The draft of the Maritime Safety Law, prepared by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and placed for public consultation, has raised significant concerns. The draft law, which is said to be a unique case worldwide, lacks two essential sections: the penalty provisions and the transitional and final provisions.
A legal expert with extensive experience in maritime affairs criticized the absence of these sections, calling it a rushed and unprofessional approach. The law, which contains 400 articles, should include penalty clauses for violators, yet it currently only outlines fines ranging from 200 to 20,000 EUR under the current law. The expert suggested that the Ministry of Maritime Affairs might believe that compliance with the law can be achieved through appeals rather than enforcing any sanctions, calling this approach inappropriate.
The draft, prepared by a working group led by the special advisor to the Minister, Captain Vladan Radonjić, fails to outline when the law would come into effect, what laws it replaces, and the necessary sub-legislations. Additionally, it does not specify the obligations of state bodies to implement the law.
Furthermore, some members of the working group have expressed dissatisfaction with the draft and submitted written comments prior to the public consultation, but have not received any response from the Ministry.
A new working group was formed earlier this year to finalize the draft after the previous group disbanded. The draft law is now up for public consultation, with a central roundtable scheduled to be held in Podgorica tomorrow. The working group includes key officials from the Ministry, local port authorities, maritime safety agencies, and academic representatives.
