October 2024 – Page 2 – Institute Alternative

16. 10. 2024.21. 10. 2024.

Eight Months from Initiative to Hearing: The Committee Finally Reviewed the SAI Report on CEDIS

Eight months after submitting the initiative, the Committee for Economy, Finance, and Budget finally conducted a control hearing of the head of the Montenegrin Electric Distribution System (CEDIS), the Montenegrin Electric Power Company (EPCG), the Minister of Energy, and members of the Senate of the State Audit Institution (SAI) on the financial state and operations of CEDIS in the context of SAI’s negative findings.

Although it was an opposition proposal, utilising the parliamentary mechanism of a minority initiative that cannot be blocked, it took five months just to formally decide on the matter, and then an additional three months to actually implement it.

During the debate on the initiative, submitted on February 14th of this year, there was no consensus on whether a vote was needed or if a date should automatically be scheduled and participants for the hearing determined. In the continuation of the 11th session on March 1st, it was decided to consult the Assembly’s Collegium, which would provide guidance on how to proceed with this initiative. The opposition had invoked Article 75 of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament of Montenegro, which gave them the right to organise two control hearings during the regular session, independent of the political will of the parliamentary majority. This mechanism has been further weakened by this year’s amendments to the Rules of Procedure, which now allow for only one hearing each from both the opposition and the parliamentary majority, despite the fact that the majority controls all parliamentary committees.

The reconsideration of this initiative was delayed for another five months. Without mentioning the Collegium’s opinion, it was adopted on July 1st during the second continuation of the 11th session of the Committee. Then, at the 25th session held on July 16th, it was stated that they were awaiting responses from energy companies in order to schedule a hearing date. The following week, the Parliament’s website announced the date of the hearing—the session was scheduled for July 29th. In the following days, the session was canceled without explanation and without an announcement of when it would be rescheduled. Only on October 10th, a new date was posted on the Parliament’s website—October 15th.

We have repeatedly pointed out the inadequate consideration of so-called minority initiatives, a form of oversight mechanism that has been further limited by the amendments to the Rules of Procedure, adopted in May. The delay of this hearing is even more problematic given the Cooperation Protocol between the State Audit Institution (SAI) and the Parliament, which obliges the Parliament to hold hearings for audit subjects that received a negative opinion from the SAI. Therefore, this hearing was the Committee’s obligation, even without the opposition initiative, and represents the only hearing related to an audit report, even though nine audit reports with negative opinions were published this year.

We have previously highlighted the low success rate of opposition initiatives and the difficulties in implementing approved control hearings. The first session of this year was marked by the suppression of the Assembly’s oversight role, through questioning of oversight mechanisms and the rights of the parliamentary minority, as well as delays in implementing approved initiatives.

This infographic was prepared within the project „Parliament for Citizens: Accountability Redefined“ implemented by Institute Alternative and supported by the National Endowment for Democracy. The infographic is the sole responsiblity of its authors and does not reflect the views of the NED.

11. 10. 2024.22. 10. 2024.

IA’s Initiative For a Joint Hearing on Hold For Five Months

For nearly five months, we have been waiting for the parliamentary committees on economy and health to act on our initiative for holding a joint hearing on the topic of public procurement in healthcare. Despite the fact that the initiative, submitted by Institute Alternative on May 10th this year, was initially accepted by both parliamentary committees, the session has not yet been held, and there is no indication of when it will be scheduled or who will respond to the ongoing concerns about the dysfunction of the public procurement process for medicines due to the limited number of suppliers in Montenegro. We urge that a date and participants for the hearing be determined as soon as possible, which will open a broader discussion on this topic.

The initiative was first discussed at the 19th session of the Committee on Economy, Finance, and Budget on May 15th. On that occasion, it was stated that the MPs would familiarise themselves with our initiative and, in agreement with the Committee on Health, Labour, and Social Welfare, determine the manner of organising the session. Then, at the 25th session, two months later, it was unanimously supported that a thematic session be held based on our initiative, with the date to be determined later. During this period, the Committee on Health also gave its approval for a hearing on this issue.

Since the end of July, we have not received any feedback on whether the hearing will be scheduled and held. The issue of (non)scheduling and/or unnecessary delays has continuously followed the work of the 28th convocation of the Parliament, from the very beginning, which we have pointed out several times. By prolonging the scheduling of the hearing, the oversight function of the committees is being undermined, both because of the relevance of the topic that needs to be discussed and because, in this specific case, more than five months have passed without a clear date being set for the hearing.

More than a decade ago, a joint consultative hearing of these committees was held, but unfortunately, no conclusion was reached, nor was a joint report with recommendations for solving the problem issued. The importance of the topic is also highlighted by the fact that the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its latest report on Montenegro, pointed to several issues in this area and emphasised the need to improve the efficiency of healthcare spending and limit pharmaceutical expenses, which in 2022 alone reached as much as 2.5% of GDP.

Institute Alternative calls on the Committee on Health, Labour, and Social Welfare and the Committee on Economy, Finance, and Budget to promptly define a date for the hearing, which will be followed by thorough preparation and a broad discussion, in order to articulate clear recommendations for changing policies, regulations, and practices in this area.

IA Team

10. 10. 2024.17. 10. 2024.

Parliamentary Dimension of the Berlin Process at the Bundestag

The German Bundestag hosted the event “Parliamentary Dimension of the Berlin Process,” held on October 9 in Berlin. The event, supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, was organised by the Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” from Skopje, in cooperation with Institute Alternative and other partner organisations from the region.

The event brought together MPs from the parliaments of the Western Balkans (WB) and the Bundestag, parliamentary administration, as well as representatives from think tank organisations to discuss their role within the Berlin Process. Our Dragana Jaćimović participated in the conference.

Dr. Anton Hofreiter, Chair of the EU Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, opened the event by emphasising the crucial role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting this process.

Key Sessions Focused on Regional Cooperation and Sustainability

In the subsequent sessions, parliamentarians addressed the current progress in implementing the Action Plans of the Common Regional Market and the Green Agenda, with a specific focus on digitalisation and decarbonisation. These discussions were guided by the findings of monitoring reports that assess the current level of implementation of these action plans, policy alignment, and capacity-building across the Western Balkans.

Our Dragana Jaćimović presented findings from the monitoring report related to activities in the field of the digital economy and cybersecurity, highlighting the need to strengthen regional cooperation, particularly in activities related to the digital economy. Monitoring report findings were also presented by Anamarija Velinovska (IDSCS), Juliana Bilbilaj (Institute for Political Studies), Violeta Haxholli (Kosovo Democratic Institute), and Marija Stefanović (CRTA).

“The monitoring reports provide valuable insights into the progress made by the Western Balkan countries in the areas of digitalization and decarbonization, as outlined in the Action Plans for the Common Regional Market and the Green Agenda. While there are significant disparities in the levels of implementation across these countries, many initiatives are inherently regional and require cooperative efforts. It is crucial that parliaments leverage this information for effective oversight and monitoring. In doing so, they can hold institutions accountable for their commitments and ensure progress in both digitalisation and decarbonisation,” researchers stated in a joint declaration.

Joint Meeting of the EU Committees and Western Balkan Delegations

The EU Affairs Committee at the Bundestag organized a joint meeting of the EU Committees from the Western Balkans (WB6) and the Bundestag during the Parliamentary Dimension of the Berlin Process event. Representatives of the EU Committees discussed two key topics: EU Enlargement and Reforms and The Future of Regional Cooperation and Connectivity in the Western Balkans.

Exchange of Best Practices Among Parliamentary Staff

A special event for parliamentary staff was organised, focusing on strengthening the capacities of Western Balkan parliaments within the Berlin Process. Representatives from the Bundestag, Jutta Schneider-Schill, Bettina Creaton, and Felix Arndt, from the Bundestag and Bürgerräte, shared best practices on how parliamentary administrations can better support legislative reforms and monitor action plans related to the Berlin Process.

The conference is part of the project “Parliamentary Diplomacy: Regional Cooperation through Enhanced Parliamentary Dialogue,” supported by the German Federal Government, which aims to showcase the benefits of the Berlin Process by strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and utilizing oversight mechanisms by the parliaments of the Western Balkans.

In addition to the Institute Alternative, our project partners in the region are the Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” (IDSCS) from Skopje, the Center for Research, Transparency, and Accountability (CRTA) from Belgrade, the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) from Pristina, the Network of Progressive Initiatives (NPI) from Sarajevo, and the Institute for Political Studies (ISP) from Tirana.