Medziparlamentné schôdze

The 21st EU-Montenegro SAPC meeting was cancelled on 12 December due to political reasons.

The European Union - Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) held its 20th meeting on 2 December 2021 under the co-chairmanship of Mr Aleksa BEČIĆ, President of the Parliament of Montenegro, for the Montenegrin Parliament Delegation and MEP Vladimir BILČIK for the European Parliament Delegation. The meeting was held in Brussels and remotely.

The Committee addressed the following subjects:

• State of play of the accession negotiations and EU‑Montenegro relations in the presence of: Ms Zorka KORDIĆ, Chief Negotiator for EU accession negotiations on behalf of the Government of Montenegro, Mr Gašper DOVŽAN, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency‑in‑Office of the Council of the EU, Ms Michaela MATUELLA, Acting Director for Western Balkans in the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations on behalf of the European Commission and Ms Elsa FENET, Head of Division 'South‑East Europe & Western Balkans' in the European External Action Service
• Discussion on how to foster a national consensus on Montenegro's EU progress.

The European Union-Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) held its 19th meeting remotely on 3 of June 2021, under the co-chairmanship of Mr Vladimír BILČÍK, Chairman of the European Parliament's Delegation to the EU-Montenegro SAPC and of Mr Aleksa BEČIĆ, President of the Parliament of Montenegro.

The Committee addressed the following subjects:

• State of play of the accession negotiations and EU‑Montenegro relations, including the Covid‑19 situation an its consequences in the presence of:

1. Ms Zorka KORDIĆ, Chief Negotiator for Montenegro's Accession to the European Union on behalf of the Government of Montenegro,
2. Ms Virginia PINA, Ambassador of Portugal to Montenegro on behalf of the Portuguese Presidency-in-Office of the Council of the EU,
3. Ms Michela MATUELLA, Acting Director in the DG Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations on behalf of the European Commission;
4. Ms Elsa FENET, Head of Division 'Western Balkans' in the European External Action Service

• Progress in rule of law, including media freedom, judiciary reform and the fight against organised crime and corruption

The European Union‑Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) held its 18th meeting in Podgorica, under the co-chairmanship of Mr Vladimír BILČÍK, Chairman of the European Parliament's Delegation to the EU-Montenegro SAPC and of Mr Ivan BRAJOVIĆ, President of the Parliament of Montenegro. It held an exchange of views with:

• Mr Aleksandar Drljević, Chief Negotiator for Montenegro's Accession to the European Union, on behalf of Government of Montenegro;
• Ms Zdravka Bušić, State Secretary for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia,on behalf of the Presidency-in-Office-of the Council of the European Union;
• H.E. Aivo Orav, EU Ambassador, on behalf of the European Commission;

The Committee addressed the following subjects:

• State of play of accession negotiations and EU-Montenegro relations;
• Progress in rule of law, including fundamental rights and freedoms, judiciary reform and the fight against organised crime and corruption;
• Results in and tasks for improving the legislative framework ahead of and following the 2020 parliamentary elections;
• Environmental and climate change challenges;
• The situation of youth in Montenegro with a focus on education skills, unemployment and brain-drain.