Ivanović participates in panel on EU membership perspectives and key challenges

Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanović took part in the panel "Perspectives on EU Membership and the Obstacles Ahead", held as part of the Anti-Corruption Forum "EU by 2028? Crypto, Malign Influence, and Disinformation", organized by BIRN.

Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović emphasized that the highest expectations are justifiably placed on the Government, noting that it is often the most scrutinized institution, while also achieving the most significant results in Montenegro's EU accession process.

Speaking on specific challenges, Ivanović highlighted that Chapters 23 and 24 remain the foundation of the entire process, reminding that the interim benchmarks in these areas were fulfilled in 2024. He noted that these chapters are comprehensively reassessed at the end of the negotiation process and that continuous, daily progress is recorded.

Regarding other aspects of the negotiations, Ivanović stated that full alignment with the European Union's visa policy is expected soon, while Chapter 27, covering environmental matters, represents one of the most demanding challenges due to the extensive regulations and the large number of directives that need to be adopted and implemented.

He further stressed the importance of administrative capacity, noting that these capacities are largely filled and operating at full potential. He explained that the process of preparing legislation for each negotiation chapter, as well as communication with the European Commission, requires time, and that the speed of receiving feedback directly affects the pace of chapter closure and the final assessment of criteria fulfillment.

Ivanović assessed that these challenges are primarily administrative and technical in nature, but also pointed to political challenges, illustrated by ongoing attempts to undermine achieved results and reforms implemented by the Government and Parliament. He particularly highlighted the constant presence of criticism and disinformation, emphasizing that maintaining constructive dialogue and achieving compromises is of critical importance.

He underlined that the Government of Montenegro achieves measurable results - implementing reforms, closing negotiation chapters, and maintaining continuous communication with the European Commission. He also reminded that the current Government received the most positive progress report from the European Commission since the beginning of the negotiation process, noting that the strongest criticism often comes from actors who were part of the previous administration, during which the weakest results were recorded.

Finally, Ivanović emphasized that Montenegro maintains a high level of public support for EU membership, noting that strong citizen backing further stabilizes the reform process and reduces the scope for negative influences, including disinformation and other challenges discussed at the forum.

The panel also featured the President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro, Valentina Pavličić; former Member of Parliament, former Minister of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism, and Coordinator of the Ministry of European Affairs, Ana Novaković-Đurović; and Member of Parliament and former Chair of the Committee for European Integrations in the Parliament of Montenegro, Ivan Vuković.