eu-com-schengen-coop

EUROPEAN UNION
DELEGATION TO MONTENEGRO
.
Podgorica, 30 May 2014
LOCAL SCHENGEN COOPERATION (LSC) MONTENEGRO
2013-2014 REPORT
1. Introduction
In addition to the EU Delegation, there are now 18 member states (MS) with diplomatic
representation (14 embassies, 4 honorary consuls) in Montenegro. Local Schengen Group meetings
were held bi-annually and were followed separately with the Consular protection meetings.
Meetings were attended by representatives of MS of the Schengen agreement and observers
(Romania, Croatia and Bulgaria). The EUD assisted in organization of the meetings, sharing,
drafting minutes and compiling and circulating relevant information (statistics, MS list of contacts,
number of EU residents in MNE, update of MS contacts on Consular Protection website).
2. LSC meetings held in 2013-2014
During this period, two meetings were held in the EUD premises and chaired by the EUD's Head of
Administration. Schengen countries and the observers participated.
At the first meeting held on 11 April 2013, Consul at the Embassy of Slovenia, and Head of the
Common Application Centre (CAC) informed the participants about visa issuance and statistics and
informed that the CAC did not encounter any problem while issuing visas. The following issue was
discussed:
Registration of foreigners with the police within 24h of arrival to Montenegro
It was reported to the Ministry about foreigners having problems to find out about the registration
requirement with the police within 24 hours of their arrival to the country. Additional problems
related to the shortness of that period were reported to the Ministry, especially when arrival to the
country is over the weekend or during local holidays, problems of lack of understanding of the
procedures on how to register, language barriers foreigners encounter at police stations, as well as
certain cases of not registered foreigners being fined for that reason, in accordance with the local
legislation.
Some of those problems were overcome with assistance of the Ministry, with activities like
introducing the new online registration form translated into English, as well as the publication of
informative brochure at some border crossings.
The agreement reached with the police not to fine a non-registered foreigner who was unaware of
that requirement obviously also had a positive impact. No present EU MS representatives reported
any case of their citizens being fined because of non-registering.
At the second meeting held on 9 October 2013 the Schengen countries shared the statistics on
issued visas for the period of the past three months.
The following issue was discussed:
12893/14 PR/lm 122
DG D 1 A
EN