Mugoša: EU confirms through closing Chapter 5 - Government cannot implement the Agreement with the UAE as written in the Agreement

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

Chapter 5 has been temporarily closed and, although the dynamics of closing the chapter are much slower than promised, this is significant news for Montenegro. It is very important to read what is written in the document defining the EU position on this chapter (EU common position regarding chapter 5), because it essentially confirms what we have been saying, which is that the Government cannot implement the Agreement with the UAE as written in the Agreement, said Social Democrat (SD) MP Boris Mugoša in a post on the network X.

"In particular, the EU underlines that any international agreements concluded by Montenegro should be in line with the EU acquis and the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Montenegro and the EU. It remains crucial not to circumvent the application of national legislation and the EU acquis on public procurement, and to respect the principles of non-discrimination, fair competition, equal treatment of companies and transparency in public procurement procedures. The EU notes that the Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism and Real Estate Development, concluded on 28 March 2025 between the Government of Montenegro and the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and ratified by the Montenegrin Parliament on 3 June 2025, provides that all contracts, programmes and further agreements with investors from the UAE are exempt from the legislation of both countries relating to public procurement, public tenders and competitive procedures. It is crucial that Montenegro ensures that the implementation of this Agreement does not conflict with the EU acquis in the field of public procurement and is in line with the principles set out in of the SAA, including transparency, equal treatment and non-discrimination. The EU will closely monitor the implementation of the Agreement and stands ready to assist Montenegro in this regard.

The EU will also specifically monitor that the implementation of international agreements does not conflict with the EU acquis. The EU will, if necessary, review this chapter at the appropriate time," Mugoša explained.