Montenegro’s preparations for EU Chapter 27 on environment and climate change face a substantial administrative-capacity constraint, with an estimated shortage of 235 employees across the institutions responsible for implementation.
Planning estimates indicate that as many as 251 additional staff may need to be recruited by 2030. The shortage affects ministries, inspectorates, local authorities, laboratories and institutions responsible for waste, water, air quality, nature protection and industrial pollution.
The Centre for Ecotoxicological Research, which provides laboratory analysis covering pollution, radiation, waste, food and workplace conditions, employs 60 people against 80 systematised positions. Despite the 20-person gap, no additional recruitment was planned for the period from 2026 to 2028 in the reviewed staffing framework.
The shortage has direct investment consequences. Montenegro must process environmental permits, monitor emissions, supervise waste management and verify compliance for energy, tourism, mining, transport and industrial projects. Insufficient staffing increases the risk of slower approvals, inconsistent enforcement and backlogs in reporting to European institutions.
Chapter 27 is typically among the most expensive and technically demanding parts of accession. It requires not only legislation but also laboratories, monitoring systems, municipal infrastructure, trained inspectors and enforceable environmental data.
The investment pipeline already includes renewable generation, transmission infrastructure, ski resorts, coastal tourism, wastewater treatment and transport projects. Each adds permitting and monitoring obligations. Expanding capital expenditure without increasing institutional capacity risks moving the bottleneck from financing to regulatory execution.
The shortage also affects project bankability. International lenders increasingly require environmental and social documentation that goes beyond basic domestic permits. Weak institutional monitoring can force developers to commission more private studies, independent audits and lender-specific reporting, increasing development expenditure and extending financial-close schedules.
Montenegro’s progress in closing competition and customs chapters demonstrates the speed of formal alignment. Chapter 27 will require a much larger operational structure. Laboratories, inspectors and environmental authorities must be capable of producing evidence that standards are being applied throughout construction and operation, not merely transposed into national law.
