The High-level Round Table on the European integration of the Western Balkans has ended today in Brussels. The following MPs participated on behalf of the Parliament of Montenegro: Mr Adrijan Vuksanović, Mr Miodrag Vuković, Ms Branka Tanasijević, and Mr Predrag Sekulić.

Within the first session, a public debate was held on the topic “Mid-term review of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II): matching funding with political priorities”. The introductory remarks were given by Mr David McAllister, Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament; Ms Marietje Schaake, MEP, Chairperson of the Working Group on External financial instruments, Committee on Foreign Affairs; Ms Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, Director for the Western Balkans, DG NEAR, European Commission; and Mr Erwan Fouéré, Associate Senior Research Fellow, Centre for European Policy Studies, Brussels. Within this session, the parliamentarians agreed that the projects funded by the pre-accession funds should be oriented towards achieving key political priorities, but that there should be also work on improvement of visibility, i.e. promotion of the IPA funds in candidate countries. The interlocutors especially emphasised the significance of parliamentary oversight of the use of the pre-accession funds.

Then a debate was held on the topic of the perspectives of the EU integration of the Western Balkans, within which the MPs from the countries in the region presented their countries’ views and positions on the achieved progress in the approximation to the EU. The introductory remarks were given by Mr David McAllister and Mr Christian Danielsson, Director-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations. Mr McAllister emphasised the significant role that the parliaments should play in the process of reforms, the strengthening of human rights and the rule of law, while Mr Danielsson said that the countries of the Western Balkans should have a clear and unambiguous European perspective, which should be achieved through the strengthening of the political will for addressing key challenges.

The European parliamentarians were addressed by Mr Adrijan Vuksanović, Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration, and Ms Branka Tanasijević, member of the Committee on Education, Science, Culture and Sports. Mr Vuksanović said that Montenegro would be ready for membership of the European Union even before the year 2025, which had been set up by Mr Junker as the accession year in his letter of intent. He also added that Montenegro was standing out as a country with clear political and social consensus for the EU membership, but also as a society fostering European values, proven through peaceful renewal of independence, good relations with its neighbours, and respect for the rights of the national and religious minorities. MP Ms Tanasijević reminded of the support to the enlargement policy recently given by President of France Mr Emmanuel Macron. As she pointed out, the EU’s refocusing on the enlargement policy was significant for Montenegro and all countries of the Western Balkans. Ms Tanasijević pointed out that our country was dedicated to opening the remaining negotiating chapters, as well as to fulfilling the closing benchmarks, and that the enlargement policy was significant not only for the countries in the region, but also for the European Union itself.

The Round Table was organised by the European Parliament, namely the Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group, in cooperation with the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Human Rights, and delegations of the European Parliament for relations with the Western Balkans countries.