Podgorica, (MINA) - The law-making process in Montenegro, at a key stage of EU integration, is non-transparent, closed and reduced to urgency as the primary method of work, which results in a decline in the quality of legislation and inevitably leads to the need for further amendments, the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) announced.

In its analysis of the work of the Parliament of Montenegro, CDT pointed out the pace of adoption of so-called “European laws” as well as the fact that legal solutions are often worse after being adopted by the Parliament then they were previously.

The CDT also criticizes in its publication the fact that the Parliament did not adequately address its key task, improving electoral legislation.

They recalled that according to international standards, electoral legislation should not be changed in the year preceding elections, while general local and, potentially, parliamentary elections are expected next June.

It is added that this means the reform would have to be completed by mid-June at the latest.

The publication also points out that the Draft Law on the Government, presented in February, does not introduce reforms in the functioning of the executive branch, nor does it improve the relation between the Government and the Parliament.

CDT also questions appointments in key institutions, recalling that the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services (AMU) was completed only after a year and a half of operating with an incomplete composition.

CDT Deputy Executive Director Milena Gvozdenovic said that during the past year the Parliament adopted 201 laws.

Gvozdenovic told the MINA News Agency that this represents a significant increase compared to the previous period and emphasized that more than half of the laws (115) were proposed to be adopted under the urgent procedure.

“Although this dynamic is largely conditioned by obligations from the EU accession process, the European agenda is increasingly used as a universal justification for the rapid adoption of laws, despite clear warnings from the EU that speed must not come at cost of quality”, said Gvozdenovic.

She reminded that, according to the announcements from the Parliament, this year the Parliament is expected to adopt more than 120 laws from the European agenda, in addition to regular legislative obligations.

“The volume of work itself should not be a problem with a clear plan and predictable work dynamics. However, such a framework is missing”, said Gvozdenovic.

According to her, MPs do not have systematic information about legislative priorities, deadlines and content of decisions prepared by the executive branch, and thereby the parliament loses its oversight role.

“Even the Prime Minister does not respect the Parliament, regularly failing to attend the Prime Minister’s Questions, or choosing not to respond to MPs’ questions”, said Gvozdenovic.