EU grants additional 3,9 million EUR to Montenegro for Integrated Border Management

The European Union (EU) has granted 3,9 million EUR to Montenegro, to further support the country's effort to control and manage its borders. The payment takes place after Montenegro made good progress with the implementation of its Integrated Border Management Strategy 2014-2018.
Control and management of the state borders is an important element of the rule of law, which is at the heart of Montenegro’s EU accession process. The EU granted additional support after assessing that Montenegro has made good progress in aligning with the European border security system, and in transposing norms and standards of the Schengen area. This work is instrumental in order to progress in the negotiations of Chapter 24, related to justice, freedom and security.
This new payment brings EU budget support in the Integrated Border Management sector to a total of EUR 19,9 million. Two previous instalments of EUR 8 million each were paid in December 2016 and December 2018.
EU funding has already helped Montenegro to reform its legislative framework, to improve the capacities of the border police, as well as cross-border police cooperation and activities related to combatting cross-border organised crime. With EU funds the regulation of the Sutorina river bed was completed, equipment for electronic border surveillance was procured, a video surveillance project was implemented at all 28 border crossings, and border police received 48 new vehicles and three new patrol boats for border surveillance. In addition, the visa issuing process was modernised with new IT solutions while officials of the Visa Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were trained, thus creating in all diplomatic missions and consulates the technical preconditions for the use of the Visa Information System.
The additional funding will contribute to the construction of the border crossings Ranče, Šćepan Polje and Vraćenovići, the construction of a facility for detailed vehicle control at the Kula border crossing and a facility for the needs of the Border Police Sector in Pljevlja. Montenegro will acquire green border surveillance systems, as well as equipment for the first and second border checkpoints such as drones, motor vehicles, ATVs and snowmobiles. Additionally, new IT solutions, such as the E-gate systems at Podgorica Airport will be installed.