Impacts of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance on Rule of Law in Montenegro

At the time when Montenegro regained state independence, the European Union regulated the instrument of pre-accession assistance to beneficiary countries, which provided support on their path to membership of the European Union. Montenegro has been fully harmonising national legislation with the acquis communautaire and taking fundamental reforms in order to ensure an independent, accountable, efficient and transparent judiciary. From the institution building within the first IPA assistance programs, to strengthening strategic capacities and even reconstruction of judicial objects, numerous activities were taken to support rule of law reform in Montenegro, in line with EU standards and best practices. As the European Union remains the most significant donor and investor in Montenegro in various sectors, currently we are approaching the time limit of IPA III (2027) and can assess whether Montenegro, in accordance with the new methodology, uses such assistance in a wide range, considering the readiness and eligibility of its projects in the field of rule of law. The authors intend to answer the question whether the country, which is perceived as the one that achieved the most progress in the Western Balkans, largely benefits from this unique assistance program based on support, cooperation and communication. Therefore, this paper consists of three arguable issues: (1) the assessment of noted challenges; (2) analysis of successful examples and (3) lessons learnt during the IPA projects implementation in Montenegro over the last decade, since the Chapter 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights – was officially opened.