18th meeting of the EU-Montenegro Joint Cosultative Committee

For the 18th time, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and Montenegro held the Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) in Podgorica on 16 April 2024. 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.

Main topics of the 18th meeting of the EU-Montenegro JCC were:

• Current state of play in EU-Montenegro relations, including the fulfillment of interim benchmarks for Cluster 1: The Fundamentals of the Accession Process and the New growth plan and facility for the Western Balkans
• Cluster 4: Green agenda & sustainable connectivity, with a focus on environment & climate change
• Cluster 4: Green agenda & sustainable connectivity, with a focus on energy & transport policy
• Overview of the civil society situation in Montenegro, including social dialogue