MONTENEGRO plans to set up an independent regulatory authority that will oversee and regulate the safety, efficiency, and competitiveness of the railway sector.
According to local media, transport minister, Maja Vukicevic, says that creating the regulator is part of the country's draft railway law that will be submitted for parliamentary approval later this year.
"This agency will be operationally and functionally independent, which is a key condition of the European Commission for securing the competitiveness of the railway market and aligning domestic legislation with the legal acts of the European Union policy," Vukicevic says.
The key role of the rail regulator is to ensure fair and non-discriminatory access to the national network and services. It will be independent in its organisation, legal structure, funding and decision-making from any infrastructure manager, charging body, allocation body or applicant for network access and its decisions will be subject to judicial review.
Regional MoU
Last month Montenegro jointly signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) establishing the Western Balkans Regional Network of Safety Authorities, Investigation Bodies, and Railway Regulatory Bodies. This is an initiative to improve safety, strengthen economic governance and oversight, and foster cooperation across the region’s rail sector.
Other signatories of the MoU include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia, with observers from Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
