Government appoints six negotiators for clusters

In line with the New Methodology for EU Accession Negotiations, the Government of Montenegro has appointed six negotiators to lead the accession talks between Montenegro and the European Union. These negotiators will focus on six thematic clusters that encompass a total of 33 negotiation chapters.

As per the Decision on Establishing the Negotiation Structure, the appointed negotiators form the Negotiation Team led by the Chief Negotiator. This body is responsible for the technical and expert-level negotiations with EU institutions and member states on all negotiation chapters, legal aspects of EU acquis, and in accordance with negotiation guidelines adopted by the Government.

Bojan Božović, State Secretary in the Ministry of European Affairs, has been appointed as the negotiator for Cluster 1 - Fundamentals, covering chapters 23, 24, 5 - Public Procurement, 18 – Statistics, and 32 – Financial Control, as well as Economic Criteria, Functioning of Democratic Institutions, and Public Administration Reform.

Goran Jovetić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Development, is the negotiator for Cluster 2 – Internal Market, including nine negotiation chapters (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 28) related to the freedom to provide services, free movement of goods, workers, and capital, as well as intellectual property, competition, consumer protection, health, corporate rights, and financial services.

Bojana Bošković, State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, will serve as the negotiator for Cluster 3 – Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth, covering chapters 10 – Information Society and Media, 16 – Taxation, 17 – Economic and Monetary Policy, 19 – Social Policy and Employment, 20 – Entreprise and Industrial Policy, 25 – Science and Research, 26 – Education and Culture, and 29 – Customs Union.

Nenad Vitomirović, State Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Ecology, Sustainable Development, and Northern Region Development, has been appointed as the negotiator for Cluster 4 - Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity, which includes chapters 14, 15, 21, and 27 related to transport policy, energy, trans-European networks, environment, and climate change.

Andrija Delić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management, will lead Cluster 5 – Resources, Agriculture, and Cohesion, covering chapters 11, 12, 13, 22, and 33 related to agriculture and rural development, food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy, fisheries, regional policy, and coordination of structural instruments, as well as financial and budgetary provisions.

Ambassador Milisav Raspopović will be the negotiator for Cluster 6 – External Relations, covering chapters 30 - External Relations and 31 – Foreign, Security, and Defence Policy.

Last week, the Government formed working groups for negotiation chapters 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and 24 – Justice, Freedom, and Security.

Working group for Chapter 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights will have 45 members, including 3 representatives from the non-governmental sector. Jelena Grdinić, General Director at the Ministry of Justice, appointed as Head of the Working Group.

Working group for Chapter 24 – Justice, Freedom, and Security will have 29 members, including 2 representatives from the non-governmental sector. Head of the Working group will be Jovana Mijović, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interor.

Following consultations with relevant institutions and a public call to non-governmental organisations for proposing representatives for members of the working groups for 33 negotiation chapters, the Ministry of European Affairs has undertaken the innovation of the composition of all negotiation working groups. The adoption of these changes is expected in early February. Additionally, the formation of the Rule of Law Council, with the inclusion of three representatives from the non-governmental sector, is imminent.

The overall restructuring of the negotiation process is aimed at improving and streamlining coordination, ensuring the fulfillment of remaining obligations, and delivering tangible results and visible progress in the interest of all citizens of Montenegro.