Podgorica, (MINA)  – The decision by President Jakov Milatovic to return EU-related laws to the Parliament represents a serious and deliberate institutional obstruction of Montenegro’s EU path, said Minister of Economic Development Nik Gjeloshaj.

Milatovic returned the 25 laws adopted on Monday without discussion to the Parliament for reconsideration, stressing that European reforms require a serious and responsible approach by MPs.

In his press statement, Gjeloshaj assessed that such a move clearly indicates that this year will be decisive for the country’s European path and that in that process the responsibility of all involved will be precisely delineated, “those who support that path and those who slow it down or obstruct it”.

“The fact that this kind of obstruction occurs in the final phase of closing the negotiation chapters and that it comes from an institution that, according to its constitutional role, should contribute to the stability of the system and the continuity of the European agenda, is particularly concerning”, said Gjeloshaj.

According to him, the explanation that the laws were not considered enough is not based on facts.

“After the laws were returned to the Parliament under such an explanation, nothing has changed, because at this stage, in line with the Constitution and Rules of Procedure of the Parliament, the returned laws cannot be discussed, but only voted on again”, said Gjeloshaj.

He stressed that each of the adopted laws under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economic Development went through a complete and transparent legal procedure and had been in the parliamentary procedure for more than a month and had been discussed by the competent committees.

“No law that received the green light from the European Commission has been amended so far in the Parliament, but all were adopted without any intervention”, said Gjeloshaj.