Kašćelan: Montenegro has completed 32 of 57 reform steps under the Growth Plan, unlocking €65 million out of €135 million in financial support

Montenegro has completed 32 out of the 57 reform steps envisaged under the Growth Plan. In terms of financial support, this translates into slightly more than €65 million, or just under 50 percent of the available funding, given that €135 million was scheduled to be disbursed to Montenegro by this stage, said Ivan Kašćelan of the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) during an appearance on the morning program Budilnik on Television E.

The non-governmental organization points out that, despite the ambitious Reform Agenda for 2024–2027, Montenegro is significantly behind schedule in fulfilling obligations related to the European Union’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

According to Kašćelan, public attention has justifiably intensified as the country enters the final stage of the fourth reporting cycle, because Montenegro is now facing, for the first time, a serious risk of losing part of the available financial support. He noted that the amount at risk exceeds €15 million.

- The consequence is Montenegro’s rather modest, halfway performance when it comes to implementing the reforms envisaged under the Growth Plan. The figures speak for themselves. The results are modest, and the conclusion is unavoidable that this is not a matter of isolated delays, but rather an established pattern and a kind of culture of irresponsible conduct by those leading the process toward the tasks that were before them - Kašćelan assessed.

He recalled that the Reform Agenda was adopted back in 2024, which meant that more adequate preparations for implementation should have begun much earlier.

Kašćelan also believes that delays in the reform process can be attributed to a combination of several factors. According to him, the process has been highly demanding and has involved a range of administrative and technical challenges.

- At times, political dynamics also caused delays. Some steps require broader political consensus, while others demand greater financial investment. These were problems and challenges that were known in advance and were visible even before the process began. What CCE identifies as the primary issue is the inadequate addressing of these problems. A concrete example is that the entire operational and management structure was formally established only a month ago - Kašćelan concluded.