Ensuring that same-sex couples can fully exercise their rights in Montenegro remained at the centre of discussions as institutions gathered once again in Podgorica to review ongoing efforts to harmonise national legislation with the Law on Same-Sex Partnerships. Participants examined progress made since July and outlined next steps required to close remaining gaps.

Organised under the joint European Union and Council of Europe action Combating hatred and intolerance in Montenegro, the meeting gathered representatives of ministries and institutions responsible for adapting laws and by-laws under their jurisdiction. They reviewed the current state of harmonisation, discussed remaining challenges, and identified areas where additional support from the Council of Europe could help advance the process.

Lejla Dervišagić, Head of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica, expressed gratitude to all the attendees for being punctual in sharing update on harmonisation status which resulted in preparing a comprehensive overview for the purpose of informing the content of the European Commission country report for Montenegro.

Mirjana Pajković, from the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, emphasised that legislative alignment is one of  key activities under the Action plan for fulfilling the final benchmarks in negotiating Chapter 23- Judiciary and Fundamental Rights.

Friederike Wuenschmann, from the EU Delegation in Montenegro,  reminded audience that laws must be adopted by the end of July 2026 in line with the envisaged dynamics of closing negotiating chapters.

Representatives of various ministries shared progress updates, with harmonisation already underway in many areas. Representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the most depanding portfolio for harmonisation briefed about progress in their areas of competence, emphasizing importance of potential expert support in finalising the work.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to continue regular exchanges on the harmonisation process, with the next follow-up meeting tentatively planned for March 2026.

The action “Combating hatred and intolerance in Montenegro” is implemented within the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkiye".