The governments of Montenegro and the Netherlands organized a two-day regional conference on 11th and 12th of December in Budva (Montenegro) on the topic cooperation in the judicial chain. The conference was attended by all potential EU member states from the Western Balkans with delegates from various institutions that are part of the so-called judicial chain.
The conference aimed to bring together those working in this field, as well as the bringers of changes, who, according to their experience, can exchange ideas and best practices with their colleagues from across the region.
– The initiative for organizing this conference along with Montenegro shows the fundamental importance that the Netherlands gives to the rule of law. Netherlands is more devoted to the priorities in the field of policies of rule of law in the region through various projects funded by MATRA fund, but also the Netherlands remains active in this field through the EU Twinning projects. Having the ability to analyze the processes of transformation in certain systems of the future EU member states, we are firmly convinced that we will have a greater willingness to contribute to the efforts undertaken by countries in the region to overcome the various challenges that arise as part the process of EU accession – said Oni Jalink, head of the regional unit of the rule of law, which consists of a dedicated policy advisers who work in Dutch embassies in the region.
The increased attention of the Dutch Government to strengthen the rule of law in the region follows the approach of the European Commission called “Basics first”. In the process of EU enlargement, priority is given to various aspects of the wider concept of rule of law, such as improving the efficiency, effectiveness and independence of the judiciary, respecting fundamental rights and the fight against corruption. These topics are part of Chapters 23 and 24 of the EU acquis, which are considered in the early stages of the accession process – they are among the earliest to be opened and among the last to be closed. One of the goals of the conference was to discuss the fact that legal systems are constantly evolving and changing to adapt to new realities and technological advancements. In this direction, the idea is this regional conference to be held each year, organized by different EU member state along with a potential candidate, focusing on various conference topics related to the rule of law.
United Kingdom will hold the next annual conference, which provides continuity of the undertaken initiative.
