The Institute Alternative organised an internal meeting on Wednesday, 10 December, dedicated to the implementation of the Reform Agenda 2024–2027 and the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. The meeting brought together representatives of key institutions responsible for implementing reform measures, as well as representatives of civil society.
Participants included representatives of civil society and institutions coordinating the implementation of the Reform Agenda. The aim of the meeting was to present priorities and challenges in implementing reform steps and to consider ways in which reform processes can most effectively respond to the needs of citizens and the economy. Participants also discussed mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of the Reform Agenda, as well as the dynamics of withdrawing funds available through the Growth Plan for Montenegro. To date, Montenegro has prepared two semi-annual reports on the implementation of a total of 25 reform steps, of which the European Commission has confirmed the implementation of 12. It was noted at the meeting that preparation of the third report is underway, covering 32 new reform steps planned for implementation by December 2025, which will be reported to the European Commission by mid-January.
Žana Jovanović, Head of the Directorate for the Management Structure at the Ministry of Finance, explained details related to financial management, the funds received through the fulfillment of reform steps, and the way in which the Ministry of Finance prepares payment requests. The discussion also covered the preparation of the budget for the following year and the manner in which funds needed for implementing reform steps are planned within the individual financial plans of budget users.
Bojan Vujović, Director General of the Directorate for Coordination of EU Financial Support at the Ministry of European Affairs, answered questions related to challenges in coordinating the implementation of the Reform Agenda, cooperation with representatives of the European Commission, and the way in which the understanding of certain reform steps and activities changes during the course of implementation. The practice of regular meetings between representatives of the European Commission and the Government regarding the alignment of understanding of the current status of reform steps and the determination of their implementation status was also mentioned.
Marko Sošić, Public Policy Researcher at the Institute Alternative, presented findings and observations regarding specific reform measures as part of research conducted with regional partners, with a particular focus on areas where progress has been slower or where additional clarification is needed.
During the meeting, several proposals for further work were formulated. With regard to the need to strengthen transparency, it was requested that the payment requests prepared by the Ministry of Finance on the basis of materials for the semi-annual report be published, as well as the publication of the communication plan for the Reform Agenda that has already been prepared by the Ministry of European Affairs. It is also necessary to consider expanding the Supervisory Committee for the Reform Agenda to include interested representatives of civil society, beyond the already appointed permanent members. With regard to financial transparency, it was recommended to consider opening separate budgetary programs for financing the implementation of reform steps, in order to enable easier monitoring of the planning and spending of funds for this purpose. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to strengthen transparency in the component related to infrastructure projects – the way projects are selected, prepared for application, submitted to the WBIF, and how their status and financing are monitored.
The meeting represents a step toward better information sharing and greater openness toward citizens and civil society regarding the implementation of the Reform Agenda and the Growth Plan, with the aim of ensuring that reform processes deliver concrete and measurable benefits to the citizens and economy of Montenegro.
Photos from the meeting are available here.
The meeting was organised within the framework of the project “Monitoring Reform and Growth in the Western Balkans,” which the Institute Alternative implements together with regional partners—the Institute for European Policy from North Macedonia, the Center for European Policies from Serbia, the Foreign Policy Initiative BH (Bosnia and Herzegovina), the Group for Legal and Political Studies (Kosovo), and the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (Albania). The project is supported by the European Commission and, in Montenegro, is co-financed by the Government of Montenegro through the Ministry of Regional–Investment Development and Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organisations.