Montenegrin municipalities have demonstrated a high level of preparedness and interest in participating in the new call of the IPA III Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Montenegro – Albania 2021–2027, within which a total of 20 project proposals have been prepared and submitted.
One project proposal was submitted by the municipalities of Andrijevica, Budva, Danilovgrad, Gusinje, Rožaje, Kolašin, and Zeta, while two proposals each were prepared by the municipalities of Ulcinj, Tuzi, and the Capital City Podgorica. The municipality of Berane submitted three project proposals, while Plav submitted four.
In preparing these project proposals, the project “Municipalities for Europe – Empowering Local Communities in the Process of European Integration of Montenegro” and the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro provided support to several municipalities through a training clinic dedicated to the preparation of Concept Notes. Representatives of the municipalities of Bar, Gusinje, Plav, Kolašin, and Danilovgrad participated in the two-day training. During the sessions, project mentors and experts Goran Đurović and Darko Mrvaljević, together with Simona Bošković from the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, worked alongside local officials responsible for project development to refine ideas in the fields of environmental protection, climate change, tourism, and the valorisation of cultural and natural heritage.
Project expert Goran Đurović stated that municipalities showed a high level of understanding and commitment in preparing projects aligned with European priorities.
“Our work was focused on transforming ideas with potential into sustainable, partnership-based initiatives that contribute to the development of cross-border cooperation and local communities,” Đurović said.
Darko Mrvaljević highlighted that European programmes offer enormous potential for development, but that success depends on well-prepared and strategically grounded project ideas.
“Through direct cooperation with municipalities, we helped local teams better define their objectives, activities, and expected results,” Mrvaljević noted.
Simona Bošković pointed out that working with local teams revealed strong motivation among municipalities to turn their ideas into concrete projects.
“Through joint work and the exchange of experiences, we are building the foundation for long-term strengthening of local capacities and more successful use of EU funds,” Bošković said.
Through this type of support, the “Municipalities for Europe” project contributes to strengthening the capacities of local governments for planning and preparing projects in line with EU procedures, thereby enabling municipalities to participate more actively in European programmes and make use of available funds.
The Montenegro – Albania Cross-Border Cooperation Programme aims to enhance mutual connectivity, sustainable development, tourism, environmental protection, and cultural cooperation between the two countries. The total value of the new call amounts to EUR 7.48 million.
