Research coordinator, Jovana Marović, participated in the meeting with the Finnish Minister of Interior Paivi Rasanen. During the meeting, they discussed about the key challenges in the negotiation process, with a special focus on Chapters 23 and 24 – Judiciary and fundamental rights and Justice, freedom and security. Jovana presented to the Minister the problems which Institute Alternative recognized in its work and research in five program areas, but also through engagement in the Working Group for Chapter 23. Accordingly, she highlighted that the main problems could be grouped and defined as:
- the lack of capacity for adequate implementation of legal standards and fulfillment of obligations from the negotiation process within a reasonable time;
- the persistent postponement of fulfilling obligations when it comes to legal regulation of certain areas;
- the lack of political determination to solve individual cases of misuse of public resources, public positions or violations of human rights, which makes the core concern of the negotiations within the Chapter 23;
- the lack of transparency and communicating what was achieved with interested parties in accordance with clear and precisely defined indicators of success.
Jovana also pointed out that the first year of implementation of the Action Plan for Chapter 23 should be seen as a „test“for the following years, primarily because the negotiation structure itself has been adapting to the challenges of the „new framework for implementing reforms“, but also because certain problems from the beginning of the year were overcome as the year went by.
Besides Jovana, the meeting was also attended by Daliborka Uljarević, Executive Director of the Centre for Civic Education (CGO), Vanja Ćalović, Executive Director of The Network for Affirmation of the NGO Sector (MANS) and Zlatko Vujović, President of the Management Board of Centre for Monitoring and Research (CEMI).
During her visit to Montenegro, Minister of Interior of Finland met with the Montenegrin Minister of Justice and Minister of Interior, as well as with the Negotiator for Chapters 23 and 24.
