 
authorities.  AFSVPA  implemented  the  2024  programme  of  mandatory  animal  health  protection 
measures and prepared the 2025 programme with a strengthened monitoring programme for those bird 
diseases  that  are  subject  to  reporting.  Montenegro  ensured  EU  cofinanced  programmes  for  African 
swine  fever  and  rabies  for  the  period  2025-2027The  veterinary  information  system  became 
operational.  

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There  is  a  general lack  of awareness  concerning  animal  welfare  rules  and  on their  implement them. 
Official controls on animal welfare require improvements at all levels including the full development 
of systems (certification, approval, trainings etc) in the areas of slaughter, road transport and livestock 
vessels.  

In  the  area  of  placing  on  the  market  of  food,  feed  and  animal  by-products,  on  16 January,  the 
government adopted  an  innovated management  plan for animal  by-products  not  intended  for  human 
consumption with an action plan 2025-2030. Implementation has yet to be accelerated. 

In  the  area  of  food  safety  rules  and  its  specific  rules  for  feed,  AFSVPA  implemented  the  2024 
programme of food and feed safety measures and adopted the 2025 programme. 

In  the  area  of  phytosanitary  policy,  AFSVPA  implemented  the  2024  programme  of  phytosanitary 
measures,  including  the  programme  of  control  of  production  of  seed  and  propagating  material  and 
plant genetic resources, and prepared the programme for 2025. AFSVPA implemented the programme 
for  monitoring  pesticide  residues  in  food  of  plant  and  animal  origin  for  2024  and  prepared  the 
programme for 2025. The authorities implemented the relevant aspects of the 2021-2026 national plan 
for sustainable use of pesticides and started the activities planned for 2025. 

In  the  area  of  genetically  modified  organisms,  AFSVPA  prepared  the  programme  for  the  control 
testing of seed and planting material for 2025. 

Chapter 13: Fisheries and aquaculture 

The common fisheries policy lays down rules on fisheries management, protects living resources of the 
sea and limits the environmental impact of fisheries. This includes setting catch quotas, managing fleet 
capacity, rules on control and inspection, rules on markets and aquaculture and support for fisheries 
and coastal communities. Further, it promotes a sustainable aquaculture. 

In  the  areas  of  structural  actions,  market  policy,  State  aid  and  aquaculture,  on  26  June  2025, 
Parliament  adopted the  Law  on  marine  fisheries, the  Law  on  aquaculture  and the  Law  on  structural 
support  and  State  aid  to  the  fisheries  and  aquaculture  sector,  all  relevant  for  fulfilling  closing 
benchmark 1 of this chapter.  

As regards resource and fleet management, during the reporting period the annual implementation of 
the  data  collection  programme  (DCF-DCRF)  continued,  covering  both  commercial  catch  data  and 
biological data. The data collection programme for 2025 is in preparation and will include eel.   

Out  of a  total  of  eight investments contracted  for  grant  support for the modernisation  of the fishing 
fleet within the MIDAS 2 project fishermen completed seven investments in new vessels (under 10 m 
length). 

Regarding  inspections  and  control,  there  was  neither  an  increase  in  the  number  of  fisheries 
inspectors,  nor  an  increase  of  staff  in  the  administration.  Work  is  ongoing  to  further  update  and 
upgrade  the  fisheries  information  system,  and  to  provide  necessary  equipment  and  trainings  for  the 
inspectors.  

As regards international agreements, the process of ratification of the agreement for full membership 
of  Montenegro  in  the  International  Commission  for  the  Conservation  of  Atlantic  Tunas  (ICCAT)  is 
ongoing.  The  implementation  of  the  European  Strategy  for  the  Adriatic-Ionian  Region  and 
collaboration with the GFCM continued. 

There were no developments with regard to maritime spatial planning. 

Chapter 22: Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments  

Regional policy is the EU’s main tool for reducing regional  disparities and investing in sustainable 
and  inclusive  socio-economic  growth.  It  is  operating  through  ‘shared  management’  between  the 
Commission  and  EU  Member  States.  The  implementation  of  cohesion  policy  programmes  requires 
appropriate administrative capacity on programme and project level, the establishment of systems of 
sound financial management and control and also the fulfilment of other EU acquis elements such as 
environmental or public procurement legislation. 

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Regarding  the  legislative  framework,  Montenegro  has  started  preparations  and  conducted  a  public 
consultation  for  an  amendment  to  the  Law  on  Regional  Development  as  part  of  the  updated  Action 
Plan  for  Chapter  22.  This  law  will  lay  down  the  legal,  institutional,  and  strategic  framework  for 
regional development.  

Concerning  the  institutional  framework,  Montenegro  completed  preparations  to  receive  the 
European  Commission’s  entrustment  for  budget  implementation  under  indirect  management  for  the 
Instrument of Pre-accession (IPA) 2024 annual programme. The finalisation of the entrustment for two 
sector operational programmes which are to prepare the institutions for future use of structural funds 
still needs to be finalised. The Working Group for Chapter 22 met 5 times since September 2024 and 
engaged  in  a  multi-stakeholder  consultation  in  view  of  the  government’s  adoption  of  the  updated 
Chapter 22 Action Plan which focuses on closing benchmarks. 

Administrative capacity remains a crucial area for reform. The government engaged in a functional 
review in selected policy areas relevant to regional policy. The government initiated a systematisation 
process to promote retention policy and additional merit-based recruitments. IPA funds were deployed 
to  design  and  initiated  a  capacity  development  programme  for  IPA  structures.  The  Administrative 
Capacity  Building  Roadmap  is  being  developed  based  on  the  OECD  pilot  on  frontloading  capacity 
building,  the  EC  toolkit,  and  best  practices  from  Member  States,  to  support  effective  EU  funds 
management post-2020. 

In the area of programming, monitoring and evaluation, the programming and contract preparations 
of  operations  under  the  IPA  III  operational  programmes  needs  to  be  accelerated.  Inter-ministerial 
coordination, regular dialogue with local municipalities and civil society need to be strengthened and 
further integrated into a structured process allowing tracking and regular monitoring. The evaluation 
of  selected  indirect  management  actions  was  positive,  with  recommendations  to  strengthen  the 
coordination  and  implementation  capacities  of  beneficiary  institutions.  Montenegro  continued  to 
participate in  Interreg  cooperation  programmes,  the EU  Strategy for  the  Adriatic  and  Ionian  Region 
and the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, with increased participation of Montenegrin institutions 
as lead partners in project implementation. Montenegro adopted an ambitious Reform Agenda, under 
the Reform and Growth Facility. 

On financial management, control and audit, problems with management verifications persist. The 
government  engaged  in  a  process  of  strengthening  its  capacities  and  assurance  mechanisms  for  the 
management  of  the  IPA  II  and  IPA  III  programmes.  The  National  Authorising  Officer  approved 
improved reporting templates and an updated manual of procedures in December 2024. 

On  fight  against  corruption,  as  from  September  2024  there  were  no  cases  registered  on  the 
Irregularity Management System operated under the Anti-Fraud Information System.  

Chapter 33: Financial and budgetary provisions  

This  chapter  covers  the  rules  governing  the  funding  of  the  EU  budget  (‘own  resources’).  These 
resources  mainly  consist  of:  (i)  contributions  based  on  the  gross  national  income  of  each  Member 
State; (ii) customs duties; (iii) the non-recycled plastic resource; and (iv) a resource based on value-
added tax. Member States must have the appropriate administrative capacity to adequately coordinate 
and ensure the correct calculation, collection, payment and control of own resources. 

There  was  some  progress  in  the  underlying  policy  areas  indirectly  affecting  the  own-resources 
system  (for  progress  in  these  areas,  see  chapters  16:  Taxation,  18:  Statistics,  27:  Environment  and 
climate change; 29: Customs union, and 32: Financial control).  

On traditional own resources, in February 2025, Parliament adopted the 2025 State Budget. 

Some  development  was reported  on  implementing  legislation  on the  collection of  debts  on movable 
and immovable property with the adoption of the Law on the Write-Off of Interest on Overdue Tax 
Liabilities by Parliament in September 2024. As regards VAT-based resources, Parliament adopted to 
the Law on Amendments to the Law on Value Added Tax in September 2025. The Statistical Office 
has calculated the average weighted VAT rate.  

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In  the  area  of  gross  national  income-based  resources,  Montenegro’s  GDP  is  calculated  using  the 
European system of national and regional accounts 2010 methodology, while the informal economy is 
calculated in accordance with the OECD and Eurostat manuals. 

As regards administrative infrastructure, the Directorate for Coordination and Management of EU 
Own  Resources  in the  Ministry of  Finance  continued to improve its  capacity, focusing  on  planning, 
coordination,  calculation  and  administrative  conditions  of  own  resources  with  special  focus  on 
employees in the IT sector. 

CLUSTER 6: EXTERNAL RELATIONS  

There are two chapters in this cluster: external relations (Chapter 30) and foreign, security and defence 
policy (Chapter 31). 

Chapter 30: External relations 

The  EU  has  a  common  commercial  policy  towards  non-EU  countries,  based  on  multilateral  and 
bilateral agreements and autonomous measures. There are also EU rules in the field of humanitarian 
aid and development policy. 

As  regards the  common  commercial  policy, Montenegro continued  to coordinate its positions  with 
those of the EU, including in the World Trade Organization.  

Montenegro  continued  to  actively  participate  in  Central  European  Free  Trade  Agreement  (CEFTA) 
working groups, including in the Joint Committee. The Agreement on the recognition of professional 
qualification  of  the  general  care  nurses,  veterinarians,  pharmacists  and  midwives  under  CEFTA 
entered into force in August 2024. Montenegro is yet to ratify Additional Protocol 7 and publish key 
decisions  adopted  within  the  CEFTA  framework  to  enhance  trade,  create  new  jobs  and  strengthen 
consumer rights.  

In November 2024, the government adopted a new trade facilitation programme for 2024-2026 and a 
framework action plan for the same period, aimed at improving the efficiency, effectiveness and ease 
of cross-border trade.  

On  dual-use  goods,  there  were  no  developments  with  regards  to  Montenegro’s  applications  for 
membership in the Australia Group and to join the Wassenaar Arrangement. In December 2024, the 
government  adopted  the  Decision  on  Establishing  National  Control  list  of  Dual-use  goods. 
Montenegro  has  yet  to  align  with  the  EU  acquis  on  screening  of  foreign  direct  investments 
(Regulation 2019/452). 

In accordance with the Law on the development bank, adopted in October 2024, this newly established 
entity should become the export credit insurer against non-market risks for Montenegrin companies. 
Implementing legislation should be adopted within a year from the entry into force of the development 
bank law, i.e. by the end of 2025.  

Regarding  bilateral  trade  agreements,  negotiations  with  Ukraine  to  amend  the  Free  Trade 
Agreement  concerning  rules  of  origin  and  methods  of  administrative  cooperation  continued.  In 
December  2024,  Parliament  ratified  the  Agreement  on  Economic  Cooperation  with  South  Korea 
which entered into force in March 2025. In April 2025, Parliament ratified an Economic Cooperation 
Agreement and an Agreement on cooperation in tourism and real estate development with the United 
Arab Emirates. The country has  25 bilateral investment treaties in force, including with  15 Member 
States. 

There were no significant developments in the area of development policy and humanitarian aid. 

Chapter 31: Foreign, security and defence policy  

Member States must be able to conduct political dialogue under the EU foreign, security and defence 
policy, align with EU statements, take part in EU actions, and apply agreed sanctions and restrictive 
measures. 

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The  political  dialogue  between  the  EU  and  Montenegro  on  foreign  and  security  policy  issues 
continued.  In  April  2025,  Montenegro  participated  in  the  eleventh  EU-Western  Balkans  meeting  of 
Political  Directors  on  the  EU’s  common  foreign  and  security  policy  (CFSP).  In  October  2025, 
Montenegro proposed the establishment of a Dialogue on Security and Defence with the EU. 

The  institutional  framework  enabling  Montenegro’s  participation  in  the  EU  CFSP  is  in  place  and 
operational. Montenegro continued its full alignment with statements by the High Representative on 
behalf  of  the  European  Union  and  Council  decisions  on  sanctions,  including  all  EU  restrictive 
measures  against  Russia  and  Belarus  related  to  Russia’s  war  of  aggression  against  Ukraine 
Montenegro also continued to align with EU positions at the United Nations, and on initiatives in the 
UN  Human  Rights  Council  with  regard  to  the  human  rights  situation  in  China,  Iran  and  Gaza.  In 
February  2025,  Montenegro  co-sponsored  the  General  Assembly  Resolution  ‘Advancing  a 
comprehensive,  just  and  lasting  peace  in  Ukraine’14  marking  the  third  anniversary  of  the  Russian 
invasion of Ukraine.  

In  December  2024,  Parliament  adopted  the  Law  on  restrictive  measures,  to  improve  the  national 
legal framework in line with EU acquis and FATF recommendations. 

Montenegro  continued  actively  and  constructively  cooperating  with  international  organisations 
(UN, OSCE and Council of Europe) and remained an active member of NATO. Implementation of the 
second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security is ongoing. 

Since Montenegro has notified the United States of its wish to bring to an end the bilateral immunity 
agreement  with  the  US,  granting  US  citizens  exemptions  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the  International 
Criminal Court, Montenegro is aligned with the EU common positions on the integrity of the Rome 
Statute or with the related EU guiding principles on bilateral immunity agreements. 

Concerning  conflict  prevention, Montenegro  continued  supporting  EU measures,  including through 
the  contribution  to  EU  Missions  as  well  as  to  UN  and  NATO  missions.  Additionally,  during  the 
reporting  period  Montenegro  met  all  obligations  in  accordance  with  the  OSCE  Conflict  Prevention 
Centre  implementation  calendar  in  the  area  of  arms  control.  Montenegro  also  continues  to  provide 
personnel to UN peacekeeping operations.  

Regarding  non-proliferation,  Montenegro  remained  actively  engaged  in  the  implementation  of  the 
Western Balkans small arms and light weapons (SALW) roadmap and implemented its 2019-2025 
strategy  and  action  plan  for  combating  illegal  possession,  misuse,  and  trafficking  of  SALW. 
Montenegro  continued  to  implement  the  2023-2028  roadmap  for  the  prevention,  detection, 
suppression  and  protection  against  chemical,  biological,  radiological  and  nuclear  threats  and  risks 
(CBRN), prevention and suppression of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and means of 
their delivery and preventing them from falling into the hands of non-state actors. In September 2024, 
in  cooperation  with  the  International  Atomic  Energy  Agency,  a  draft  of  the  new  integrated  nuclear 
security sustainability plan (INSSP) for the period 2025-2029 was developed.  

In  terms  of  security  measures,  Montenegro  continued  to  implement  its  agreement  on  security  of 
information with the EU on procedures regarding exchange of classified information. 

As regards common security and defence policy (CSDP), Montenegro continues to participate in EU 
crisis  management  missions  and  operations  under  the  CSDP,  currently  in  the  EU  NAVFOR 
ATALANTA.  In  June  2025,  Parliament  adopted  the  decision  to  contribute  to  the  EU  Military 
Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) in cooperation with the Armed Forces 
of Slovenia. In addition, Montenegro contributes to regional cooperation in military medicine through 
the Balkan Medical Task Force.  

 As  regards  hybrid  threats,  Montenegro  aligned  with  EU  declarations  and  restrictive  measures  in 
reaction  to  cyber-attacks  in  2024  and  continued  hosting  and  supporting  activities  of  the  Western 
Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C), opened in December 2024. Montenegro has aligned with the 
July 2025 Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU condemning Russia’s persistent 

14 A/RES/ES-11/7, 24 February 25. 

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hybrid  campaigns  against  the  EU,  its  Member  States  and  partners.  On  cyber,  in  the  context  of 
international security, Montenegro has actively engaged in the negotiations of the final report of the 
2021-2025 Open Ended Working Group on security and in the use of information and communications 
technologies, including through alignment with the EU Statements. Further efforts are needed to close 
the space for foreign interference and information manipulation, including disinformation, and to build 
societal resilience, against this and other forms of hybrid threats. 

EN 

  EN 

 
 
 
ANNEX I – RELATIONS BETWEEN THE EU AND MONTENEGRO  

Within  the  framework  of  the  accession  negotiations,  by  June  2025,  all  33  screened  chapters, 
including  chapters  23  and  24  on  the  rule  of  law,  had  been  opened,  seven  of  which  have  been 
provisionally closed. 

Montenegro is participating in the  Stabilisation and Association Process. Montenegro continued to 
broadly  implement  its  obligations  under  the  Stabilisation  and  Association  Agreement  (SAA). 
Regular political and economic dialogue between the EU and Montenegro has continued through the 
SAA  structures.  Regular  subcommittee  meetings  were  held  throughout  the  period.  The  Stabilisation 
and Association Committee met in February 2025 and the SA Council in July 2022. The Stabilisation 
and Association Parliamentary Committee met regularly. 

Montenegro participates in the ministerial dialogue between the economic and finance ministers of the 
EU  and  the  candidate  countries,  which  aims  at  helping  the  latter  to  gradually  meet  the  economic 
accession  criteria  and  be  better  prepared  in  terms  of  economic  reforms,  competitiveness  and  job 
creation. The most recent meeting was held on 13 May 2025  

Montenegro has maintained its full alignment with the EU common foreign and security policy and 
has  continued  contributing  to  EU  crisis  management  missions  and  operations  under  the  common 
security  and  defence  policy.  In  February  2025  a  EUR 6  million  assistance  measure  for  Montenegro 
under the European Peace Facility was adopted to provide the Armed Forces with real life support 
equipment, equipment for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence operations (CBRN), 
and equipment for the helicopter-borne search and rescue units. 

Visa liberalisation for citizens of Montenegro travelling to the Schengen area has been in force since 
December 2009. As part of the visa liberalisation monitoring mechanism, the Commission has been 
regularly assessing  the  progress made  by the  country  in implementing reforms  introduced  under the 
visa  roadmap.  The  Commission’s  seventh  report  under  the  Visa  Suspension  Mechanism  adopted  in 
December 2024 concluded that Montenegro continues to take action to address the recommendations 
from  the  previous  year’s  report.  A  readmission  agreement  between  the  European  Union  and 
Montenegro has been in force since 2008. In April 2025 the Commission proposed that countries that 
have been granted the status of candidate states, including Montenegro are designated as safe countries 
of origin at EU level. 

The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance 2021-2027 (IPA III)[1] continues financial support to 
the  region  and  finances  the  Economic  and  Investment  Plan  for  the  Western  Balkans.  The  2025-27 
multiannual programme was adopted in July 2024 with an envelope of EUR 45 million, including 
actions to support further alignment with the EU acquis and institutional capacity building as well as 
support  to  structural  reforms  to  accelerate  Montenegro’s  socio-economic  development.  Following 
approvals  by  the  WBIF  operational  board  Montenegro  has  significant  support  for  infrastructure 
investments  upcoming,  notably  in  the  areas  of  rail  transport  and  environment.  Moreover,  additional 
EUR 50  million  from  IPA  III  have  been  mobilised  to  increase  the  financing  support  for  the 
construction of a next section of the Bar-Boljare Highway.  

The  bilateral  annual  programmes  are  complemented  by  a  package  of  multi-country  and  regional 
programmes, supporting the environmental sector, dealing with migration, social housing, as well as 
TAIEX  and  competitiveness  programmes together  with  IFIs  and  IOs.  Montenegro  is also  benefiting 
from  the  rural  development  programme  IPARD  III  (in  continuation  of  the  IPARD  II  support), 
providing a significant contribution to the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan for 
the  Western  Balkans  and  the  Green  Agenda.  Montenegro  continues  to  participate  actively  in  cross-
border  cooperation  programmes  with  neighbouring  countries  and  EU  Member  States  (Adriatic  and 
Danube  –  macro  regional  strategies),  as  well  as  transnational  cooperation  programmes  and  Union 
Programmes.  

The EU provides support via IPA and the Foreign Policy Instrument to strengthen Western Balkans 
partners’  resilience  to  face  hybrid threats  including  cyber  and foreign information  manipulation  and 
interference.  

EN 

  EN 

 
 
 
[1] Official Journal L 330, 20.9.2021 

EN 

  EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex II – Statistical data 
STATISTICAL DATA (as of 11/09/2025) 

Basic data 
Population (thousand) 
Total area of the country (km²) 

National accounts 
Gross domestic product (GDP) (million national currency) 
Gross domestic product (GDP) (million euro) 
GDP per capita (euro) 
GDP per capita (in purchasing power standards (PPS)) 
GDP per capita (in PPS), relative to the EU average (EU-27 = 100) 
Real GDP growth rate: change on previous year of GDP volume (%) 
Employment growth (national accounts data), relative to the previous year (%) 
Labour productivity growth: growth in GDP (in volume) per person employed, relative to the 
previous year (%) 
Unit labour cost growth, relative to the previous year (%) 
*3 year change (T/T-3) in the nominal unit labour cost growth index (2015 = 100) 
Labour productivity per person employed: GDP (in PPS) per person employed relative to EU 
average (EU-27 = 100) 
Gross value added by main sectors 
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries (%) 
Industry (%) 
Construction (%) 
Services (%) 
Final consumption expenditure, as a share of GDP (%) 
Gross fixed capital formation, as a share of GDP (%) 
Exports of goods and services, relative to GDP (%) 
Imports of goods and services, relative to GDP (%) 
Gross fixed capital formation by the general government sector, as a percentage of GDP (%) 

Business 
Industrial production volume index (2015 = 100) 
Number of active enterprises (number) 
Birth rate: number of enterprise births in the reference period (t) divided by the number of 
enterprises active in t (%) 
Death rate: number of enterprise deaths in the reference period (t) divided by the number of 
enterprises active in t (%) 
People employed in SMEs as a share of all persons employed (within the non-financial 
business economy) (%) 

2012 
620 i 
13 882 

2012 
3 182 
3 182 
5 130 
10 238 
39.4 
-  2.7 
: 
: 

: 
: 
: 

8.9 
12.2 
5.5 
73.5 i 
103.8 
19.8 
43.7 
68.1 
: 

2012 
94.6 
: 
11.8 w 

2020 
622 i 
13 882 

2020 
4 186 
4 186 
6 740 
13 417 
44.1 b 
-  15.3 
: 
: 

: 
: 
: 

9.1 
13.5 
7.3 
70.0 i 
103.8 
27.9 
26.0 
61.0 
: 

2020 
105.8 
: 
8.5 w 

2021 
621 i 
13 882 

2021 
4 955 
4 955 
8 000 
15 352 
46.3 
13.0 
: 
: 

: 
: 
: 

8.0 
12.5 
5.8 
73.8 i 
92.7 
22.1 
42.8 
62.2 
: 

2021 
110.3 
: 
11.4 w 

2022 
618 i 
13 882 

2022 
5 924 
5 924 
9 600 
17 477 
48.6 
6.4 
: 
: 

: 
: 
: 

7.5 
11.3 
4.8 
76.3 i 
92.5 
21.5 
51.5 
74.4 
: 

2022 
107.2 
43 313 
21.6 w 

2023 
617 i 
13 882 

2023 
6 964 
6 964 
11 000 p 
19 550 p 
51.3 p 
6.3 
: 
: 

: 
: 
: 

6.8 
11.6 
4.0 
77.6 i 
91.0 
19.6 
50.0 
68.6 
: 

2023 
114.1 
51 266 
16.3 w 

2024 
624 i 
13 882 

2024 
7 459 p 
7 459 p 
: 
: 
: 
3.0 p 
: 
: 

: 
: 
: 

6.5 p 
10.9 p 
3.9 p 
78.8 pi 
94.1 p 
20.2 p 
44.9 p 
67.5 p 
: 

2024 
: 
: 
12.3 w 

4.6 w 

4.7 w 

4.9 w 

5.6 w 

4.9 w 

4.8 w 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

Note 

Note 

Note 

94 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Value added by SMEs (in the non-financial business economy) (EUR million) 
Total value added (in the non-financial business economy) (EUR million) 

Inflation rate and house prices 
Consumer price index (CPI), change relative to the previous year (%) 

Balance of payments 
Balance of payments: current account total (million euro) 
Balance of payments current account: trade balance (million euro) 
Balance of payments current account: net services (million euro) 
Balance of payments current account: net balance for primary income (million euro) 
Balance of payments current account: net balance for secondary income (million euro) 
Net balance for primary and secondary income: of which government transfers (million euro) 
*3 year backward moving average of the current account balance relative to GDP (%) 
*Five year change in share of world exports of goods and services (%) 
Net balance (inward - outward) of foreign direct investment (FDI) (million euro) 
Foreign direct investment (FDI) abroad (million euro) 
of which FDI of the reporting economy in the EU-27 countries (million euro) 
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the reporting economy (million euro) 
of which FDI of the EU-27 countries in the reporting economy (million euro) 
*Net international investment position, relative to GDP (%) 
Year on year rate of change in gross inflow of remittances (in national currency) from migrant 
workers (%) 

Public finance 
General government deficit / surplus, relative to GDP (%) 
General government gross debt relative to GDP (%) 
Total  government revenues, as a percentage of GDP (%) 
Total government expenditure, as a percentage of GDP (%) 

Financial indicators 
Gross external debt of the whole economy, relative to GDP (%) 
Gross external debt of the whole economy, relative to total exports (%) 
Money supply: M1 (banknotes, coins, overnight deposits, million euro) 
Total credit by monetary financial institutions to residents (consolidated) (million euro) 
*Annual change in financial sector liabilities (%) 
*Private debt, consolidated, relative to GDP (%) 
Interest rates: day-to-day money rate, per annum (%) 
Euro exchange rates: average of period (1 euro = … national currency) 
Trade-weighted effective exchange rate index, 42 countries (2015 = 100) 

: 
: 

2012 
: 

2012 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
461.6 w 
20.8 w 
: 
482.4 w 
: 
: 
: 

2012 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2012 
156.9 iw 
373.0 w 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
1 w 
: 

Note 

Note 

Note 

Note 

95 

: 
: 

2020 
-  0.5 d 

2020 
- 1 091.0 
- 1 643.0 
176.0 
66.0 
307.0 
51.0 
-  19.1 
-  31.2 
468.0 i 
-  5.0 
-  4.0 
463.0 
92.0 
-  194.4 
6.3 i 

2020 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2020 
221.4 iw 
851.5 w 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
1 w 
: 

: 
: 

2021 
2.5 d 

2021 
-  457.0 
- 1 914.0 
956.0 
103.0 
401.0 
66.0 
-  16.5 
5.3 
582.0 i 
9.0 
-  8.0 
591.0 
175.0 
-  157.6 
6.8 i 

2021 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2021 
192.3 iw 
448.8 w 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
1 w 
: 

: 
2 862 i 

2022 
11.9 d 

2022 
-  766.0 
- 2 671.0 
1 317.0 
119.0 
469.0 
41.0 
-  16.1 
17.3 
783.0 i 
50.0 
8.0 
833.0 
226.0 
-  124.2 
7.4 i 

2022 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2022 
158.7 iw 
307.9 w 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
1 w 
: 

: 
3 503 i 

2023 
8.7 d 

2023 
-  791.0 
- 2 986.0 
1 688.0 
67.0 
438.0 
60.0 
-  11.2 
29.4 
434.0 i 
53.0 
13.0 
487.0 
108.0 
-  106.0 
5.6 i 

2023 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2023 
130.1 iw 
260.4 w 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
1 w 
: 

: 
: 

2024 
3.6 d 

2024 
- 1 308.0 
- 3 302.0 
1 582.0 
-  21.0 
430.0 
34.0 
-  13.9 
14.5 
489.9 w 
62.6 w 
20.5 w 
552.6 w 
98.7 w 
-  107.1 
: 

2024 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2024 
128.1 piw 
285.4 w 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
1 w 
: 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*3 year change (T/T-3) in the trade-weighted effective exchange rate index, 42 countries 
(2015 = 100) 
Value of reserve assets (including gold) (million euro) 

External trade in goods 
Value of imports: all goods, all partners (million euro) 
Value of exports: all goods, all partners (million euro) 
Trade balance: all goods, all partners (million euro) 
Terms of trade (export price index / import price index * 100) (number) 
Share of exports to EU-27 countries in value of total exports (%) 
Share of imports from EU-27 countries in value of total imports (%) 

Demography 
Crude rate of natural change of population (natural growth rate): number of births minus 
deaths (per thousand inhabitants) 
Infant mortality rate deaths of children under one year of age (per thousand live births) 
Life expectancy at birth: male (years) 
Life expectancy at birth: female (years) 

Labour market 
Economic activity rate for persons aged 20–64: proportion of the population aged 20–64 that 
is economically active (%) 
Employment rate for persons aged 20–64: proportion of the population aged 20–64 that are 
in employment (%) 
Male employment rate for persons aged 20–64 (%) 
Female employment rate for persons aged 20–64 (%) 
Employment rate for persons aged 55–64: proportion of the population aged 55–64 that are 
in employment (%) 
Employment by main sectors 
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries (%) 
Industry (%) 
Construction (%) 
Services (%) 
People employed in the public sector as a share of total employment, persons aged 20–64 
(%) 
People employed in the private sector as a share of total employment, persons aged 20–64 
(%) 
Unemployment rate: proportion of the labour force that is unemployed (%) 
Male unemployment rate (%) 
Female unemployment rate (%) 
Youth unemployment rate: proportion of the labour force aged 15–24 that is unemployed (%) 

: 

: 

2012 
1 821 
367 
- 1 454 
97.2 iw 
50.3 iw 
43.5 iw 

2012 
2.5 

4.4 
74.2 
78.3 

2012 
64.7 

52.0 

57.9 
46.2 
36.1 

5.3 i 
12.0 i 
5.9 i 
76.5 i 
: 

: 

20.0 
19.8 
20.3 
42.2 

Note 

Note 

Note 

96 

: 

376.0 

2020 
2 105 
366 
- 1 739 
94.4 iw 
37.7 iw 
44.2 iw 

2020 
-  0.3 

2.8 
73.2 
78.8 

2020 
67.2 

55.2 

61.7 
48.8 
44.2 

7.5 i 
10.1 i 
8.3 i 
73.5 i 
: 

: 

17.9 
17.5 
18.4 
36.0 

: 

8.0 

2021 
2 504 
437 
- 2 067 
99.8 iw 
31.1 iw 
45.7 iw 

2021 
-  3.4 

1.4 
70.8 
77.0 

2021 
: 

: 

: 
: 
: 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

: 

: 
: 
: 
: 

: 

: 

: 

164.0 

-  482.0 

242.0 

2022 
3 540 
700 
- 2 840 
110.6 iw 
30.3 iw 
44.3 iw 

2022 
-  0.1 

: 
: 
: 

2022 
: 

2023 
3 810 
674 
- 3 136 
102.2 iw 
36.1 iw 
45.8 iw 

2023 
1.1 

2.1 
75.1 
80.2 

2023 
: 

: 

: 
: 
: 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

: 

: 
: 
: 
: 

: 

: 
: 
: 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

: 

: 
: 
: 
: 

2024 
4 068 
615 
- 3 453 
: 
30.1 iw 
46.4 iw 

2024 
1.0 

: 
: 
: 

2024 
: 

: 

: 
: 
: 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

: 

: 
: 
: 
: 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Long-term unemployment rate: proportion of the labour force that has been unemployed for 
12 months or more (%) 
Unemployment rate for persons (aged 25–64) having completed at most lower secondary 
education (ISCED levels 0-2) (%) 
Unemployment rate for persons (aged 25–64) having completed tertiary education (ISCED 
levels 5-8) (%) 

Social cohesion 
Average nominal monthly wages and salaries (national currency) 
Index of real wages and salaries (index of nominal wages and salaries divided by the 
inflation index) (2016 = 100) 
Gini coefficient 
Poverty gap 

Note 

15.8 

35.2 

10.0 

2012 
484 w 
100 w 

: 
: 

13.4 

35.2 

12.0 

2020 
524 w 
100 w 

32.9 
28.2 

: 

: 

: 

2021 
532 w 
99 w 

32.5 
29.5 

: 

: 

: 

2022 
712 w 
117 w 

31.5 
29.5 

: 

: 

: 

2023 
792 w 
120 w 

: 
: 

Standard of living 
Number of passenger cars relative to population size (number per thousand population) 
Number of mobile phone subscriptions relative to population size (number per thousand 
population) 
Mobile broadband penetration (per 100 inhabitants) 
Fixed broadband penetration (per 100 inhabitants) 

Infrastructure 
Density of railway network (lines in operation per thousand km²) 

Length of motorways (kilometres) 

Education, Innovation and Research 
Percentage of persons aged 30-34 with a tertiary education level (ISCED 2011 levels 5 to 8) 
Percentage of persons aged 30-34 with a tertiary education level (ISCED 2011 levels 5 to 8), 
males 
Percentage of persons aged 30-34 with a tertiary education level (ISCED 2011 levels 5 to 8), 
females 
Participation in early childhood education (children aged 3 and over) 
Participation in early childhood education (children aged 3 and over), males 
Participation in early childhood education (children aged 3 and over), females 
Low achieving 15-year-olds in reading 
Low achieving 15-year-olds in mathematics 
Low achieving 15-year-olds in science 
Early leavers from education and training: proportion of persons aged 18-24 with at most 
lower secondary education (at most ISCED 2011 level 2) who are not in further education or 
training 

Note 

2012 
280.3 iw 
1 595.0 w 

2020 
338.0 
1 736.8 w 

2021 
358.0 
1 804.4 w 

2022 
369.0 
2 062.6 w 

2023 
389.0 
2 129.0 w 

7.7 w 
30 w 

2020 
18.0 i 

0 

2020 
38.4 
35.1 

41.7 

: 
: 
: 

: 
: 
3.6 

7.7 w 
30 w 

2021 
18.0 i 

0 

2021 
: 
: 

: 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

8.5 w 
32 w 

2022 
18.0 i 

0 

2022 
: 
: 

: 

: 
: 
: 
52.9 
59.5 
54.9 
: 

8.0 w 
33 w 

2023 
18.0 i 

0 

2023 
: 
: 

: 

78.3 
78.4 
78.2 
: 
: 
: 
: 

10.2 w 
14 w 

2012 
: 

: 

2012 
24.2 
22.8 

25.5 

: 
: 
: 
43.3 
56.6 
50.7 
6.7 

Note 

Note 

97 

: 

: 

: 

2024 
876 w 
129 w 

: 
: 

2024 
417.0 
: 

: 
: 

2024 
: 

: 

2024 
: 
: 

: 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Early leavers from education and training: proportion of men aged 18-24 with at most lower 
secondary education (at most ISCED 2011 level 2) who are not in further education or 
training 
Early leavers from education and training: proportion of women aged 18-24 with at most 
lower secondary education (at most ISCED 2011 level 2) who are not in further education or 
training 
Proportion of persons aged 25-64 having participated in education and training (last 4 
weeks) 
Proportion of persons aged 25-64 having participated in education and training (last 4 
weeks), men 
Proportion of persons aged 25-64 having participated in education and training (last 4 
weeks), women 
Exposure of vocational education and training (VET) graduates to work-based learning (% of 
population aged 20-34) 
Share of individuals having at least basic digital skills (% of population aged 16-74) 
Share of individuals having at least basic digital skills (% of population aged 16-74), males 
Share of individuals having at least basic digital skills (% of population aged 16-74), females 
Public expenditure on education relative to GDP (%) 
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D relative to GDP (%) 
Government budget appropriations or outlays on R&D (GBAORD), as a percentage of GDP 
(%) 
Percentage of households who have internet access at home (%) 

Environment 
Index of greenhouse gas emissions,  CO2 equivalent (1990 = 100) 
Energy intensity of the economy (kg of oil equivalent per 1 000 euro GDP at 2015 constant 
prices) 
Electricity generated from renewable sources relative to gross electricity consumption (%) 
Road share of inland freight transport (based on tonne-km) (%) 

Energy 
Primary production of all energy products (thousand TOE) 
Primary production of crude oil (thousand TOE) 
Primary production of solid fuels (thousand TOE) 
Primary production of gas (thousand TOE) 
Net imports of all energy products (thousand TOE) 
Gross inland energy consumption (thousand TOE) 
Gross electricity generation (GWh) 

Agriculture 
Agricultural output volume index (at producer prices) (2015 = 100) 
Utilised agricultural area (thousand hectares) 

6.6 

6.9 

2.4 

2.7 

2.2 

: 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

: 

: 

2.7 

2.6 

2.8 

: 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

55.0 

80.3 

2020 
72.0 w 
280.3 

61.5 
41.8 w 

2020 
726 
0 
400 
0 
280 i 
1 023 
3 381 

2012 
70.5 w 
319.0 

42.8 
51.0 w 

2012 
703 
0 
393 
0 
367 i 
1 070 
2 844 

2012 
: 
222.9 

Note 

1) 

Note 

Note 

98 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

47.2 
48.5 
45.7 
: 
: 
: 

80.8 

2021 
71.8 w 
265.0 

60.5 
65.1 w 

2021 
749 
0 
371 
0 
340 i 
1 093 
3 777 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

81.0 

2022 
72.4 w 
241.9 

68.5 
47.4 w 

2022 
743 
0 
416 
0 
309 i 
1 062 
3 322 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

52.0 
53.5 
50.0 
: 
: 
: 

81.3 

2023 
: 
: 

67.5 
61.2 w 

2023 
829 
0 
430 
0 
261 i 
1 099 
4 187 

2023 
: 
263.5 p 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

84.5 

2024 
: 
: 

: 
: 

2024 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2024 
: 
: 

2020 
: 
258.0 p 

2021 
: 
255.6 p 

2022 
: 
253.7 p 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Livestock numbers: live bovine animals (thousand heads, end of period) 
Livestock numbers: live swine (thousand heads, end of period) 
Livestock numbers: live sheep and live goats (thousand heads, end of period) 
Raw milk available on farms (thousand tonnes) 
Harvested crop production: cereals (including rice) (thousand tonnes) 
Harvested crop production: sugar beet (thousand tonnes) 
Harvested crop production: vegetables (thousand tonnes) 

Source: Eurostat and/or the statistical authorities in Montenegro 

85.0 
18.5 
230.0 i 
163.2 
5.1 
0.0 
27.4 

77.9 p 
25.8 p 
204.4 pi 
: 
7.3 p 
0.0 
39.4 p 

71.2 p 
24.3 p 
195.0 pi 
: 
7.1 p 
0.0 
40.9 p 

70.8 p 
24.5 p 
190.5 pi 
: 
7.2 p 
0.0 
40.9 p 

68.8 p 
24.2 p 
184.1 pi 
: 
7.7 p 
0.0 
42.1 p 

67.5 p 
29.3 p 
171.8 pi 
: 
: 
0.0 
: 

: = not available 
b = break in series 
d =  definition differs 
p = provisional 
i = Eurostat estimate 
w= data supplied by and under the responsibility of the national statistical authority and published on an "as is" basis and 
without any assurance as regards their quality and adherence to EU statistical methodology 
* = Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (MIP) indicator 

Footnotes: 

1)  Total freight traffic (national territory and international transport). 

99