On 18 September 2026 in Podgorica, Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen and Minister of Public Administration of Montenegro Marash Dukaj signed a roadmap for the implementation of Congress Recommendation 506 (2024) on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, in the presence of Congress Rapporteurs on Montenegro Cecília Friderics (Hungary, PfE) and Sören Schumacher (Germany, SOC/G/PD).

The roadmap specifies recommended actions to be taken with regard to decentralisation and competences of local authorities, their supervision by the national government, local government finance, and consultations between central and local authorities.

“The signing of the roadmap marks a successful conclusion of the post-monitoring dialogue between the Congress and Montenegro, at a time when this country is preparing to take over the Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in November this year,” underlined the Congress President. “It also marks the beginning of a new phase, to align local self-government in Montenegro with the European standards set out in the Charter. The Congress stands ready to pursue dialogue, provide expertise and strengthen co-operation to accompany the country on this path,” she said.

“The signing of the roadmap is clear evidence of our firm commitment to European standards and substantive reforms of the legal and institutional framework,” stated Minister Dukaj. “Our goal is strong and effective local self-government. By signing the roadmap, we are giving municipalities more space to make decisions and respond more quickly to the concrete needs of citizens, thus turning recommendations of our European partners into everyday practice. Europe is built at the local level,” he said.

The Congress Rapporteurs welcomed Montenegro’s Government commitment to implementing the roadmap, pointing out that the Charter’s principles must be reflected in the daily reality of municipalities and bring tangible benefits to citizens.