Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic spoke on the Bertelsmann Forum in Berlin

MILO DJUKANOVIC, PRIME MINISTER OF MONTENEGRO



Mr. Chairman,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am grateful to the organisers of this eminent gathering for giving me an opportunity to speak from the Montenegrin perspective, as a representative of a small Balkan state, which has big European goals and hopes. I wish to briefly say something about the challenges that lie ahead for the European Union and the challenges that Montenegro and the region of the Western Balkans are facing.

All European states today have a chance to become members of the EU, which is based on the values of freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and respect for human dignity and human rights. This is a reason why we should all be satisfied.

The forthcoming enlargement of the EU is a new landmark in its development. One must not overlook the difficulties that this process entails, for all those involved. The historic conditions by themselves limit the capacity of most of the new members states in assuming responsibilities deriving from the EU treaties, especially those of economic nature, without a considerably greater support than the one that the states that joined the Union earlier found necessary.


For these reasons we should not be too surprised or critical that the process of adoption of the EU Constitution is proving difficult at a time when the process of enlargement of the Union is taking place. But, what must be avoided is the danger of attributing these difficulties solely to the EU enlargement process

From the perspective of the countries in transition of the Southeast Europe an EU with a sound constitutional base affirming its values and goals is considerably more attractive. Our own experience teaches us to appreciate very much a clear-cut division of competences between the level of the EU and the member states level, based on the rule of law and guarantees that the institutions will act guided by principles of democracy, effectiveness and transparency.

From the perspective of the countries in transition of the Southeast Europe an EU with a sound constitutional base affirming its values and goals is considerably more attractive. Our own experience teaches us to appreciate very much a clear-cut division of competences between the level of the EU and the member states level, based on the rule of law and guarantees that the institutions will act guided by principles of democracy, effectiveness and transparency.

What may be more difficult to understand when one comes from such a context is why it took so much time to reach this point of trying to agree on a Constitution that contains so many principles and rules which are already applicable. Although in such and similar cases the devil tends to be in the details, especially if the details concern politically sensitive issues such as the national voting rights.

Besides, in the past member states were successful in dealing with such inevitable situations by sensible recourse to flexible arrangements and qualifications enabling a compromise that will not weaken the essentual principles. Such a capacity characterized the Community Methods that formed the basis of the EU that we have now. We hope that such a value , which has been vindicated by the passage of time and which allowed the process of European integration to overcome various crises, will not now be sacrificed.

There is no dilemma, Montenegro, in principle, together with Serbia or on its own would have no particular difficulty in acceding to an EU that has an appropriate consitutional foundation that of values and goals set out in the proposal.

It is true that there are a lot of problems to overcome on both sides before Montenegro is able to qualify for a full membership of the EU. We believe that we are already actively engaged in tackling these problems. Alse , we are aware of the fact that the transformation of the whole system and its integration into the EU is a complex process that takes time. In achieving this goal, which we also see as a means to speed up and improve all adjustments to the EU system, we need active understanding and appropriate support of the EU member states. We are counting on cohesion and development mehanisms to apply to our region as was done in this wave of the Eu enlargement. The more so as we have to overcome special handicaps, in particular in the economic sphere, which in the case of our region exceed what is commonly described as historical factors beyond our control.

Allow me, in the context of a differentiated appproach, to underline several aspects:

- First, Montenegro is a European state that in a political, economic and cultural terms cannot but belong in Europe.
- Second, our present not ging to the EU cannot be compared to, say Norway or Switzerland which are qualified for EU membership. u EU.
- Third, we believe that the results that we are achieving in our pursuit of values of democracy, pluralism and justice are at the end of the day equally valid as the results of those whose accession process has already been accepted.
- Fourth, from the perspective of tthe present status of Montenegro as a member state of the Union of Serbia and Montenegro it is particularly important that Montenegro be judged on its own merit. In accordance with the fundamental principles of the proposed European Constitution the principle of subsidiarity - the responsibilities for fulfilling requirements for the EU membership are at the member state level. It is on this basis that what we have achieved and what we are striving to achieve should be judged, without prejudice relating a future relationship of Montenegro and Serbia.

Consequently, I think that Montenegro should be treated like the others, as any differentiation or exception would contravene the essential principles of justice, solidarity, equality and non-discrimination embodied in the proposed constitution. Also it is our understanding that the European integrations have all the time been guided by these principles, which have enabled the EU to keep its promise of a more peaceful and prosperous future for all those who want to join these common efforts.

Thank you for your attention.

Berlin, 9 January 2004.