The European Parliament is expected to call for speeding up the process of negotiating Montenegro’s accession to the EU, in the report by Tonino Picula (S&D, Croatia) on the Commission’s 2019-2020 reports on the country, to be voted on Wednesday 19 May.
MEPs will encourage the new government to use its mandate to speed up EU-related reforms and accession negotiations. “An open and constructive dialogue between all political and social stakeholders, as well as an agreement on key issues concerning the overall progress of the country are needed for Montenegro to make progress on the EU path”, says Parliament, according to the draft report.
In particular, it will call on the Montenegrin authorities to speed up political and economic reforms, including on the rule of law and fundamental rights, the judiciary, media freedom and the fight against corruption, “areas in which substantial progress is needed”. The authorities will also be invited to maintain a genuine dialogue on religious freedom (see EUROPE 12421/9).
The European Parliament would welcome Montenegro’s commitment to inclusive regional cooperation and its constructive role in the Western Balkans region.
Noting that Montenegro’s GDP fell by 14.3% in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, MEPs will call on the authorities to make effective use of EU aid to mitigate the impact of the crisis.
Parliament will also express its concern about the country’s growing vulnerability due to its increasing public debt, especially to China. It could also adopt an amendment by the rapporteur, Tonino Picula, on behalf of the S&D group, and Vladimír Bilčík, on behalf of the EPP group, calling on the Commission to find, in cooperation with the international financial institutions, a reasonable solution to support Montenegro’s fiscal sustainability and reforms, in line with the country’s European perspective.
See the draft report: https://bit.ly/3frbnxH (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)