At the public debate with secondary school students, while presenting advantages of the European integration process for youth, Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration Mr Adrijan Vuksanović and members Mr Mihailo Anđušić and Mr Momčilo Martinović also promoted the possibilities for studying in the EU, intensifying information with regard to educational exchange programmes offered by the EU, but also the advantages of the single labour market and honouring of the European values, such as tolerance and multiculturalism. The students made the debate constructive and very inspirational, by showing the interest for the issues such as Montenegro’s contribution to the EU, impact of the membership on Montenegro’s economy, timeframe for membership as well as prevention of brain drain from Montenegro after the membership. However, they also made specific comments and evaluations of the negotiation process with regard to provisionally closed chapters and expectations for the upcoming period.
Within the school, MPs toured rooms adapted for the training of students, future chefs, where a state-level culinary competition will be held tomorrow.
Delegation of the Committee on European Integration met vice presidents of the Municipality, President of the Local Assembly, Chief Administrator and Head of the Cabinet of the President of the Municipality. The meeting with the municipal leadership was marked by exchange of opinions on possibilities for using funds from the EU funds, deepening of cooperation at the state and local level, as well as projects implemented within IPA programmes. The electronic parliament will soon be in place in Budva, and the purchase of software and equipment under this project is provided by the funds from the municipal budget. The said project represents a unique example of electronic monitoring of meetings of the Local Assembly and its committees, in the way that citizens have full access to the meetings. Also, a citizens’ bureau has been opened, and for its more efficient functioning, education is needed in order to apply information technologies at the municipal level. As for the projects funded from the pre-accession funds, two projects of total value of 300,000 were singled out, in the field of environment and sustainable development.
Organisation of public debates with secondary school students and meetings with representatives of the local self-governments is one of the ways which the Committee on European Integration uses in order to bring the negotiation process closer to citizens. Since the beginning of the 26th Parliament of Montenegro, this is the fourth visit to a Montenegrin municipality.
