Experts Out of Spatial Planning for a Year Now

Participatory Democracy is Crucial for Spatial Planning

Spatial Planning in Protected Areas

22 November 2018 - Freedom of expression is not an absolute right but is limited by the rights and freedoms of others; therefore the safety of journalists must be complete, Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin emphasised at the opening of the conference on the freedom of the media and the protection of journalists in the Western Balkans in Podgorica. 

Besides the safety of the journalists, which represents the principal responsibility of the state, there are three critical preconditions for the full freedom of the media, which are the responsibility of the media community, the Deputy Prime Minister noted. 

The first condition is the level of professional competence of journalists and compliance with journalistic standards. In this context, DPM Pažin pointed out that a lack of effective media self-regulation is present in Montenegrin society to a considerable extent. He said that the media community could count on the full support of the Government in the establishment of unique self-regulation. 

He added that the Government is willing to provide means and efforts to help the principle of unified, independent self-regulation. "I have learned that dialogue within the media community is ongoing and I want to believe that we will soon have encouraging messages within the media community and that this principle of unique independent self-regulation will come to life and give the results that Montenegrin society needs," the Deputy Prime Minister stressed. 

The second important condition of media freedom is the independence of journalists within the media, i.e. the freedom of journalists to report in a professional manner without pressure from editors, managers and media owners. "The research data of the Trade Union of Media is really worrying. About 80% of the members of the journalistic profession point to the pressure they suffer from within the media, from the editors in the first place, about 80%, and then about 50% are pressed by the manager and then media owners. This, in some way, points to the lack of perception that has been present in society so far, that this pressure arises predominantly from politicians or government representatives. This research indicates that this is only a marginal phenomenon," DPM Pažin highlighted. 

Speaking about the socioeconomic status of journalists, as the third significant condition for free journalism, he noted that it is worrying that about 800 Montenegrin journalists have personal income below the national average, while every third journalist earns less than EUR 400 a month. "The Government will support the establishment of the Media Fund in the new media law, in order to encourage the freedom of the media, in order for the media to have their place in society and be sustainable, but at the same time we expect the media to take into account the existential status of journalists and to raise it far higher than the current level." 

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the safety of journalists is the dominant responsibility of the state. "If freedom of expression is not an absolute right, the safety of journalists must be absolute. And that's uncompromising." 

He recalled that four cases of violence against journalists were registered this year. In three of these four cases, perpetrators were identified and proceedings were initiated. "The most painful one, the attack on Ms. Olivera Lakić has not been fully investigated yet and it still arouses justifiable concern within the whole society. The success and the result of this investigation will be a criterion in assessing the outcome of the people who are responsible for solving these cases, and on the other hand it is also a test of trust that a society should have in these institutions." 

The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that the Government had accepted all recommendations of the Commission for monitoring the investigation of attacks on journalists and media assets, adding that the Government fully supports the work of this Commission.

22 November 2018 -  The Government of Montenegro passed the Decision on the criteria, method, and procedure for the selection of persons who can acquire Montenegrin citizenship by admission for the implementation of investment programme of particular importance for economic interest of Montenegro, as a development mechanism for creating new jobs and raising living standards of the citizens.

"The Government's decision was made with a view to accelerate the economic development of Montenegro further and attract investments that will create new tourism, agricultural and processing capacities, and new jobs, and improve the quality of life and the living standard of our citizens," Deputy Prime Minister Milutin Simovic told a press conference following the Cabinet session.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the citizenship by investment has long been recognised in many highly developed countries of the world as an essential mechanism for supporting the overall policy of attracting foreign direct investment and creating a competitive investment framework on a very demanding global market.

"The Decision will intensify the implementation of development projects and enable faster development of less developed municipalities. This programme represents an answer to the real needs of our economy and the need for its diversification. Therefore, the special quality of this Decision is creating opportunities for the implementation of development projects in several sectors - tourism, agriculture, and processing industry. Furthermore, this Decision is an expression of the Government’s commitment to implementing development projects in the whole area of Montenegro, both in the north and the south," Deputy Prime Minister Milutin Simović explained.

In his words, this economic citizenship programme and this Decision once again confirms that the Government is ready to create demanding programmes in line with the competitive global investment market.

"By attaining these goals, besides our key domestic need - dynamic economic development, we are also fulfilling the demanding economic criteria from our European agenda. Our domestic needs are best reflected by the fact that Montenegro at this time is at the level of 46% of the average EU development. We must improve the living standards of our citizens as quickly as possible and bring them closer to the level of the European standard. Therefore, we must not waste time by postponing decisions, which are useful and necessary and which create conditions for a better life of the citizens of Montenegro, especially those in less developed areas," the Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro underscored.

Speaking about the process of drafting the Decision, DPM Simović said that the Government has established a sincere and open dialogue with the European partners.

"There were also certain doubts, additional inquiries about whether we are prepared to carry out such a demanding project in the right way - as did the EU member states that have similar programmes, not jeopardising our European path and achieving the goals of the Union. In the end, we understood the position of our EU partners that Montenegro should use its exclusive rights to grant citizenship, in the spirit of sincere cooperation and to refrain from any measure that could jeopardise the Union's goals. That is precisely our intention! Such a concept of the Decision and the defined programme implementation are the expressions of the Government's sincere cooperation, intentions and responsibilities, as well as complete restraint from any measure that could jeopardise further integration path of Montenegro and the goals of the European Union itself," said Deputy Prime Minister Milutin Simović. 

Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavle Radulović explained the criteria for selecting development projects and the conditions that should be fulfilled by the applicants, as well as the procedure.

"The programme is designed to last for a limited period and is limited to the granting of the Montenegrin citizenship to up to 2,000 applicants. The money collected in this way will be used exclusively for development. The procedure provides for the greatest possible transparency," Minister Radulović explained.

He noted that the State of Montenegro would be using the highest criteria for selecting special mediation agents who will be checking the international suitability of the applicant and will issue them annual licenses. The applicants will submit requests through an agent who had previously signed a contract with the State of Montenegro.

Speaking about the criteria for projects to be implemented in the field of tourism, Minister Radulović said that it about hotels or mixed tourist complexes in the coastal region and the Capital city of Podgorica: at least 5-star facilities, at least 60 accommodation units, with minimum investments of 15,000,000 and at least 80 new employees. For projects in the northern and central region, except the Capital City, the criteria are as follows: at least a 4-star hotel or a mixed tourist complex, at least 35 accommodation units, a minimum investment of five million and at least 25 new employees.

Applicants must pay 450,000 EUR to the account of the State of Montenegro for the projects in the coastal region and Podgorica, or 250,000 in the northern and central region except Podgorica, as well as 100,000 intended for less developed areas. Also, the applicant must deposit 15,000 for an application for themselves, 10,000 for up to 4 family members, and 50,000 for each next family member, the Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism concluded.

Answering a journalist’s question, Minister Radulović said that he does not see any reason why the names of investors who have exercised their right to the Montenegrin citizenship are not available to the public.

Dora is grateful to the art team, who signs her sixth song “A child is an Important Man.“ 

Dora Štampić Already Has Six Songs

Also, no children's event in Tivat and Kotor passes without Dora's participation, and for the second year in a row, she also participated in the accompanying program of the Festival of Children's Theater Kotor. Calls are coming all the time and from the other parts of Montenegro. Also, as a representative of the Tivat Music School, Dora Štampić often performs at national competitions of music schools' students.

22 November 2018 - The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in partnership with the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and the Department for Gender Equality, delivered three two-day workshops during October and November 2018 to gender equality focal points from 12 Montenegrin municipalities on how to train their colleagues on understanding gender equality and gender mainstreaming.

The workshops, held in Podgorica on 24-26 October, 1-2 November and 13-14 November 2018, provided participants with an opportunity to learn how to plan and deliver training courses and organize awareness-raising events within their respective municipalities. Through an interactive approach, the experts strengthened the participants’ knowledge of gender mainstreaming, explained the legal framework about gender equality, and presented training techniques and skills.

The OSCE Mission, in cooperation with the Parliamentary Committee for Gender Equality in Montenegro, held the training courses on gender mainstreaming to ensure that gender equality is a core component in legislative drafting. Members of Parliament and parliamentary committee staff discussed how to analyse legislation from a gender perspective, strategize to mainstream gender in state institutions and develop gender equality policy consistent with international standards.

“We want to support the parliament in its efforts to translate its legislative commitments into good practices, to become more and more a gender-sensitive parliament,” says Ana Krušić, Senior Programme Assistant at the OSCE Mission to Montenegro. The OSCE Mission to Montenegro has been working in partnership with the parliament for many years on projects which, in addition to the promotion of gender mainstreaming, have included capacity building of committees, working with administrative staff and supporting exchanges of regional experiences. Gender expert Karolina Leaković, who led the training course, said: “Cooperation with the parliament and its service is important because the parliament is at the centre of the legislative process and has an important role in developing gender-sensitive legislation and promoting principles of gender equality.”

The training course is a part of the education on gender equality and gender mainstreaming envisaged by the Action Plan for a Gender Sensitive Parliament, which was developed and adopted by the Committee with the support of the Mission and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. The first course was organized in April this year.

Read more about OSCE mission here.

22 November 2018 - The national carriers from the former Yugoslavia handled over 5,2 million passengers during the first three quarters of 2018. Croatia Airlines, Adria Airways, and Montenegro Airlines all recorded growth when compared to last year’s results, while Air Serbia's figures declined, with the airline also operating fewer flights.

Air Serbia continues to maintain its position as the busiest national airline in the former Yugoslavia, despite a drop in the number of passengers handled. According to Belgrade Airport's quarterly report, the carrier welcomed roughly 2,043,000 travellers during the first three quarters of the year, representing a decrease of 4,9%. The number of operated flights was reduced by 1,5% over the same period. The report suggests that the airline held a passenger share of 46,4% at Belgrade Airport. At the same time, foreign carriers recorded significant passenger growth amounting to 17,8%. Air Serbia itself is yet to publish any official operational results for the year so far.

Croatia Airlines handled a record of 1,705,470 passengers during the January - September period, which is an increase of 3,1%. Out of the record number of passengers, 412,420 travellers were carried on domestic flights, which is a growth of 1,4%, while 1,223,170 passengers flew on international services, an improvement of 2,5%. The remaining 69,880 passengers were carried on charter flights, which is a yearly increase of 24,4%. However, charters accounted for only 4% of overall traffic. The airline operated on 21,891 flights during the first three quarters of the year, which is a growth of 1,7% compared to the same period in 2017. The average cabin load factor stood at 73,7%, a fall of 0,5 points. Cabin loads were decreased on international flights by 0,2 points which is an average of 73,9%, while they declined 0,1 points to 72.4% on domestic services.

Adria Airways welcomed 982,597 passengers during the first three quarters of the year, representing an increase of 5,1%. The Slovenian carrier introduced seven new routes this summer, while the number of operated flights also grew. Unlike a part of last summer season, the airline did not maintain services out of its former base in Lodz in Poland but it recently stationed an aircraft in Paderborn in Germany, which will have an impact on its fourth quarter figures. Earlier this year, the carrier said, "Figures show we are on the right track, but there is still a lot of work ahead of us."

Montenegro Airlines handled 527,532 passengers during the January - September period, representing an increase of 13,6% from 2017, thus making it the fastest growing in the former Yugoslavia based on percentile growth. "The growth in all sectors of traffic comes as a result of the implementation of the optimal commercial strategy, as well as the responsible planning of resources and costs, which all had a positive impact on our operating results during the year," the airline said in a statement recently. Montenegro Airlines accounted for almost a quarter of all passengers passing through the country's two international airports - Podgorica and Tivat.

21 November 2018 - During this year, real estate worth about 130 million EUR will be sold in Budva, which is the highest amount in the last five years.

The fact that the real estate market has been revived is confirmed that this year, according to the rebalance, the municipality's cash register sum will increase by three million EUR for the collection of the real estate tax. If it is assumed that this figure is 80% of the total tax collected, the actual collection amounts to about 3,8 million EUR.

A fifth of the remaining tax collected goes to the state treasury. Although initially it was planned that the charge would amount to 2,5 million EUR, the revision led to the increase of this figure by half a million. Budva has retained its leadership position on the coast, when it comes to real estate business, but also construction, judging by the construction sites that “sprout” day by day, according to the local newspapers “Vijesti”.

The revival of the real estate market is certainly influenced by buyers who in recent years often come from Turkey. During 2018, Turkish real estate buyers have become owners of more than a hundred real estates - apartments, commercial buildings, and land. There are almost no residential buildings nor luxury apartment complexes in Budva, where Turkish citizens have not been registered as tenants.

Companies established in Montenegro by Turkish citizens are increasingly appearing as investors in the construction business, as evidenced by the interest of the Turkish businessmen to build a hotel on a plot in front of the Adriatic Fair.

In the period from 2014 to 2017, according to the Ministry of Finance, the Municipality of Budva calculated a total of 9,043,237 EUR in the name of the real estate tax.

According to data, the highest turnover was in 2014, when the real estate tax amounted to 3,566,549 EUR. During the same year, 2,253 real estate sales contracts were concluded. The turnover was somewhat lower in 2015 when the tax was calculated at 2,552,135 EUR, while 2,342 contracts were concluded. A decline in real estate transactions is visible in 2016 when only 1,070,081 EUR were charged for taxes, but 2,399 contracts were concluded. The recovery in real estate transactions is evident in 2017 when 2,221 contracts were concluded and 1,854,472 EUR were collected in the name of the real estate tax.

This data is not precise, since there are contracts from previous years, and also in the calculated amounts there are taxpayers who are exempt from payment.

The collected tax amounts exceed the amounts calculated, keeping in mind that many debtors settled debts from previous years in this period, and so in the period from 2014 to 2017, the Municipality of Budva collected as much as 12 million EUR in the name of the real estate tax.

Read more about Turkish influence on the Budva's real estate market here.

21 November 2018 - According to the security specialists of the International SOS Company, who assign specific ratings to countries by assessing a range of health risks and mitigating factors, Libya, Afghanistan and Somalia are the most dangerous countries in the world, while Finland, Norway and Iceland are rated as the safest countries.

On the interactive map on this company’s website, you can find data for countries that are rated in three categories - safety, medical and road safety. Countries marked with dark red are the worst affected, while those rated as light green are the safest countries.

The medical factors assessed include infectious diseases, environmental factors, the standard and availability of local emergency medical and dental care, access to quality pharmaceutical supplies, the requirement for medical evacuation, in addition to cultural, language or administrative barriers. The travel security risk rating evaluates the threat posed to travellers and international assignees by political violence (including terrorism, insurgency, politically motivated unrest, and war), social unrest (including sectarian, communal and ethnic violence) as well as violent and petty crime. Other factors, such as the robustness of the transport infrastructure, the state of industrial relations, the effectiveness of the security and emergency services and the country’s susceptibility to natural disasters are also considered where they are of sufficient magnitude to impact the overall risk environment for travellers. Travel Security Risk Zones are areas within a country where the risks faced by travellers and international assignees are different from the country’s overall risk environment, usually necessitating a different level of preparation.

In Southeast Europe, Slovenia was declared the safest, while Kosovo is the least secure country. Comparing to the countries of the world, Slovenia is rated as a country with an “insignificant risk”, and Kosovo is a “medium risk” country. Montenegro, as well as Croatia, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia are all rated as low-risk countries.

In terms of medical security, Montenegro is a medium-risk country, which the International SOS Company explains as a country with an “appropriate standard of care available from selected providers”. The countries with medium medical risks have reliable emergency services and dental care available most of the time. Some risks of food or water-borne diseases are still present. Montenegro enjoys a low-risk status on the list created by road safety criteria.

Read more about International SOS here.

21 November 2018 - According to AserNews reports, Portonovi Montenegro will feature as one of the leading exhibitors at the 4th International Real Estate & Investment Exhibition Rec Expo Real Estate held on November 22-24 at Baku Expo Centre.

Located at one of the most beautiful spots on the Mediterranean coast, this exquisite multi-use resort in Montenegro will open its doors to first residents in 2019.

Boasting its luxurious residential area with magnificent gardens, a D-Marin Portonovi Marina for boats and superyachts, the first One&Only resort in Europe with Espace Chenot Health Wellness Spa, Portonovi is set to be the most exclusive real estate project in this part of Europe.

On a perfect position between Italy, Greece and Balkan Peninsula, Montenegro is famous for magnificent nature, centuries-long history, rich cultural life, and soothing climate. Having more than 250 sunny days in a year, Portonovi is the perfect European home on a picturesque Mediterranean coast. Symbolizing the country’s outstanding beauty and exceptional lifestyle, the resort spreads on 26 hectares of land with more than 200 apartment residences and over 50 luxurious villas with gardens, amenities and branded interior design options. A mixture of restaurants, bars and high-end shops and galleries are designed for the citizens of the world who appreciates authenticity, culture and history of civilizations. This elegant neighborhood is set to be one of the most sought-after residential and leisure destinations in the Mediterranean.

On top of this, Montenegro as a European country has one of the most favorable legal, financial and tax systems for business investment. Increasing number of airlines from global destinations is definitely a great advantage. Also, open visa policy for many world countries is a sign of political stability and good cooperation on an international level.

Azmont Investments, the main developer, will feature this world-class resort at Real Estate & Investment Exhibition Rec Expo Real Estate from 22nd to 24th November at Baku Expo Centre.

21 November 2018 - The Tourist organization of the municipality of Budva, in cooperation with the National Tourism Organization, the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro, the tourism industry and strategic partners, has represented the tourism offer of Montenegro on the international exchange of tourism CITM 2018, which was held in Shanghai from November 16 to 18.

Traditionally, the Montenegrin and Serbian tourism offer was promoted under the joint brand "Wild Soul of Europe", which proved to be a good model, given the specificity of the East Asian region and the habits of Chinese tourists to visit as many of the countries that are geographically close during their travels.

Montenegro has noted significant growth in the past years in terms of arrivals and overnight stays from the Chinese market. During 2017, about 24 thousand Chinese tourists visited Montenegro, which is double the number of visits compared to the previous year. There were 34,000 overnight stays, which is also almost double the increase compared to the last year period.

The trend of growth continued this year, given that according to the official statistics of the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro, from the beginning of the year to the end of September this year there is an increase of about 65% in the number of tourists in Montenegrin hotels from China, as well as an increase in the number of overnight stays of around 51% compared to the same period last year.

Visa liberalization has also contributed to good results, and now citizens of the People's Republic of China, who come to Montenegro in an organized manner (via tour operators), can travel without a visa.

In line with the growing interest of tourists from this market, during the fair, Montenegrin representatives spoke with numerous tour operators and agents from China, among whom was one of the leaders in this market - "Ctrip". The meetings discussed the possibilities of attracting a large number of Chinese tourists, visa liberalization for individual travel, connections with tour operators from Montenegro, and other subjects that might interest tour operators and tourists from China. On the second day of the fair, the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro has participated in a B2B event for networking of exhibitors and customers.

CITM is one of the most important tourism markets in Asia, which gathers over 2300 exhibitors from different countries of the world. The fair has visited over 800 specialized international buyers from the field of tourism from more than 100 countries. In addition, the stock market is visited by a large number of media outlets every year. Also, this year's International Tourism Fair CITM has hosted numerous high representatives of countries from all over the world, managers of world-renowned companies, well-known economic analysts as well as entrepreneurs from the People's Republic of China.

At the joint stand of Montenegro and Serbia, the joint tourism offer is promoted by the organizations Fly Montenegro, Budva Tourist Organization, Montenegrin Tourist Service Travel Agency and Travel Europe Vip.