Press release from the 14th Cabinet session

During today's 14th session, chaired by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, the Cabinet adopted the Draft Law on the Ratification of the Protocol on Amendments to the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization - Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. This agreement represents a significant step toward achieving the global goal of ocean and sea sustainability. It prohibits the provision of "harmful" subsidies to the fishing sector, a crucial factor contributing to the long-standing depletion of the world's fish stocks. The agreement aims to eliminate subsidies that encourage unsustainable, excessive, or illegal fishing, safeguarding the sustainability of fish populations. Additionally, it supports small fishing communities, ensuring sustainable and equitable access to fishing resources, protecting the interests of smaller players in the fishing market, ensuring the fair distribution of economic benefits from fishing, and promoting free fish trade by eliminating discriminatory subsidies. The removal of such subsidies is expected to enhance fairness and transparency in global fish trade, creating equal conditions for all participants.

The Cabinet also adopted the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Copyright and Related Rights. The amendments aim to increase access to books, magazines, and other printed materials for the population in Montenegro facing difficulties in their use. The proposed law is in line with the Directive (EU) 2017/1564 of the European Parliament and the Council of 13 September 2017 on certain permitted uses of certain works and other subject matter protected by copyright and related rights for the benefit of persons who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled, and the amendment of Directive 2001/29/EC on the harmonization of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society. It is also aligned with the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled.

Furthermore, the Cabinet adopted a Decision on the implementation of international restrictive measures determined by the decisions of the Council of the European Union regarding the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic. This decision introduces international restrictive measures outlined by the decisions of the Council of the European Union, which Montenegro has joined. The measures include prohibitions and restrictions related to export and import, financing of companies, infrastructure projects, financial support for trade, the financial sector, the transport sector, entry restrictions, and the freezing of financial assets and property. Certain provisions of the decision outline rules for exemptions from the application of restrictive measures for individual cases.

The Cabinet adopted a Decision amending the Decision on the establishment of the Public Administration Reform Council. In line with the Council's conclusion from the meeting on 26 December 2023, the amendment includes the Association of Montenegrin Managers and the adviser to the Prime Minister for economic policy in the Council's membership.

Decision amending the Decision on the establishment of the Commission for the preparation of the Civil Code has been adopted, appointing Andrej Milović, the Minister of Justice, as the chair of the Commission. The amendment was made due to new personnel arrangements resulting from the election of the 44th Government. Work on the Civil Code involves the codification of civil law, improvement of existing legal solutions, harmonization with ratified international conventions and standards, EU law, and the practice of the European Court of Human Rights. The Civil Code is expected to enhance the legal and social security of all legal entities, accelerating necessary integration processes.

The Cabinet adopted a Decision on the establishment of the Commission for resolving the status of the Institute for Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation, and Rheumatology "Dr. Simo Milošević" A.D. Igalo. The Commission, led by Srđan Pavićević, Deputy Prime Minister for Labour, Education, Health, and Social Affairs, is composed of experts in the relevant field. Its task is to monitor and analyze the Institute's status, provide suggestions to the Government for concrete actions to resolve the status of this significant institution, and establish operational teams for specific issues.

Information the increase in service prices for policyholders of the Health Insurance Fund of Montenegro using the services of the Institute for Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation, and Rheumatology "Dr. Simo Milošević" A.D. Igalo for 2024 has been adopted. The report states that, in collaboration with the Health Insurance Fund, the Ministry of Health has determined that the service prices for policyholders using the Institute's services will increase by 10% compared to 2023. The total cost for 2024 will be EUR 4,274,525, representing an increase of EUR 643,698. The allocated funds from the Health Insurance Fund budget for 2024 will cover this cost.

The Cabinet adopted the information on the need to sign a Financial Agreement between Montenegro and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for the implementation of the "Adaptation to climate change and increased resilience in the mountainous regions of Montenegro - GORA Project" and accepted the text of the Financial Agreement. According to the information provided, following the successful realization of the Rural Clusters and Transformation Project (RCTP) by the Government of Montenegro and IFAD, mutual interest was expressed in continuing similar investment initiatives. This resulted in the creation of the "Adaptation to climate change and increased resilience in the mountainous regions of Montenegro - GORA Project." The project aims to contribute to improving living conditions in rural areas and enhancing agricultural production. There is a specific focus on supporting households in the rural mountainous regions of northern Montenegro, where climate change has made agricultural activities challenging. The overarching goal is to enhance the quality of life for individuals and reduce population migration from rural to urban areas. IFAD designed the GORA Project and presented it to the Adaptation Fund, which agreed with the project and approved a 10 million USD grant to support project implementation. In addition to these grant funds, the project envisions the participation of the Montenegrin government through respective financial contributions of 9,793,000 USD and 5,635,144 USD. Non-monetary investments, such as tax incentives, office space, equipment, etc., are also included, with the Government's contribution expected to be 4,809,000 USD, and contributions from municipalities and end-users amounting to 2,528,000 USD. During discussions, emphasis was placed on the total projected value of the GORA Project, which is close to 33 million USD.