News
On EU Integrations for Radio of Montenegro
Ana Đurnić, a public policy researcher at Institute Alternative, commented for Radio of Montenegro on non-paper, an informal European Commission working paper for Montenegro on chapters 23 and 24. Đurnić said that the report is what it is and cannot be read in different ways, adding that it is difficult to assess whether the report…
Panel discussion: Is the depoliticisation of the intelligence sector possible?
Institute Alternative is organising a panel discussion “Is the depoliticisation of the intelligence sector possible? – Regional Perspective”, to discuss Montenegrin as well as regional experience of the intelligence sector reform. After “The Bomb” affair in North Macedonia, that uncovered the illegal wiretapping of 20,000 citizens, comprehensive legal and institutional reforms under the auspices of…
Toxic Paint for Children
On 1 August this year the Ministry of Sports and Youth signed a public procurement contract for the construction works to reconstruct the gym and sanitary facilities at the”Štampar Makarije“ Primary School in Podgorica. The contractor that won the works contract worth EUR 28,855. 95 was ”ART Gradnja“, a company from Bar. While the works…
EU accession negotiations, Public administration reform
Stevo Muk in Vijesti’s TV show ’’Načisto’’
Watch a full video of Petar Komnenić’s TV show ’’Načisto’’ broadcasted on TV Vijesti, featuring Stevo Muk, president of the Managing Board at Institute Alternative. Remarks published in the European Commission’s non-paper concerning chapters 23 and 24 were discussed, focusing on judiciary. Beside Stevo, guests of the show aired on 21 November 2019 were Ana…
Accountable public finances, EU accession negotiations
IA met with the TAIEX peer-review mission on public procurement
Ana Đurnić, public policy researcher at Institute Alternative (IA), attended the meeting with the TAIEX experts within their Case-based Peer-review mission on public procurement. The objective of this peer-review mission was to provide the European Commission and Montenegro with an assessment of the vulnerable areas in public procurement and how the oversight system is effectively…
Proposed Law on Free Access to Information Unsustainable in Montenegrin Context
Adoption of the Draft Law on Free Access to Information in proposed form would take us 15 years backwards. We have been moving in this direction for years, facing administrative silence, long-standing procedures in Agency for Free Access to Information and average duration of the procedures in Administrative Court that are longer than 13 months.…
Accountable public finances, Public administration reform
IA at the Third SIGMA Regional Conference on Public Procurement
Ana Đurnić, Public Policy Researcher at the Institute Alternative, participated at the Third Regional Conference on Public Procurement, held on 6-7 November 2019, in Tbilsi, Georgia. Within the second panel on the role of civil society in monitoring the implementation of procurement rules, Ana spoke about the way of functioning public procurement system in Montenegro,…
Five NGOs submitted comments on the Draft Law on Free Access to Information
Five non-governmental organisations submitted to the Ministry of Public Administration numerous comments to the Draft Law on Free Access to Information, as they proposed amendments contrary to the Constitution of Montenegro, international conventions, as well as the practice of the European Court of Human Rights. The draft introduces systematic restrictions on access to information, new…
Other, Public administration reform
Special State Prosecutor Rutović rejects criminal charge against Judicial Council
The Special State Prosecutor, Mr. Veljko Rutović, rejected the criminal charge submitted by the three non-governmental organisations the Human Rights Action (HRA), Network for the Affirmation of the NGO Sector (MANS) and Institute Alternative (IA) on 13 September 2019 against members of the Judicial Council of Montenegro based on suspicions that, in July 2019, the…
Rule of law in the Western Balkans: Necessary steps ahead
Establishing the rule of law remains a key challenge in the Western Balkans and represents one of the greatest obstacles in the EU accession process of the six countries of the region (Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia). Rule of law: stagnating or backsliding While the EU’s membership conditions in this…
Local authorities should not ignore citizens’ requests
The Coalition for Transparency and Fight against Corruption at the Local Level (KUM) supports the efforts of non-governmental activists and citizens of Ulcinj to protect the Pine forest area and urges the Ulcinj local authorities to respect the voice of its citizens, but also to act responsibly towards the resources of this municipality. We recall…
Other, Public administration reform, Rule of law
Agency will not act against Bošković: Law does not apply when money comes from abroad
Agency rejected a IA’s request to initiate the procedure against the Minister of Defence Predrag Bošković, suspecting that he had an illegal income of at least 62 000 euro as an official of international handball organisations. Agency rejected the request as unfounded, claiming that the Law on Prevention of Corruption does not apply to international…