Montenegro is committed to implementing reforms in the areas covered by the Subcommittee on Trade, Industry, Customs and Taxes, it was assessed at the meeting in Brussels.
At the meeting of the Subcommittee for Trade, Industry, Customs and Taxes between the European Union (EU) and Montenegro, representatives of Montenegrin institutions presented the results achieved from the previous meeting, which was held in October last year, in the chapters concerning the freedom of movement of goods, taxes, entrepreneurship and industrial policy, Customs Union and foreign relations.
As announced by the General Secretariat of the Government, the meeting was co-chaired by the head of the Unit for Montenegro and Serbia in the General Directorate of the European Commission (EC) for neighborhood policy and enlargement policy, Michael Miller, and the acting director general of the Directorate for International Trade and Economic Cooperation in the Ministry of Economic of development and tourism, Jovana Krunić.
“Renewed political focus on enlargement gives Montenegro an opportunity to advance on the road to the EU. The proper functioning of the new parliament and the formation of a new government are essential to achieve this, as well as institutions that are authorized and committed to implement reforms related to the EU,” said Miller.
In the area of trade, the EC welcomed Montenegro’s alignment with the EU sanctions regime and emphasized the importance of progress in the issues covered by this Subcommittee for bringing Montenegro closer to the EU single market.
“Also, they supported the measures taken to combat cigarette smuggling, but they emphasized that significant challenges remain in eradicating the illegal cigarette trade, including the destruction of confiscated property,” the announcement states.
Krunić said that Montenegro is an active promoter of regional cooperation, and that it participates in more than 30 regional initiatives and platforms, with a special emphasis on its role as the presiding country in certain regional mechanisms, thus contributing to the permanent positioning of our country and the region’s economy on the European map.