Policy Briefing with Ranko Krivokapić
Speaker of the Parliament of Montenegro
Wednesday 25 March 2015, 10.30-11.30 (registration from 10.10)
EPC Auditorium, 14-16 Rue du Trône, 1000 Brussels
Since the opening of accession negotiations with the European Union in 2012, Montenegro has been a path-breaker for other Balkan countries seeking to join the EU. With sixteen negotiating chapters already opened and two provisionally closed, Montenegro seems determined to keep its competitive edge and swiftly advance towards EU membership. However, to fulfil its European ambitions, the country still has to overcome long-standing hurdles to ensure the independence of the judiciary, to guarantee freedom of expression and media, and to fight corruption and organised crime. How does Podgorica plan to maintain the reform momentum and tackle these outstanding challenges ? How is it preparing to deal with the more problematic negotiation chapters looming and to implement the benchmarks under the all-important Chapters 23 and 24 that condition its overall progress in the accession talks ? What is the role of the Montenegrin Parliament in assisting the country’s European integration efforts ? And will Montenegro take more of a leading role in the Balkans in contributing to regional cooperation and security ?
Ranko Krivokapić will address these and other issues in his presentation, which will be followed by a question and answer session chaired by Corina Stratulat, EPC Senior Policy Analyst.
European Policy Centre
Tel : 02 231 03 40
www.epc.eu
