EUROL 4 (2026–2028) is a direct continuation of the previous EUROL Action and represents the next phase of the EU’s long-term strategic partnership with Montenegro to strengthen the rule of law and support the country’s EU accession process. The action will further support Montenegro in advancing reforms in the justice and security sectors and in meeting the final benchmarks under negotiation Chapters 23 and 24.
Objective:
The overall objective of EUROL 4 is to support Montenegro’s preparation for EU accession by assisting it in aligning with and effectively implementing the relevant EU acquis and EU standards in the fields of justice and security, in line with the new enlargement methodology. The specific objectives aim to support Montenegro in strengthening the efficiency and performance of the judiciary, enhancing the capacities of institutions to combat high-level corruption and serious and organised crime, and producing a convincing track record on more complex types of organised crime, including money laundering and tobacco smuggling, as well as the confiscation of proceeds of crime. The action also follows up on the recommendations of the 2022 Peer Review on high-level corruption, organised crime, and money laundering, and offer strategic support for achieving and evaluating the final benchmarks for Chapters 23 and 24.
Results:
- Strengthened professional skills and capacities to fight serious and organised crime and high-level corruption.
- Implementation of key judicial reforms, resulting in a strengthened independence of the judiciary and autonomy of the prosecution, as well as improved impartiality, accountability, efficiency, and professionalism.
- Improvement of the use of anti-corruption preventive measures and internal control mechanisms within the police.
- Strengthened capacity of judicial and law enforcement institutions to meet the criteria of the negotiation process under Chapters 23 and 24 (especially the final benchmarks).
