DPM Koprivica participates in Roundtable on implementing remaining GRECO recommendations for Montenegro

Deputy Prime Minister for Political System, Judiciary, and Anti-Corruption Momo Koprivica participated in the “Roundtable on Possible Ways to Implement the Remaining Recommendations from the Fifth Round of GRECO Evaluation for Montenegro,” organized by the Council of Europe. The event brought together representatives of state institutions, the EU, the Council of Europe, civil society, and experts from the Council of Europe.

Deputy Prime Minister Koprivica emphasized that implementing GRECO recommendations, aimed at strengthening the legal framework for the integrity of persons holding the highest positions in the executive branch and law enforcement bodies, remains a key priority of the National Anti-Corruption Council and the Government of Montenegro. He highlighted that the National Anti-Corruption Council has adopted an Action Plan for implementing GRECO and UNCAC recommendations, which is also an obligation under Negotiating Chapter 23. The objective of the undertaken anti-corruption measures is not political gain, but the establishment of a state in which power is controlled and scrutinized rather than protected.

In this context, he specifically underscored the Government’s decision, based on the proposal of the National Anti-Corruption Council, to initiate a constitutional amendment aimed at removing immunity for the Prime Minister and members of the Government for criminal acts committed against official duties. The proposed constitutional amendment is not symbolic, but a clear principle: no one is above the law. In this regard, one of the most effective tools for preventing corruption is the removal of immunity for abuses of power at any level. He added that “this is not a single measure, but the creation of a system that prevents corruption.”

Koprivica stressed that the most effective fight against corruption is the one that prevents abuse before it occurs, noting that systemic solutions ensure that rules do not depend on individuals but apply equally to all. Prevention of corruption is always more cost-effective and efficient than subsequent sanctioning. True reform eliminates opportunities for corruption, not just its consequences. Accordingly, as Koprivica highlighted, the 2024 Anti-Corruption Strategy is comprehensive. Among its measures are the advanced Law on Free Zones, which introduces international standards and modern technology to prevent abuses in areas historically prone to systemic corruption, as well as a series of systemic solutions aligned with the Strategy, ranging from gambling regulation to robust lobbying legislation. True reform acts proactively to prevent corruption rather than merely reacting to it.

He also recalled the amendments to the Government Decree from December 2023, which for the first time introduced integrity checks for individuals appointed by the Government – a recommendation that GRECO has already recognized as fully implemented. Additionally, the provisions of the Law on Civil Servants and Employees concerning the selection and integrity verification of special advisors to the President of Montenegro, President of the Parliament, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, and chiefs of staff, which were previously unregulated, have now been codified.

Of significant importance for implementing GRECO recommendations is the adoption of the Draft Law on the Government, which defines the principles of operation, responsibilities, and transparency of the executive, establishes strict integrity verification procedures before appointing Government members and state secretaries, and introduces an Ethical Code with an impartial Ethics Committee to oversee its implementation.

Koprivica also emphasized that, in line with GRECO recommendations and the need for close cooperation between competent authorities, a Memorandum of Cooperation was concluded between the National Anti-Corruption Council and the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, which is being effectively and credibly implemented to strengthen the overall anti-corruption framework. Following GRECO recommendations, the competencies of the National Council have been clarified, ensuring its inclusiveness, which now includes representatives from the Government, judiciary, NGOs, and academia, as well as the establishment of an Operational Team for monitoring Strategy implementation and reporting.

Participants were also informed that the National Anti-Corruption Council has prepared a draft decision regarding the training and advisory model for persons holding the highest executive positions on integrity and conflict-of-interest issues, which constitutes one of GRECO’s recommendations.

Concluding his remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Koprivica expressed special thanks to the Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica for its comprehensive support, noting that expert and inclusive discussions, such as this roundtable, with critical assessments, are highly valuable in the process of systemic reform.