"Montenegro regional EU integration leader"

The head of the European Commission mission to Podgorica says Montenegro is the regional leader in EU integration. "This means that Montenegro’s chances on its European path are very good. Based on what I’ve heard, the government is determined to apply for EU membership by the end of the year,” Leopold Maurer told Podgorica's In TV. "Montenegro regional EU integration leader" He said that EU enlargement policy towards the Western Balkans would not change and that Brussels would judge each state in the region on its own merits. Maurer said that Montenegro had made progress in tackling corruption and organized crime, something that had frequently been cited in the past as an obstacle to the country’s further European path. "There are institutions for that that function very well. The National Commission for that domain has already delivered its report, and the media has reported that many people have been arrested and that the cases are being processed,” he said, adding that the EC would carefully monitor further developments. Maurer said that it was still early to predict whether the EC’s progress report on Montenegro would be positive, adding that there was a lot of work to be done during September. He said that Montenegro had a further edge over the other states of the region as there was a political consensus to speed up the integration process.

"Montenegro regional EU integration leader"

He said that EU enlargement policy towards the Western Balkans would not change and that Brussels would judge each state in the region on its own merits.

Maurer said that Montenegro had made progress in tackling corruption and organized crime, something that had frequently been cited in the past as an obstacle to the country’s further European path.

"There are institutions for that that function very well. The National Commission for that domain has already delivered its report, and the media has reported that many people have been arrested and that the cases are being processed,” he said, adding that the EC would carefully monitor further developments.

Maurer said that it was still early to predict whether the EC’s progress report on Montenegro would be positive, adding that there was a lot of work to be done during September.

He said that Montenegro had a further edge over the other states of the region as there was a political consensus to speed up the integration process.