Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – Prime Minister Milojko Spajic said that the Single Market Academy (SMA), which officially opened today in Podgorica, will help implement European practices and bring tangible benefits to citizens and business.

 

“We must be aware that the process of full integration does not end on paper, nor with EU membership alone. It must live in every aspect of society, in every institution, procedure, production process, and company that seeks to operate in line with the European Single Market rules,” Spajic said, opening the Academy, a new regional platform aimed at strengthening the capacities of Western Balkan institutions in the process of aligning with the EU Single Market.

 

He explained that this is precisely where the Academy’s role begins – helping Montenegrin professionals follow the same standards as their colleagues in EU member states, learn faster, apply European practices and regulations, and ultimately deliver concrete benefits to citizens and businesses: safer products, a fairer market, and a more competitive economy.

 

 “The Academy is not just a symbol of our European future. It is an instrument that helps us turn that desired future into everyday practice. As part of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, it will become a steadfast ally of the European Union in further connecting the entire Western Balkan region – a process that starts right here in Podgorica,” said Spajic.

 

Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro Johann Sattler said that today’s event marks the launch of an important project that would not have been possible without the financial support of Germany and GIZ.

 

“It’s been a week since we presented the successful European Commission’s Report on Montenegro, confirming its leading status in the accession negotiations. What we are launching today is an initiative to help companies across the region align their policies and achieve concrete results,” Sattler said.

 

He added that access to the EU Single Market remains a privilege and is not easy to achieve.

 

German Ambassador to Montenegro Peter Felten said that today marks another good day in meeting people’s needs and supporting the Western Balkan countries on their path to the EU.

 

“This Academy enhances cooperation and integration, serves the citizens of the region, and fosters economic development by promoting a regional common market,” Felten said.

 

He added that a country of 630,000 people must be able to meet the same standards as a country of 82 million.

 

The Academy was jointly opened by Tanja Boskovic of GIZ and Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorcevic.

 

The SMA is part of the EU4Trade project, co-funded by the European Union and the German Government, and implemented by GIZ.