Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – Croatia’s former Chief Negotiator with the European Union Ruzica Gelo believes that Montenegro is on the right track in the field of harmonization with the EU acquis and there is no reason why this process should not be finished as planned.
“It is my impression Montenegro’s priorities are similar to those we defined in Croatia. A little more has perhaps been done in the field of food safety, which is recommendable as meeting standards in the field of veterinary and plant protection creates conditions to export these products to the Member States before the accession to the EU,” Gelo told Mina-business agency.
She believes that a great progress has been made by the IPARD Agency accreditation, which is the main technical challenge, as preparation of fully a functional payment agency is of vital importance for the absorption of pre-accession funds.
“Therefore, there is no funds without the establishment of a functional payment agency even after a country has become the member state,” says Gelo.
She added that the harmonization of other segments of the agricultural policy would continue over a period of two years after the provisional closing the negotiating chapter.
Longer version of article is available on a link MINA ENGLISH SERVIS
