16th meeting of the EU-Montenegro Joint Consultative Committee

For the 16th time, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and Montenegro held the Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee (JCC). The JCC is a civil society platform established between the EESC and Montenegrin civil society. It complements with a civil society point of view the EU institutional framework related to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EU and Montenegro. This joint institution allows civil society organisations on both sides to monitor the country's accession negotiations. It is also a platform to discuss issues of common interest and to inform the public at large on the challenges ahead during the accession period.

This 16th JCC took place in Podgorica and tackled issues such as:

• Current state of play in EU-Montenegro relations, including 2022 Montenegro Report
• Revised enlargement methodology – Cluster 1: The Fundamentals of the Accession Process, with a special focus on Judiciary and Fundamental rights and the Functioning of democratic institutions
• Revised enlargement methodology – Cluster 1: The Fundamentals of the Accession Process, with a special focus on Justice, Freedom and Security
• Overview of the civil society situation in Montenegro

A joint declaration was adopted at the meeting and will be distributed to all relevant EU institutions, as well as to the Montenegrin authorities.