Zenović at the Institute of Public Administration of Ireland: EU accession is more than aligning legislation and meeting formal criteria

Montenegro’s Chief Negotiator with the European Union, Predrag Zenović, delivered an opening lecture as part of the Ireland Programme for European Union Enlargement, which is being held in Dublin and organized by the Institute of Public Administration of Ireland, with the support of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and in partnership with the Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA).

Zenović delivered a lecture entitled “European Union Accession – Between Professional Maturity and Social Transformation,” during which he spoke about Montenegro’s experience in the negotiation process, the importance of leadership in public administration, and the challenges brought by the process of European integration.

The Chief Negotiator emphasized that accession to the European Union represents much more than aligning legislation and meeting formal criteria.

“The process of negotiations with the European Union simultaneously shapes institutions and the people who lead them. It is a process of the professional maturation of the administration, but also of a profound social transformation that requires responsibility, vision, and the ability to turn changes into concrete results for citizens,” Zenović said.

He pointed out that Montenegro has gone through demanding phases on its European path since the opening of accession negotiations and has implemented substantial reforms, and that it is moving decisively and confidently toward the defined goal of becoming the EU’s 28th full member state in 2028.

Speaking about Montenegro’s negotiation experience, Zenović presented key negotiation mechanisms and techniques, the importance of interinstitutional coordination, building expert negotiation teams, and developing the skills necessary for successfully conducting accession negotiations. He devoted particular attention to strategic planning, communication, change management, and achieving consensus in complex reform processes.

The Ireland Programme for European Union Enlargement is based on Ireland’s experience as a member state of the European Union since 1973 and is part of the activities that the country is implementing in preparation for its presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half of 2026.

It is a three-year programme that brings together representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Ukraine, and is intended to strengthen the leadership capacities of civil servants from those countries, with the aim of improving their abilities to lead reforms and manage complex accession processes.