A round table on “Promoting Ethics and Integrity in Top Executive Functions” took place on 12 December 2025 in Podgorica. The event brought together representatives from the Ministry of Public Administration, the Cabinet of the President of Montenegro, the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, civil society organisations, and international experts to discuss the draft Code of Ethics and the draft procedure for identifying and managing conflicts of interest for top executive officials.

In this context, the Action against Economic Crime in Montenegro has supported national authorities by providing guidance to support the drafting of the related legal provisions in the Law on the Government, reviewing the draft Code of Ethics, and developing the draft procedure for integrity checks. Comparative European practices were used to ensure alignment with European standards while respecting Montenegro’s constitutional and legal framework.

The discussion highlighted the need for stronger safeguards to prevent corruption and promote integrity at the highest executive levels, as emphasised by GRECO’s Fifth Evaluation Round Report and the Venice Commission’s Follow-up Opinion on the revised Draft Law on the Government.

The round table concluded with an exchange of views on next steps and practical implementation, reaffirming a shared commitment to strengthening ethics and integrity standards at the highest levels of executive power in Montenegro.

The Council of Europe reiterated its readiness to continue supporting national institutions in this process, in line with European standards and best practices.

This activity was organised by the Action against economic crime in Montenegro, within the framework of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.