Montenegro must further improve the framework for the best possible use of the available funds of the European Union (EU) for the field of agriculture and rural development, assessed at the meeting of the secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Ana Raičević, and the representatives of the European Commission (EC) Frank Bolen and Dick Van Dijk.
As announced by the Ministry of Finance, Raičević, who is also a national authorized officer for financial management of IPA funds, is on a working visit to Brussels and participates in an international conference on the topic of more successful implementation of IPARD II, organized by DG AGRI.
“The aim of the conference is to facilitate the exchange of experiences between EU member states and candidate states, on the topic of more mobile implementation of the IPARD II program and focused action in achieving the criteria brought by the new IPARD III program framework,” the announcement states.
The Ministry emphasized that more successful use of funds from IPARD support is one of the priorities of all countries participating in the conference. As stated, on the sidelines of the conference, Raičević met with the head of the Unit for Neighbourhood, Enlargement and Pre-Accession Assistance of the competent General Directorate of the EC, Bolen, and the coordinator of the departmental Unit of the General Directorate of the EC for Agriculture and Rural Development for Montenegro, Van Dijk.
Raičević pointed to the clear and consistent policy of the Government of Montenegro, which is reflected in the continuous strengthening of IPA structures, especially in the segment of meritorious application of motivation policy and other instruments in human resource management, with the aim of long-term sustainable management of the IPA framework.
As it is added, she introduced the representatives of the EC to the concrete measures of the Government, which had the effect of increasing the salary of the category of civil servants who form the institutional memory and the pillar of the IPA management and operational framework.
“With the implementation of the Decision on awarding the IPA supplement of up to 30 percent of the basic salary of IPA officers, the outflow of quality personnel will be significantly reduced, and with the application of other motivational policy instruments, we expect the IPA structure to be even more stable,” Raičević pointed out.
She assessed that the overall IPA structure and key managerial positions are covered by professional and highly trained personnel, adding that this represents a very serious management framework, which has special significance in changing political circumstances.
Raičević emphasized the importance of the accreditation measure of seven IPARD II programs, after a two-year suspension in management, which enables the IPARD agency to contract support for farm diversification and business development, for 25 contracts, in the amount of around EUR 1.5 million of EU support.
She reminded that there is a possibility of approval for extending the deadline for spending funds from the 2020 financial allocation of the IPARD II program, which would reduce the estimated loss of funds at the end of this year.
Raičević pointed out that the Ministry of Finance, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, is working intensively on finding the best model for a special financial line, which would support applicants for initial investment needs for IPARD projects.
“It was jointly stated that in the coming period, Montenegro must further improve the framework for the best possible use of available EU funds for the field of agriculture and rural development,” the announcement states.
