MBO Interview with Mr. Aleksandar Pejović, Chief Negotiator At the end of December, 2011, the Government of Montenegro appointed you as Chief Negotiator. Please introduce us to the main reforms that you have implemented so far. Which are the most significant for the negotiation process? In a very short period of time, Montenegro has implemented many reforms and has achieved quantifiable results regarding the fulfilment of its obligations arising from the seven key priorities that are defined in the 2010 European Commission’s Report. Work has continued regarding the successful fulfilment of obligations as detailed in the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. An emphasis has been put on the alignment of national legislation and institutional frameworks with EU regulations and standards, along with the enforcement of relevant policies. The positive EC Spring Report of 22 May along with the decision of the European Council on 29 June to start accession negotiations with Montenegro confirm the excellent results that have been achieved. These results also demonstrate a driving force that is willing to respond to future challenges with the same level of commitment and responsibility. Mr. Aleksandar Pejović, Montenegro’s Chief Negotiator and State Secretary for EU Integrations
Biography: Ambassador Aleksandar Andrija Pejović is the State Secretary for European Integration, the Chief Negotiator for Negotiations on the Accession of Montenegro to the European Union (since December 2011), and the National Coordinator for Instruments for Pre-Accession Assistance. For the last two years (since March 2010) Mr. Pejović has been Ambassador - Head of the Mission of Montenegro to the EU and (since October 2010) Permanent Representative Ambassador of Montenegro to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the Hague. Prior to his appointment as Ambassador to the EU, Mr. Pejović was Director of the Directorate for the European Union in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro for three years. In this position he was also fully engaged in cooperation between Montenegro and the EU. He was most specifically involved in political relations and in dialogue with the EU, but also contributed to the common foreign and security policy of the Union. Mr. Pejović has worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2000. He has held responsibilities in several departments within the Ministry including multilateral affairs, bilateral affairs and the EU.
Concerning the negotiation process, I would like to recall that the government adopted the Decision Establishing Negotiating Structure for Montenegro’s accession to the European Union on 2 February 2012. This defines the negotiating structure and determines the competences of the six newly established bodies. Moreover, we have established working groups that will be responsible for negotiating chapters 23 and 24 which cover the areas of judiciary, fundamental rights and justice, freedom and security respectively. These are negotiable chapters that, due to their specific gravity, their importance for democratic capacity and because of their significance regarding the development of each individual society, are opened at the start of accession negotiations and, in line with the EC new approach, remain open until the very end of all negotiations. Explanatory and bilateral screening meetings regarding the aforementioned chapters were held during March and May. Representatives from various Montenegrin institutions and from relevant EC Directorates considered the current level of compliance achieved by our legislation when compared with the EU acquis.
At the first intergovernmental conference, held on 29 June, 2012, in Brussels, accession negotiations for Montenegro were formally opened. What steps have been planned for the forthcoming period? A very demanding and dynamic period lies ahead of us. Immediately after the Euopean Council adopted its decision to open accesion negotiations with Montenegro, we started to establish the first working groups which will work on the two negotiable chapters. As I stated previously, these chapters will remain open; initial screening on these chapters will take place in September and October, but they will remain under constatnt scrutiny until August 2013. After the groups have been established, training will be organised to ensure that all tasks are properly addressed. By the end of the year, the EC will prepare a report on the screening of chapters 23 and 24. The report will present guidelines which outline what is necessary in order to open negotiations on these two chapters. Subsequently, and in accordance with the EU new approach, we will start to prepare action plans for further work concerning specific areas of these two important chapters. In parallel with the negotiations, we will also have commitments arising from the Stabilisation and Association Process starting in July: meetings between the Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee and the Stabilisation and Association Council, and also three more subcommittee meetings. Furthermore, the European Commission will present its regular annual Montenegro Progress Report in October. This will provide an overview of the situation in Montenegro in many areas and will also help us to resolve the problems that have been identified.
Could you tell us in which fields you expect to have the most difficulties in the negotiation process? What are the biggest challenges? The negotiation process represents a huge challenge by itself. It is important for us to continue to fulfil the European expectations in a qualitative manner, thus proving that Montenegro can become a credible partner of the EU. This will be accomplished if we continue to achieving quantifiable results in all areas. Regarding the concrete challenges that we will face, I can say that strengthening our administrative capacity to take over and implement the EU acquis will certainly be a major challenge.
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