With the support of the EU, the Government of Montenegro and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare have so far implemented a significant number of projects and programmes successfully aimed at improving employment and social protection.

Through the project "EU support for the employment and social policy sectors in Montenegro", expert support was provided to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, the Office of the National IPA Coordinator, the Labor Inspectorate, ZZZCG, Centers for Social Work, and the Institute for Social and Child Protection.

The project is the first in the series of implementation the IPA 2020 Action Programme.

"The goal of the project is for the user of these institutions to make use of the benefits provided to the greatest extent, taking into account the participatory approach of all relevant actors, while special attention will be paid to the sustainability of the achieved results even after the implementation of the project," said State Secretary Edina Dešić.

Liselotte Isaksson, Deputy Head of the Department for Cooperation in the EU Delegation, pointed out that social policy and employment policy are instruments that help society ensure social justice and provide each individual with the opportunity for progress.

"This project will help Montenegro prepare for the use of the European Social Fund, the main instrument of the European Union for investment in human resources ESF+, which has a budget of €99 billion for the period 2021-2027," Isakson added.

In order for Montenegro to be able to use the EU funds available after joining the EU, it must prepare and implement a series of reform changes in order to further improve the system of social protection and the labor market, thereby improving social and employment policies for its citizens.

"The EU is open to supporting Montenegro in implementing the necessary reforms, not only through this technical support contract, but also through numerous other instruments and programmes," concluded Deputy Head of the Department for Cooperation in the EU Delegation.

The project "EU support for the employment and social policy sectors in Montenegro " is worth more than €760,000, of which the EU finances 85% of this amount through IPA funds. The project is implemented by the company Archidata S.r.l. from Italy in a consortium with WYG Svjetovanje doo from Croatia, and will last for 24 months.