05 September 2018 - Montenegro is carrying out extensive reforms in order to meet the necessary requirements, based on which the country expects European partners to provide support for opening remaining negotiating chapters, completing negotiations in several domains and faster overall progress towards EU membership, Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin announced at meetings with the Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn and the Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Elżbieta Bieńkowska.
Deputy Prime Minister Pažin and the representatives of the Government of Montenegro held a meeting with the high representatives of the European Commission in Brussels on September 5th, in order to present the results which refer to the completion of the opening negotiating chapters process and successful conclusion of the negotiation process with the EU in several domains, including negotiation Chapter 5 - Public Procurement.
Commissioners Hahn and Bieńkowska are aware that Montenegro is currently focused on drafting the Law on Public Procurement, Public-Private Partnership Law and Law on Concessions as conditions for achieving European standards and successful completion of EU negotiations in the field of Public Procurement.
Emphasizing the importance of these laws for the functionality and transparency of public services, efficient use of public resources and the overall economic development of the state, Deputy Prime Minister Pažin invited the European partners to make suggestions in relation to the law drafts, and in that manner contribute to their full compliance with the highest European standards.
Pažin stressed that Montenegro is ready to fully appreciate all the suggestions of the European Commission that will improve its legislation in these important areas and help the state provide better services to citizens and the economy. As stated in the report of the Montenegrin Government, based on the achieved results, Montenegro expects the support of European partners not only for closing the negotiating Chapter 5 but also for faster overall progress towards membership in the European Union.
During the meeting, Pažin and Commissioner Hahn also discussed Montenegrin progress on “the rule of law”, which is the key for overall progress in the negotiations on Montenegro's accession to the European Union.
Montenegrin representatives that also took part in the meeting were Montenegrin Minister of Economy Dragica Sekulić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Nina Vujošević, EU Chief Negotiator Aleksandar Drljević and Director of Public Procurement Management Mersad Mujević.
