EU info BUS begins its Montenegrin tour in Cetinje

On 14 February 2013, at the Court Square in Cetinje, CCE officially began its project “EU info bus – on the road to European Union”. The project is implemented by the Centre for Civic Education in cooperation with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and NGO Natura, with support of the European Union Delegation to Montenegro.The project is part of the communication strategy of the EU Delegation to Montenegro.

It aims to strengthen the capacity and role of local communities and civil society organisations in Montenegro to make a lasting, more effective contribution to EU integration process. The project targets six municipalities in the central part of Montenegro (Podgorica, Nikšić, Danilograd, Cetinje, Kolašin and Mojkovac). Between 12:00 and 15:00, the organisers set up stands on the Court Square where the interested citizens could get information about the European integration process. They also organised a music programme, as well as quizzes and games with prizes for younger visitors. The event was opened by the head of EU Delegation to Montenegro, His Excellency Mitja Drobnič. Numerous visitors were also greeted by the Mayor of Cetinje Aleksandar Bogdanović and executive director of CCE Daliborka Uljarević. Shortly before the event, the Mayor of Cetinje and his team met with the head of EU Delegation to Montenegro, German Ambassador to Montenegro Pius Fisher, secretary general for European integration in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI) Snežana Radović and CCE’s executive director. Among other, they discussed the activities of the municipality of Cetinje and its capacity to make use of EU funds. On the same day, in cooperation with the municipality, the organisers held a panel discussion titled “The role and importance of local communities in the process of European integration” in the plenary hall of the local parliament. During the two-hour discussion, the participants were addressed by the Mayor of Cetinje Aleksandar Bogdanović, Head of EU Delegation in Montenegro Mitja Drobnič, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Montenegro Pius Fischer, general director for European integration in MFAEI Snežana Radović and executive director of CCE Daliborka Uljarević. The discussion attracted a lot of interest among the citizens of Cetinje: more than a hundred representatives of local businesses, representatives of local committees, councillors, workers, students and members of the administration attended the event. The discussion was an occasion for all participants to get first-hand answers to the questions about European integration which they consider relevant for their everyday life and work. EU info bus continues its journey on 20 March 2013, when it will visit municipality of Danilovgrad.