On last April 10 Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Milo Đukanović, the Government of Montenegro adopted the draft National Program for EU Integration of Montenegro (NPI) for the period 2008-2012, of which main objective is to timely prepare Montenegro — primarily its public administration — for its new European challenge and obligations, by providing a framework for overall reform process through well planned activities.

Following this adoption by the Government of Montenegro, the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, H.E. Mrs. Gordana Đurović, will undertake in the following weeks, a large series of information round tables with international representatives in Montenegro to confirm the readiness and the dedication of the country in realising its European intention and creating legislation harmonised with the European regulations and standards.

In the perspective of the French Presidency of the European Union beginning the second half of 2008 (July 1st), Deputy Prime Minister Đurović started her talks by receiving today, this April 29, 2008, the French Ambassador in Podgorica, H.E. Mr. Bernard Garancher.

After a constructive exchange of views on the National Program for Integration, Ambassador Garancher welcomed the clear progress Montenegro achieved on internal and international plan through the good start in implementing the Interim Agreement, the established network between the institutions involved in the European integration process, and the adoption of the Draft NPI. “Many more responsibilities lie ahead of Montenegro prior to EU Membership, but key objectives are now well-identified and results already measurable, which is a good thing for the upcoming reinforcement of France-Montenegro dialogue during the EU French Presidency, to go forward in the Integration process”, the French Ambassador underscored.

Preparation of the National Program for Integration
Structure and Methodology
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The National Program for Integration has been designed on the basis of the best practice of the countries which has already completed successfully that stage of integration. The Program encompasses the period between January 1st, 2008 and December 31, 2012. All projected tasks in the domain of harmonization with the EU legislation, as well as establishment and enhancement of the institutional framework for the implementation of a harmonized national legislation in the ensuing fiveyear period, have been divided into short-term priorities for the period by the end of 2009 and mediumterm priorities for the three-year period encompassing the years 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Although the National Program for Integration is envisaged for adoption in the second quarter of 2008, the short-term priorities shall include the beginning of 2008 as well, when implementation of the Interim Agreement on Trade and Trade-Related Matters has actually took place, facilitating thus that implementation of both the Agreement and NPI be monitored concurrently and in a more efficient manner.

The NPI is composed of six basic textual wholes represented through the following chapters:
I.— Political Criteria
II.— Economic Criteria
III.— Capability of Assuming Obligations Emanating from the EU Membership
IV.— Administrative and Judiciary Capacities for the Acquis Implementation
V.— National Version of Acquis Communautaire
VI.— Financial Appraisal of the NPI implementation

Chapter I
Political Criteria

It is deemed to be a survey of abidance by political criteria from the set of the so-called Copenhagen Criteria relating to the stability of institutions which are to guarantee for democracy, rule of law, observance of human and minority rights. The structural framework of this part is followed by a relevant chapter dealing with annual reports by the European Commission on the progress made in this domain (EC Progress Reports).

Chapter II
Economic Criteria

This chapter is dedicated to the establishment and enhancement of market economy, specifically ability of the Montenegrin economy to face the pressure of competition as one existing in the EU. Short-term priorities are exhibited here, embracing the complete transformation and restructuring of the Montenegrin economy into a functional market economy, while medium-term priorities are targeted at facilitating the Montenegrin economy to be adequately positioned on the unified European market.

Chapter III
Capability of Assuming Obligations Emanating from the EU Membership

It represents actually the plan of taking over the Acquis Communautarie, i.e. of transposing the European law into the national legislation by the end of 2012. This is a largest chapter of the NPI consisting of 33 wholes which correspond to the relevant negotiating chapters of the Acquis. Such a structure of Chapter 3 according to which fulfillment of commitments is to be monitored in future negotiations of Montenegro on its accession to the EU, shall help the Montenegrin administration to be adequately prepared for the EU Questionnaire.
Majority of these 33 sub-chapters within Chapter 3 of the NPI is further divided into several segments depending on the type of a specific domain. The internal structure of almost all of these wholes is identical and so easier to comprehend and obtain a clear picture of the current state and projected tasks and terms set for each specific domain. Each of these wholes aims to describe the following:
1.— The state of the existing national regulatory framework for each specific domain, its compliance with the European legal order, as well as institutional framework for implementation.
2.— Short-term priorities: statutory regulations planned for the period 2008-2009, the envisaged degree of harmonization with the Acquis, as well as administrative capacities for adoption and implementation of these regulations.
3.— Medium-term priorities: statutory regulations planned for the period 2010-2012 which shall, by the end of that term, be completely harmonized with the Acquis, as well as administrative capacities for adoption and implementation of these regulations.
Each of these 33 negotiating chapters and mainly all of sub-chapters end with tables, i.e. schedules of employment and Financial requirements presented by years for each of the involved institution, until the end of 2012.

Chapter IV
Administrative and Judiciary Capacities for the Acquis Implementation

This is a demonstration of administrative capacities, i.e. of the capability of administration to implement the EU legal order in compliance with standards and best practice the its member states. The chapter is composed of the following subchapters:
1.— An overview of state administration reforms (fundamental statutory regulations related to the state administration and characteristics of the existing administration, survey of all new legal acts, policies and strategies aimed at the enhancement of administrative capacities, training strategies and programs for betterment of knowledge about the new legal order, including an overview of the projected employment and establishment of new institutions — what is in fact a summary of facts contained in Chapter III).
2.— An overview of judiciary reforms, training strategies and programs for the betterment of knowledge about the new legal order and Acquis within the judicial power.

Chapter V
National Version of Acquis Communautaire

This chapter deals with a rather voluminous and demanding task of translating the Acquis Communautaire from some of official EU languages into Montenegrin language. The process of preparation of the national version encompasses not only translation but also reviewing by legal experts, as well as proofreading.

Chapter VI
Financial Assessment of the NPI Implementation

A brief survey of Financial requirements as projected in previous chapters from the Republican budget and foreign financial support, primarily the EU pre-accession funds. Budgetary expenditures projected for the EU integration during the given period are restricted mainly to the administrative budget, i.e. employees’ salaries and partly for drawing up regulations and personnel training.

National Program for EU Integration