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EUROL 3

European Union Support to the Rule of Law in Montenegro

EUROL 3

European Union Support to the Rule of Law in Montenegro

EUROL 3

European Union Support to the Rule of Law in Montenegro

About – European Union Support to the Rule of Law in Montenegro (EUROL 3)

EUROL 3 (European Union Support to the Rule of Law in Montenegro) is continuing the work and building on the results of the predecessor projects EUROL 1 and EUROL 2 and closely coordinates and cooperates with other rule of law actions active in Montenegro and in the region.

EUROL 3 started its activities in February 2022 and has a foreseen duration of 30 months.

EUROL 3 is funded by the European Union.

The total grant value amounts to approximately EUR 2.5 million. An amount of EUR 150k is foreseen for the procurement of strategic equipment for Montenegrin justice and police authorities (chapters 23 and 24 of the EU accession process).

EUROL 3 is implemented by aed – Agency for Economic Cooperation and Development in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Justice, the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior, and the Italian Interior Ministry – Public Security Department/Central Directorate of Criminal Police.

Overall and specific objectives of EUROL 3

The overall objective of EUROL 3 is the support of the Montenegrin authorities in meeting the obligations under Chapters 23 and 24 of the EU accession process and the support of Montenegro in achieving concrete results in judicial reform and in the fight against corruption and organized crime.

The specific objectives of EUROL 3 consist in strengthening the overall efficiency and performance of the judiciary, enhance the capacities of the institutions to fight against corruption and organized crime (including producing a convincing track record on the more complex types of organized crime) and in strengthening the judicial response to organized crime and corruption (through capacity building activities with a focus on certain aspects of adjudication of organized crime and corruption cases), support to case and trial management, identifying procedural bottlenecks that impede swift adjudication of cases and provide support to improve length and efficiency of court procedures.

Structure of EUROL 3

For the implementation of the objectives of EUROL 3, the project work and project team are focusing the activities of EUROL 3 in the following three components:

  • Overarching Support Component for Chapters 23 and 24
  • Justice Component
  • Police Component

Aim and Activities of Overarching Support Component for Chapters 23 and 24 of the EU Accession Process

The aim of the overarching support component is the improved performance of the Montenegrin institutions involved in meeting standards under chapters 23 and 24 of the EU accession process and IPA assistance.

To achieve this result the overarching support component of EUROL 3 undertakes the following activities:

  • Ad hoc assistance on strategic framework legislation, implementation of IPA programming, capacity building activities and provision of expertise
  • Procurement of strategic equipment in line with peer reviews’ recommendations and concrete needs

Aim and Activities of Justice Component

The aim of the justice component is the improved efficiency and performance of the Montenegrin judiciary and improved judicial cooperation of Montenegrin authorities.

To achieve this result the justice component of EUROL 3 undertakes the following activities:

  • Strategic advisory support for a more efficient international judicial cooperation and the implementation of the recommendations of the World Bank
  • Expert support to the judiciary on efficiency, timelines, productivity, and overall performance
  • Support on human resources management in the judiciary and with regard to the rationalization of the courts’ network
  • Support to the coordination body for the implementation of the ICT program for the judiciary 2021-2023
  • Support to certain aspects of the enhanced use of Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Support to the Centre for Training in Judiciary and State Prosecution service in specific areas
  • Assistance in developing and improving ECRIS and the improved use of LURIS
  • Assistance with regard to international judicial cooperation instruments, EUROJUST and the Cooperation Agreement

Aim and Activities of Police Component

The aim of the police component is to improve the track record of Montenegrin authorities in fighting organized crime and corruption.

To achieve this result the police component of EUROL 3 undertakes the following activities:

  • Measures to improve the investigation capacity of Montenegrin authorities with a focus on complex criminal and financial investigations
  • Measures to improve the administrative and technical capacity of Montenegrin authorities for financial investigations, combatting money laundering, conducting asset recovery, confiscation, and management in line with EU standards
  • Measures to strengthen intelligence-led policing and to improve the risk assessment and analytical capacity of the Montenegrin law enforcement bodies
  • Activities to improve the use of special investigative measures in criminal investigation in compliance with human rights and fundamental freedoms
  • Overall assessment of technologies and databases at the disposal of the Montenegrin police, of gaps in international forensic investigative technologies and methods and support to improve and upgrade the existing tools
  • Support for improvement of the internal governance system of the Montenegrin police
  • Specific border management activities focused on fighting organized crime and corruption

EUROL 3 Team

Overarching Support Team

Dr. Richard Regner LL.M.
Team Leader and Head Overarching Support Team
Snežana Špindler
Legal Advisor

Justice Team

Branko Hrvatin
Head Justice Team and Senior Justice Expert
Ana Bukilić
Legal Advisor

Police Team

Dr. Johann Wagner
Head Police Team and Senior Police Expert
Ognjen Mitrović
Legal Advisor

Office Support Team

Nina Bukilic
Office and Administration Assistant
Jasmina Vojnović
Finance Officer

Translation and Interpretation Support Team

Radmila Vojinović
Translator/Interpreter
Milica Vučinić
Interpreter/Translator

News & Events

Third Meeting of Presidents of All Courts

On 14 May 2024, the third meeting of the presidents of all courts was held in the premises of the Supreme Court, with the support of EUROL 3. One of the topics of the meeting was the efficiency of the work of judges and courts and measures for its improvement. Further on, the template for

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Dr. Richard Regner LL.M.

Team Leader and Head Overarching Support Team

Dr Richard REGNER LL.M. studied law at the universities of Vienna and Leicester and holds Master of Law degrees from the Universities of Vienna and Leicester and a Doctor Juris degree from the University of Vienna. He worked as an assistant at the University of Vienna and served as diplomat in the Austrian Foreign Service. After having worked at the Austrian Constitutional Court as scientific advisor, he entered the bar in Austria and practiced law in Austria and Central Europe for over 20 years, mainly in the areas constitutional, administrative, and European law. Since 2015 he worked in different functions in European Union funded projects (mainly in the EURALIUS project as expert on free legal professions and in the International Monitoring Operation in Albania as Chief Legal Advisor). He has extensive experience as university lecturer in public law courses and is the author of a considerable number of scientific publications, mainly in the areas of international, European and public law.

Snežana Špindler

Legal Advisor

Snežana ŠPINDLER is a lawyer with over ten years of experience in civil litigation, employment litigation, as well as administrative law and regulatory matters. She also has extensive experience in maritime and insurance law. In addition, she has been advisor in proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and in the application of the European Convention on Human Rights. She is also a licensed lawyer for representing minors in criminal proceedings.

Branko Hrvatin

Head Justice Team and Senior Justice Expert

Branko HRVATIN je nakon diplomiranja na Pravnom fakultetu Univerziteta u Zagrebu radio kao sudija u opštinskom sudu i okružnom sudu u Zagrebu. Imenovan je za sudiju Vrhovnog suda Hrvatske 2004. godine. Imenovan je za predsjednika Vrhovnog suda 2005. godine i njegov mandat je obnovljen 2009. i 2013. godine. U periodu između 2001. i 2004. godine, bio je član i potpredsjednik državnog Sudskog savjeta. Bio je predsjednik Državne izborne komisije Republike Hrvatske od 2005. godine. U junu 2014. godine, izabran je za potpredsjednika Mreže predsjednika vrhovnih sudova Evropske unije. Nakon završetka svog dvanaestogodišnjeg mandata kao predsjednika Vrhovnog suda Republike Hrvatske, 2017. godine je imenovan za međunarodnog posmatrača za provjeru sudija i tužilaca u okviru projekta za Međunarodno praćenje u Albaniji. G. Hrvatin  je takođe bio predavač i moderator na raznim domaćim i međunarodnim seminarima, radionicama i simpozijumima.

Ana Bukilić

Legal Advisor

Ana BUKILIĆ is a lawyer from Podgorica. She has more than 20 years of experience in working for different international organizations and projects funded by different international donors, including OSCE, EU, Save the Children UK, and IDLO. Her main areas of work are related to the planning and implementing of projects, including organization and implementation of training, seminars, conferences, workshops, expert missions, and study visits in the area of rule of law, judicial reform, fight against organized crime and corruption, international judicial cooperation, mediation, and protection and promotion of children’s rights. In addition, Ms. Bukilic is a licensed mediator in family, civil and commercial matters since 2007.

Dr. Johann Wagner

Head Police Team and Senior Police Expert

Dr. Johann Wagner is a senior expert in the areas of strategic security management, security sector reforms, rule of law, institution and capacity building, public administrative law, police management and leadership, EU integrated border management, fight against cross-border organized crime, risk analysis, counter-terrorism and foreign terrorist fighters, cyber-crime and artificial intelligence in the context of preventing transnational threats and fight against cross-border organised crime. For more than 40 years, Dr. Wagner was a senior civil servant of the Bavarian Ministry for Internal Affairs (senior police officer i.R.) and worked in all relevant areas and departments of the Bavarian Police and Border Police, both in mid- and senior level positions. Due to his outstanding professional expertise, Dr. Wagner was continuously assigned as principal adviser and senior expert to international organisations since 1998. He worked for the European Union and its agencies (EEAS), EU Commission and its Delegations in various countries, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), United Nations (UNODC in Vienna, Kabul and Bangkok and UNOCT in New York), INTERPOL, and with other supra-national organisations (for example ICMPD, DCAF, IOM etc.). He holds a Ph.D. from Sheffield Hallam University, UK. In his thesis he examined the correlation of various forms of organized crime along with their different criminological phenomena and the impact on State’s law enforcement agencies, their security policies and strategies, and how to master these challenges.

 

Ognjen Mitrović

Legal Advisor

Graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Montenegro. He has more than twelve years of experience in the field of international judicial cooperation, European integration, the fight against corruption and transnational organized crime. For nine years, he has worked in the Ministry of Justice on international cooperation and international legal aid, after which he was engaged in the non-governmental sector and as a consultant on various projects under the auspices of international and regional organizations. He was a member of several international networks and bodies within the Council of Europe, OSCE, and EUROJUST, as well as a member of the National Council for the Fight against Corruption, the Commission for NATO and the Working Group for the Negotiation Chapter 24 – Justice, Freedom, and Security.

Nina Bukilic

Office and Administration Assistant

Nina BUKILIĆ has gained extensive experience working mostly in international settings, including the EU Delegation to Montenegro, GDSI, and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO). During her professional life, she was mostly involved in delivering EU-funded projects, including project planning and coordination, representing the organization locally and abroad, organizing events, reporting, and administrative and logistical tasks. In addition, Ms Bukilić has delivered high level interpretation and translation services for the EU Commission, the UN, different civil society organizations and public authorities.

Jasmina Vojnović

Finance Officer

Jasmina VOJNOVIĆ is a finance manager with over fifteen years of experience in administration, organizational development, and management, finance and business administration, financial and accounting operations. Over the years of her work, she has managed a number of internationally and EU funded projects, and was responsible for the complete financial administration, budgeting, and reporting. At the same time, she has been providing consultancy and training services to CSOs and other organizations and institutions on different topics related to organizational development and management. Ms Vojnović was also the speaker on many conferences and seminars organized in Montenegro and abroad.

Radmila Vojinović

Translator/Interpreter

Ms Radmila VOJINOVIĆ is translator and interpreter with over twenty years of experience in a number of thematic areas, including public administration, governance, rule of law, justice and home affairs, social welfare, media as well as in consular and international affairs. She has also extensive experience in project and programme administration and co-ordination, obtained while working for numerous international organizations. Her duties included interpretation during conferences, high-level meetings, presentations, study visits and trainings as well as supervision of delivery of program inputs and timely reporting. Ms Vojinović has developed a unique set of professional competences that include flexibility, precision, ability to provide high quality translations against short deadlines and to interpret with confidence in various settings, both in Montenegro and abroad.

Milica Vučinić

Interpreter/Translator

Milica VUCINIĆ is a translator and interpreter with over twelve years of experience in various areas (rule of law, justice and home affairs, medicine, public administration, and international affairs). She has also extensive experience in administration and implementation of international projects. Her duties included translation of various project materials and interpretation during conferences, meetings, presentations, study visits and trainings.