Prime Minister in Brussels today – Negotiating Chapter 32 to be closed

Prime Minister Milojko Spajić is leading a Government delegation that will participate today in the EU-Montenegro Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, at which Negotiating Chapter 32 – Financial Control will be closed.

Following the Intergovernmental Conference, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, and Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus Marilena Raouna will address a press conference starting at 5:15 p.m. The statements can be followed live via the link: https://video.consilium.europa.eu/home/en

The delegation led by the Prime Minister includes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimović, as well as Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević and Minister of Finance Novica Vuković.

The Public Relations Service of the Government of Montenegro will provide the media with video and photo material.

Chapter 32 – Financial Control

The EU acquis under this chapter relates to the adoption of internationally accepted standards of public internal financial control, external audit standards, and EU best practices, as well as their application across the entire public sector. The internal control system contributes to improved discipline and transparency in the use of national and EU funds. This chapter also regulates the protection of the EU’s financial interests and the protection of the euro against counterfeiting.

Chapter 32 is part of Cluster 1 – Fundamentals and consists of four sub-areas, as follows:

Public Internal Financial Control, which entails establishing a clear framework and mechanisms for the effective management of public sector entities, contributing to responsible and transparent planning and use of public funds, a more efficient public administration, and higher-quality public service delivery. This sub-area also includes the establishment of a functional internal audit system and a budget inspection as additional mechanisms to ensure the lawful, economical, efficient, and effective use of public and donor funds;

External Audit, as an independent verification of public spending, contributes to effective and sustainable public financial management, as well as to assessing the achievement of objectives by audited entities;

Protection of the EU’s Financial Interests, which involves establishing structures and mechanisms that ensure the highest level of protection of EU interests and the suppression of irregularities and fraud in the use of Union funds;

Protection of the Euro Against Counterfeiting, which contributes to safeguarding the interests of every citizen by significantly reducing, or even completely eliminating, the circulation of counterfeit currency and thereby the risk of such currency reaching citizens.