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

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 4.11.2025  SWD(2025) 754 final/2  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}  
 
 
Contents 

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

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

1.2  Main findings of the report .............................................................................................................. 4 

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 ..................................................................................................28 

2.2.1  Chapter 23: Judiciary and fundamental rights ......................................................................28 

2.2.2  Chapter 24: Justice, freedom and security ...........................................................................51 

2.3 

Economic criteria ..........................................................................................................................62 

2.3.1. The existence of a functioning market economy ......................................................................62 

2.3.2. The capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the EU ..................67 

2.4. Public procurement, statistics and financial control .........................................................................69 

Chapter 5: Public procurement ...........................................................................................................69 

Chapter 18: Statistics ..........................................................................................................................69 

Chapter 32: Financial control ..............................................................................................................70 

3.  Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation ........................................................................71 

4.  

Ability to assume the obligations of membership .........................................................................73 

Cluster 2: Internal Market ........................................................................................................................73 

Chapter 1: Free movement of goods ..................................................................................................73 

Chapter 2: Freedom of movement for workers ...................................................................................74 

Chapter 3: Right of establishment and freedom to provide services ..................................................75 

Chapter 4: Free movement of capital .................................................................................................76 

Chapter 6:: Company law ...................................................................................................................76 

Chapter 7: Intellectual property law ....................................................................................................77 

Chapter 8: Competition policy .............................................................................................................78 

Chapter 9: Financial services .............................................................................................................79 

Chapter 28: Consumer and health protection .....................................................................................80 

Cluster 3: Competitiveness and inclusive growth ...................................................................................81 

Chapter 10: Digital transformation and media ....................................................................................81 

Chapter 16: Taxation ..........................................................................................................................82 

Chapter 17: Economic and monetary policy .......................................................................................83 

Chapter 19: Social policy and employment ........................................................................................83 

Chapter 20: Enterprise and industrial policy .......................................................................................85 

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Chapter 25: Science and research .....................................................................................................86 

Chapter 26: Education and culture .....................................................................................................86 

Chapter 29: Customs union ................................................................................................................88 

Cluster 4: The Green agenda and sustainable connectivity ...................................................................89 

Chapter 14: Transport policy ..............................................................................................................90 

Chapter 15: Energy .............................................................................................................................91 

Chapter 21: Trans-European networks...............................................................................................92 

Chapter 27: Environment and climate change ...................................................................................93 

Cluster 5: Resources, agriculture and cohesion .....................................................................................95 

Chapter 11: Agriculture and rural development ..................................................................................95 

Chapter 12: Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy............................................................96 

Chapter 13: Fisheries and aquaculture...............................................................................................97 

Chapter 22: Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments ............................................97 

Chapter 33: Financial and budgetary provisions ................................................................................98 

Cluster 6: External relations ....................................................................................................................99 

Chapter 30: External relations ............................................................................................................99 

Annex I – Relations between the EU and Montenegro .........................................................................102 

Annex II – Statistical data ......................................................................................................................104 

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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 

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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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  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 
4 

 
 
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;   

→  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 
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; 

line  with  merit-based  recruitments;  (ii) 

finalising 

→  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, 
independence,  accountability  and  proper 
functioning of the justice system;  

to  ensure 

the 

5 

 
 
 
 
→  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 
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). 

independence  and  accountability, 

judicial 

→  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 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; 

6 

 
 
→  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. 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; 

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. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
→  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. 

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; 

8 

 
 
→  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 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  

9 

 
 
 
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;  

→  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;  

10 

 
 
→  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.  

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 
training 
Professional  Qualifications  Directive  (PQD)  concerning 
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  EU’s  minimum 

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

11 

 
 
  
→  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 
In  September, 
Montenegro  adopted  the  revised  Corporate  Governance  Code.  These  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.  

legislative  amendments 

in  October. 

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 

function  of 
Montenegro’s connection with the EU Business Register Interconnection System (BRIS);  

the  necessary  software 

the  orderly 

to  ensure 

→  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 

12 

 
 
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:  

→  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: 

13 

 
 
→  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 
the 

including  safeguarding 

communications  and  audiovisual  media  services, 
independence of regulators; 

→  continue  recruiting  additional  staff 

further 
fill 
strengthening  the  administrative  capacity  in  the  areas  of  electronic  communications, 
information society services and audiovisual media services. 

the  remaining  planned  posts, 

to 

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; 

→  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. 
14 

 
 
 
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; 

→  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 

15 

 
 
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.  

16 

 
 
 
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.  

17 

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

→  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 
legislative  alignment  and 

agriculture  and  rural  development,  ensuring  continued 
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. 

18 

 
 
 
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.  

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 
implementation, 
monitoring and evaluation; 

in  policy  development, 

involved 

→  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. 

19 

 
 
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; 

→  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 
(FATF) 
recommendations.  Montenegro  continued  to  participate  in  EU  crisis  management  missions 
and operations under the common security and defence policy. 

line  with  EU  and  Financial  Action  Task  Force 

in 

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 

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 

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 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Competitiveness and 
inclusive growth 

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

Green Agenda and 
sustainable 
connectivity 
All chapters open 

Resources, 
agriculture and 
cohesion 

All chapters open 

External relations 
All chapters open, 
chapter 30 
provisionally closed  

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  
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 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  

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 

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 
legal 
align 
framework  with  the  EU  acquis 
and  European  standards  on 

fully 

the 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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  transparent  and  inclusive  consultation  process  including  relevant 
stakeholders.  It  should  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.    No  national  elections  took  place.  Local  elections  have  taken  place 
nearly every three months. Neither the elections in Kotor nor in Savnik have been completed.  

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. 

22 

 
 
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  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.  

23 

 
 
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. 

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 
the  government’s  practical 
partnership 
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. 

recognised.  However, 

in  policymaking 

is 

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. 

24 

 
 
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  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 

25 

 
 
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 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. 

26 

 
 
 
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 

fully 

to  address 

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 
the  European  Commission  and  Venice  Commission’s 
aligned 
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. 

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. 

27 

 
 
Independence and impartiality 

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

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. 

is 

The  constitutional  and 
legal 
framework  guaranteeing  judicial 
in  place. 
independence 
Nevertheless,  the  recent  deep 
institutional  and  political  crisis 
following  the  decision  of  the 
unilaterally 
to 
Parliament 
declare 
retirement  of  a 
Constitutional  Court  judge  has 
underscored  the  importance  of 
the  principles  of 
upholding 
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. 

the 

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 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  and  the  Prosecutorial  Council  having  put  in  place 
mechanisms for reporting undue influence, no requests for protection were received in 2024. 

28 

 
 
However, 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. 

to 

for  all 

Montenegro  must  urgently  adopt  a  dedicated  law  on  labour  rights,  including  retirement 
judges  and 
criteria, 
including 
prosecutors, 
Constitutional  Court 
judges. 
This  has  been  recommended 
by  the  Venice  Commission  to 
address the legal uncertainty in 
the  current  legal  framework.  In 
response 
the  concerns 
raised  by  the  Association  of 
Judges 
salary 
requesting 
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 
court 
constitutional 
and 
the 
In 
functions. 
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 
ruling 
the  votes  of  both 
majority  and  the  opposition. 
These  amendments  provide 
for  a  30%  salary  increase  for 
functions 
judicial 
holders  of 
(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.  

July, 

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. 

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 

29 

 
 
rules 

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  are  consistent  for 
reports from the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption. The rules for evaluating judges and 
court  presidents  still  have  shortcomings,  which  risks  undermining  their  independence  and 
For 
discretion. 
judicial 
example, 
still 
the 
provide that judges with 30% 
or  more  of  their  decisions 
annulled  on  appeal  will  be 
evaluated as ‘unsatisfactory’. 
This 
was 
threshold 
considered  too  low  by  the 
Venice  Commission,  which 
warned  against  its  negative 
judicial 
implications 
judicial 
independence  and 
discretion.  

on 

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

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 

judicial 

The  Judicial  and  Prosecutorial 
Councils  regularly  adopt  plans  for 
and 
filling 
vacant 
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. 

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. 

30 

 
 
Both the  Judicial  and  Prosecutorial  Councils  are  developing  new rules for the  evaluation  of 
judges  and  state  prosecutors  to  ensure  a  more  consistent,  merit-based  assessment  in  line 
with  international  and  European  standards  and  best  practices.  Overall,  the  quality  of 
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. 

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 
Prosecution 
the  High  Court  of 
Office, 
the  Supreme 
Podgorica  and 
Court. 

State 

the 

Judicial 
institutions  express 
dissatisfaction about the overall 
conditions,  notably 
working 
shortage  of 
regarding 
inadequate 
courtrooms, 
insufficient 
workspace,  and 
and 
professional 
administrative 
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.  

advisors 
staff. 

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

The  effectiveness  of  the  judicial  system  is  hampered  by  the  lack  of  strategic  investment  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). 

Efficiency 

Although  there  have  been  some 
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 
Digitalisation 
Strategy  and  action  plan.  This 
provides  for the  implementation of 

Judicial 

31 

 
 
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 

courts 

The  backlog  of  cases  pending 
for  both 
before 
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 upward trend recently, while the 
disposition 
increased 
time 
significantly from 492 days in 2022 
to  633  days  in  2024,  indicating  a 
clear deterioration in efficiency.  In 
administrative 
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.  

cases, 

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 
against 
defendant 
the 
humanity. 
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. 

crimes 
In  February  2025, 

for 

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

32 

 
 
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. 

33 

 
 
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. 

On  incompatibility  of  functions  and  conflicts  of 
interest,  the  ACA  issued  191  opinions  in  2024 
(2023:  227).  Following  the  revision  of  some  of  its 
previous decisions, in October 2024, the ACA has 
adopted  a  more  restrictive  interpretation  of  the 
legislation,  resulting  in  a  reduced  number  of 
categories 
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. 

included 

in 

As  prescribed  by  the  Law  on  financing  political 
the  ACA 
entities  and  election  campaigns, 
monitored  electoral  campaigns 
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. 

for 

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 

34 

 
 
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. 

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 
In  addition,  several  outstanding 
full  enforcement. 
efforts  are  needed 
recommendations  still  need  to  be  addressed,  including  from  the  fourth  and  fifth  evaluation 
rounds  of 
the  European 
Commission and the EU peer review missions of 2021 and 2022. 

the  GRECO  evaluation  reports, 

the  Venice  Commission, 

to  ensure 

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 

35 

 
 
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  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. 

36 

 
 
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. 

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 

37 

 
 
The 
the 
cooperation  with 
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 enhanced 
supervision  by  the  Committee  of 
non-
related 
Ministers 
enforcement  of 
final  domestic 
decisions  against  State-owned 
companies 
last 
year).  

(three  cases 

to 

Montenegro  needs 
systematic 
issues raised by the Court. 

to  address 
issues  or  structural 

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. 

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 
the 
years). 
of 
average 
proceedings fell to one year 
and eight months.  

In  addition, 

duration 

and 

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

The  Ministry  of  Human  and 
Minority  Rights  (MHMR)  is 
finalising  the  drafting  of  a 
new  law  on  the  Ombudsperson’s  Office  to  fully  align  the  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 

38 

 
 
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.  

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. 

Montenegro  made  some  progress  in  addressing  the  recommendations  of  the  European 
Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (CPT) and the 
UN  Committee  Against  Torture  (CAT).  The  CPT  plans  to  conduct  its  periodic  visit  to  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. 

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 
for 
additional  cases 
torture 
alleged 
police 
involving 
the 
officers.  During 
same  period,  the  SSP 
initiated  14  additional 
in 
cases, 
which 
proceedings 
criminal 
have  not  yet  been 
launched. The adoption 
of  standard  operating 
the 
procedures 
police 
ensure 
to 
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.  

for 

14 

39 

 
 
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. 

its 

fulfils 

tasks 

National 

Prevention 
The 
Mechanism  (NPM),  which  is  part 
of  the  Ombudsperson’s  Office, 
adequately 
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 
from 
against 
AECS 
the 
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. 

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.  

40 

 
 
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 
the 
Agency.  In  April  2025,  the  Council  appointed  the  Acting  Director  as  the  new  permanent 
Director.  

the  Council  of 

to 

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. 

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

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. 

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 

41 

 
 
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 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 

42 

 
 
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. 

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

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. 

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 
the  Law  on  restitution  and 
three  Regional  Restitution  Commissions  by  amending 
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. 

43 

 
 
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 
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.  

to  oversee 

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  and 

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

to 

and 

Women  continue 
face 
intersecting 
multiple 
forms  of  discrimination,  and 
stigmatisation  is  prevalent  in 
Montenegrin 
society, 
against  women 
including 
belonging 
to  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). 

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

44 

 
 
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 insufficient, institutional 
coordination  is  insufficient  and 
there is a lack of specialised staff. 

In  July,  the  government  adopted 
a  new  2025–2029  National 
Gender Equality Strategy, with its 
accompanying Action Plan 2025–
2026.  The  Strategy  sets  as  its 
strategic  goal  the  advancement 
of  gender  equality  in Montenegro 
through the reduction of systemic 
and  structural 
the 
empowerment  of  women  and 
girls, 
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, 

prevention 

the 

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 

45 

 
 
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. 

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

the  Ministry  of  Social  Welfare,  Family  Care  and  Demography  allocated 
In  2024, 
EUR 300 000  for  shelter  services  for  children,  adults  and  older  victims  of  abuse,  neglect, 
gender-based  violence  and  domestic  violence. 
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  budget 

increased 

In  2025, 

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 
follow-up  of 
the  government 
recommendations.  

to  ensure  effective 

level  within 

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 

46 

 
 
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. 

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. 

the  government  adopted 

In  December, 
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.  

the  country’s 

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 

47 

 
 
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. 

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. 

48 

 
 
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 
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. 

the  Committee  expressed 

regret 

that 

its 

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  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 

49 

 
 
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  

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 
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.  

interference 

in 

from 

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 
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. 

the  Crime  Fighting  Sector.  Following 

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 

50 

 
 
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 
capacity 

and 

enforcement 

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  is  the  on  rise, 
and 
highlighting  more 
successful 
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.  

investigations 

proactive 

for  a 

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  issued  orders  to  banks  to 
suspend  suspicious  transactions 
on the accounts of individuals and 
total  of 
legal  entities, 
approximately 
EUR 150 000. 
Additionally,  despite  the  increase 
financial 
in 
investigations 
the 
number of confiscations remained 
to 
low.  Montenegro 
address 
its 
incomplete  land  cadastre,  which 
hampers  financial  investigations 
and the confiscation of assets and 
ensure  all  confiscation 
tools 
available are being used. 

needs 
the  problem  of 

the  number  of 

opened, 

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. 

51 

 
 
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. 

In  2024,  the  track  record  of 
prosecutions and convictions for 
trafficking  in  human  beings 
continued to improve. The court 
two 
made 
in 
final  decisions 
the  defendants  were 
which 
for  exploitation  of 
convicted, 
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 
created  in  five  languages  and 
distributed 
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. 

all 

to 

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. 

52 

 
 
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 and enforcement capacity 

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

which 

from 

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

underway 

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 
involve  more 
are 
to 
municipalities 
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  two  municipalities: 
Cetinje and Danilovgrad) through which 

the 

in 

53 

 
 
local governments financially support the treatment of patients. 

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. 

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  in  civil  and 
criminal matters is satisfactory. 

The  legal  framework  for  judicial 
cooperation  in  civil  and  criminal 
matters  is  largely  aligned  with  the 

54 

 
 
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. 

the 

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 
request  of 
were  opened  at 
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 
the  SSPO  signed  a 
(EPPO)  and 
working 
arrangement.  Montenegro 
should  further  improve  the  speed  and 
efficiency 
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  the  processing  of  judicial 
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. 

international 

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. 

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 
seek 
asylum and were provided 
with  accommodation  and 
two 
healthcare  at 
reception 
In 
addition,  141  migrants 
were  held  in  detention  in 

the 
centres. 

to 

55 

 
 
the Centre for Foreigners (2023: 83). 

In 2024, there was a large increase in the number of arrivals of unaccompanied minors (195 
registered).  Montenegro  must  ensure  the  adequate  application  of  standard  operating 
procedures 
terms  of 
accommodation and individual assessment by social workers. 

treatment  of  unaccompanied  minors,  particularly 

the 

for 

in 

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. 

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. 

56 

 
 
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 

trend 

4 973), 

reflecting 
in 

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

a 

for 
In  2024, 
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. 

the  Directorate 

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 

nationals 

region,  Montenegro 
In 
continued 
the  country 
to  be 
hosting  the  largest  number  of 
under 
Ukrainian 
temporary protection, having fled 
Russia’s  war  of  aggression,  in 
and 
both 
In 
relative 
March  2025, 
to 
grant  temporary  protection  was 
extended  by  one  year  until 
March 2026 in line with the EU. 

its  population. 
the  decision 

absolute 

figures 

to 

continued 

protection 

Ukrainians 

to 
under 
with 

Montenegro 
provide 
temporary 
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  

57 

 
 
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. 

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 

58 

 
 
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. 

59 

 
 
 
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 

60 

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 
 
 
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  candidates’  skills  and  in  compliance 
with the central bank law. 

Macroeconomic stability 

Following  a  strong  expansion  in 
economic  growth 
2022-2023, 
decelerated  due 
to  a  weak 
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 
investment 
driven  by  recovering 
and 
consumption, 
underpinned by growing disposable 
income  and  credit.  Further  support 
government 
came 
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. 

private 

from 

services 

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 
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. 

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. 

61 

 
 
 
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%. 

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  large  increase  in  public  spending 
(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% 
to 
institutions,  including  for  health,  as 
well  as  a  40%  decrease  in  one-off 
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. 

transfers 

increase 

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. 

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. 

62 

 
 
 
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 
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. 

Progress  in  tackling  the  informal  economy  remains  slow  and  harms  Montenegro’s 
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 
their  management  structures  and  eliminating  political 
performance  by 

transforming 

63 

 
 
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. 

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 

challenges 

Economic growth supported further labour market improvement, but structural labour 
market 
persisted. 
According  to  the  labour  force  survey, 
the  average  unemployment  rate  fell 
from  13.4%  in  2023  to  11.6%  in  2024 
and  further  to  10.7%  in  Q2  2025.  The 
in  employment 
number  of  people 
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 
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 

the  cut 

64 

 
 
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.  

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 
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 

includes  European  Bank 

65 

 
 
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 

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 

13 Eurostat data. 

66 

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

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 

67 

 
 
 
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. 

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 

68 

 
 
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. 

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 
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. 

for  deepening  cooperation  and 

further  advancing  gradual 

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 

69 

 
 
(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. 

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 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. 

70 

 
 
 
 
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  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. 

71 

 
 
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. 

the 
On  European  network  of  employment  services  (EURES), 
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.  

the  adoption  of 

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.  

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.  

72 

 
 
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 
to  ensure 
from  non-EU  countries  under  national  procedures.  Efforts 
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.  

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 

73 

 
 
(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 
interconnect  with  the  Business  Registers 
Interconnection System (BRIS). 

is  technically  ready  to 

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.  

74 

 
 
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 
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.  

to  2023. 

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 

75 

 
 
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  

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 
‘Montenegro  Airlines’  and 
investigating  a  question  of  economic  continuity  between 
‘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 

76 

 
 
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.  

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.)  

77 

 
 
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 
in  January  2025. 
Institute  of  Montenegro,  became  operational 
Implementing legislation 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). 

78 

 
 
 
Chapter 10: Digital transformation and media  

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

internal  market 

functioning  of 

the  smooth 

the 

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.  

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. 

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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. 

to 
As  concerns  operational  capacity  and  computerisation,  Montenegro  needs 
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 
interconnection  with  the  relevant  EU  IT  systems  on  VAT  and  excise  as  well  as  tax 
cooperation and exchange of information. 

the  required  national  tax 

functionalities,  and 

IT  systems  and 

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.  

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.  

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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. 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 

81 

 
 
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 
for 
deinstitutionalisation  in  December  2024.  Following  the  invitation  by  the  European 
Commission,  a  national  contact  point  for  the  European  Child  Guarantee  has  been 
nominated. 

the  adoption  of 

the  Strategy 

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.  

With  regard  to  equality 
between  women  and 
men in employment and 
policy, 
social 
is  broadly 
Montenegro 
aligned  with 
the  EU 
acquis on gender equality 
in the area of employment 
and 
policy. 
Measures  for  elimination 
of  sexual  harassment  in 
and 
workplace 
the 
gender 
discriminatory 
wage 
not  well 
developed.  The  gender 
has 
equality 
increased  over  the  last  years.  However,  the  latest  estimate  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.  

social 

index 

are 

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  

industrial  policy  strengthens  competitiveness, 

EU 
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 

82 

 
 
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.  

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 

83 

 
 
 
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. 
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. 

includes  also 

large-scale 

investment 

in 

It 

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  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 

84 

 
 
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 

85 

 
 
the  Diversity  of  Cultural  Expressions.  The  city  of  Nikšić was  designated  2030  European 
Capital of Culture.  

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. 

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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).  

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. 

advanced  with 

the  area  of  road 

transport, 
In 
the 
Montenegro 
revision  of  key  national  legislation  on 
road  transport,  including  social  rules 
and  tachographs,  while  their  adoption 
is  pending.  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).  

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. 

87 

 
 
 
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. 

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.    

88 

 
 
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-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-

89 

 
 
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.  

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,  including  the  quality  of  the  preparation,  adequate 
public consultations and implementation of investments. 

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 
increase  synergies,  coordination  between  Strategic 
Environment  Assessments  and  Environmental  Impact  Assessments  to  make  better  use  of 
such documents in its planning and implementation.  

is  encouraged 

to 

On  air  quality,  the  adoption  of  the  strategy  on  air  quality  management  2021-2029  and  the 
related action plan are still pending.  

90 

 
 
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 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. 

91 

 
 
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  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.  

92 

 
 
 
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.  

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 

93 

 
 
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  

inclusive  socio-economic  growth. 

Regional  policy  is  the  EU’s  main  tool  for  reducing  regional  disparities  and  investing  in 
‘shared 
sustainable  and 
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. 

is  operating 

through 

It 

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 

94 

 
 
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 
the  appropriate 
administrative  capacity  to  adequately  coordinate  and  ensure  the  correct  calculation, 
collection, payment and control of own resources. 

tax.  Member  States  must  have 

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.  

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. 

regards  administrative 

for  Coordination  and 
As 
Management  of  EU  Own  Resources  in  the  Ministry  of  Finance  continued  to  improve  its 

the  Directorate 

infrastructure, 

95 

 
 
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 
the  general  care  nurses,  veterinarians, 
recognition  of  professional  qualification  of 
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. 

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 

96 

 
 
 
(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.  

14 A/RES/ES-11/7, 24 February 25. 

97 

 
 
 
 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  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. 

98 

 
 
 
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 
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  – 

II  support),  providing  a  significant  contribution 

IPARD 

the 

to 

99 

 
 
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.  

[1] Official Journal L 330, 20.9.2021 

100 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 

Note 

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) (%) 

Note 

101 

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 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 

102 

: 
: 

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 

103 

: 

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 

104 

: 

: 

: 

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 

105 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

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). 

106