Brussels, 25/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 23 June, Montenegro opened three new negotiation chapters with the EU - the chapter on the free movement of capital (Chapter 3), that on foreign, security and defence policy (Chapter 31) and the chapter on financial control (Chapter 32). With these three chapters, Montenegro has now opened 12 chapters - two of which have been provisionally closed. On 22 May, the EU announced the screening of all the negotiation chapters.
At the Stabilisation and Association Council, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle and Greece's European Affairs Minister Dimitri Kourkoulas called on Montenegro to make further progress - particularly in the reform of its justice system, the fight against corruption and organised crime, public administration and the implementation of constitutional reforms. Fule stressed the need for real progress on the ground. “It cannot be limited to the adoption of plans and strategies”, he said. “New laws need to be implemented efficiently”, he added, recalling that, while the law on the supreme state prosecutor has now been adopted for a year, the post is still vacant. Similarly, he said that tangible results were needed on the protection of journalists - “results that will go beyond the establishment of committees”. Füle also called for an investigation into the allegations of fraud that marred the municipal elections in Montenegro. Kouroulas called for the reform dynamic to be maintained.
The Stabilisation and Association Council hailed Montenegro's commitment to regional cooperation and was pleased about the excellent level of alignment with EU positions in the area of foreign, security and defence policy - especially on Ukraine.
Montenegro's Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Igor Luksic highlighted the importance of the rule of law - the core of his country's efforts as regards the negotiations agenda. (CG)