Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – According to Minister of Economic Development Nik Gjeloshaj, the President’s decision to return European laws constitutes a serious and deliberate institutional obstruction of Montenegro’s European integration process.

“It clearly indicates that this year will be decisive for the country’s European path and that, in this process, the responsibility of all actors will be clearly distinguished – those who support that path and those who slow it down or block it,” Gjeloshaj said.

He added that it is particularly concerning that such obstruction is occurring in the final phase of closing negotiation chapters and that it is coming from an institution which, according to its constitutional role, should contribute to the stability of the system and the continuity of the European agenda.

“The explanation that the laws had not been sufficiently considered is not based on facts. After the laws were returned to Parliament under that explanation, nothing was changed because, at that stage, in accordance with the Constitution and Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, no debate is held on returned laws — they are only put to a vote,” Gjeloshaj stated.

According to him, that clearly shows to the public that the stated argument produces no legal effect in the legislative process.

Gjeloshaj said that each of the adopted laws within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economic Development went through a complete and transparent legal procedure, meaning that a working group was formed, a public call for NGO participation was issued, and a public consultation was conducted along with the publication of a report.

“This was followed by months of harmonization with the European Commission. The laws were in parliamentary procedure for more than a month and were considered by the relevant committees,” Gjeloshaj said.

He noted that no law that had received the European Commission’s green light has ever been amended in Parliament, and that all such laws have been adopted without a single intervention.