Montenegro to Close EU Chapter 19 in Luxembourg Early
Podgorica will provisionally close the social policy and employment chapter at the Intergovernmental Conference on October 12, two months ahead of the December plan.
Montenegro will provisionally close Chapter 19, which covers social policy and employment, at the Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg on Monday, October 12. The closure was originally planned for December, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography said on Sunday. Our neighbor thus closes another chapter in its EU accession talks earlier than planned.
What is behind the closure of Chapter 19?
According to the statement, the closure follows work on meeting three closing benchmarks across nine areas: workers’ rights, employment, social protection, and equality and anti-discrimination in social policy and employment. The ministry says legislation has been aligned with 58 EU directives and that more than 70 documents have been prepared, including laws, rulebooks, strategies and action plans.
In social and child protection, the ministry says, amendments to the law introduced new services:
- respite care,
- psychosocial support,
- intensive family support,
- social mentoring.
Part of the changes aims to make it easier for recipients of financial benefits to enter the labor market, with social work centers and the Employment Agency working together.
Disability, institutions and children
The Law on Unified Disability Assessment provides for a standardized, rights-based system that will assess a person’s support needs and participation in the community. Alongside that reform, the ministry points to the Deinstitutionalization Strategy for 2025 to 2028, which seeks to prevent placement in institutions when suitable support can be provided in the community.
Services for children and families continue to develop, and the first National Action Plan for implementing the European Child Guarantee is being prepared. On labor, the statement lists changes to labor legislation and to occupational safety and health, stronger inspections and a modernized Employment Agency. On equality, the capacity of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, the Ombudsman, is being strengthened in its role as the equality body.
Who led the work
The process is coordinated by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography, headed by Minister Damir Gutic, through the Working Group for Chapter 19. The group is led by Anita Bilafer Mihaljevic and has 33 members: representatives of the relevant institutions, social partners and civil society. The ministry says the result came through cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Dialogue, the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, the Employment Agency, the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Ministry of European Affairs, with continuous work alongside the European Commission.
The ministry also said what comes after Luxembourg: “The next steps are aimed at full implementation of the regulations, further strengthening of institutions and development of services.”
