Montenegro’s alignment with European Union rules is placing greater emphasis on the operational capacity of company registration services, financial regulators, payment systems and public procurement authorities, according to the findings of a meeting with the European Commission.
The assessment identifies progress in legislative alignment while highlighting outstanding requirements concerning administrative resources, regulatory independence, electronic systems and the implementation of procedures. These areas form part of Montenegro’s efforts to bring its business and financial framework into line with EU standards.
Business Registration Requires Additional Capacity
Montenegro’s new Law on Business Entities and Law on Registration of Business and Other Entities entered into force in January 2026. Further work is required to establish clear preventive legality checks within electronic registration procedures following the transfer of responsibility from notaries to the registration authority under the Tax Administration. The European Commission also identified the need to make the business-registration module within the Integrated Revenue Management System fully operational. Meanwhile, the Central Register of Business Entities requires additional qualified lawyers, as its existing administrative capacity remains insufficient.
The implementation of the new legislation therefore depends on both the availability of functioning digital infrastructure and the ability of registration officials to assess applications. The Commission’s report did not provide figures on application-processing times or the costs incurred by businesses.
Financial Regulators Face Staffing and Independence Requirements
The Commission called for appointments to the Central Bank Council and other regulatory bodies to be completed without delay. It also identified administrative capacity and supervisory independence as outstanding elements of Montenegro’s EU accession requirements. The assessment specifically opposed government or parliamentary measures that could compromise the independence of financial supervisory authorities.
Montenegro was expected to develop an action plan covering institutional resilience, independence and staffing, drawing on a 2026 TAIEX expert assessment. For banks and other financial-sector businesses, the requirements concern the consistency of regulatory oversight and the capacity of supervisory institutions to exercise their statutory powers.
Payment Integration Involves Further Regulatory Work
The Central Bank of Montenegro reported continued work on requirements related to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and instant payments. Payment verification remained an unresolved issue because the applicable framework covers payment-service providers established in the European Economic Area.
The Commission’s report did not specify when a verification service could become available in Montenegro. The findings indicate that further regulatory work is needed to advance payment-market integration alongside participation in European payment arrangements.
Public Procurement Reforms Include Anti-Corruption Measures
The European Commission recognised progress in public procurement since the relevant negotiating chapter was provisionally closed, while calling for further improvements to the anti-corruption framework, electronic procurement and interoperability between public institutions. Among the planned measures was the introduction of a corruption-reporting mechanism within the electronic procurement system, including warning signals designed to identify potentially problematic transactions.
The report from the March meeting recorded an expectation that this work would be undertaken in the second quarter of 2026. Other planned measures included training, practical guidance and the professionalisation of contracting authorities. The timetable reflected commitments recorded during the meeting and did not establish that the reporting mechanism had subsequently been implemented.
Across company registration, financial supervision, payments and procurement, the outstanding requirements concern the practical application of legislation and the ability of institutions to perform their assigned functions. Implementation depends on qualified personnel, clearly defined responsibilities and information systems capable of exchanging data between public bodies.
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