Results of the Needs Assessment Project Presented in Brussels
10/06/2026
The delegation of the CBCG, led by Governor Irena Radović, met with Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST) at the European Commission in Brussels.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of the partner central banks leading the project Assessment of the CBCG’s Needs for Alignment with the Standards of the European System of Central Banks and the Eurosystem (Needs Assessment) – the Dutch Central Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank – DNB) and the National Bank of Belgium (Banque Nationale de Belgique – NBB).
The meeting served to present the results of the project, including its findings and recommendations for the further strengthening of the CBCG’s institutional, operational, technological and human capacities, which are necessary for its full integration into the ESCB and future participation in the Eurosystem.
It was assessed that the project represents one of the most important pillars of the CBCG’s institutional transformation in Montenegro’s European Union accession process, providing a comprehensive framework for further alignment with ESCB standards, practices and requirements.
Director-General Gert Jan Koopman welcomed the progress achieved through the implementation of the project, noting that it constitutes an important contribution to Montenegro’s overall preparedness for the next stage of European integration. He particularly emphasised the importance of further strengthening institutional capacities and maintaining strong reform momentum, especially in the areas of payment systems, SEPA integration and preparations for imminent connectivity to the TIPS infrastructure. This, he noted, will ensure that Montenegro, in line with the accelerated pace of accession negotiations, is ready to assume in a timely and effective manner the obligations arising from European Union membership and future participation in the European financial architecture.
Governor Radović highlighted that the strong support of the European Commission, together with the expertise and commitment of the partner central banks of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany (Deutsche Bundesbank), as well as other Eurosystem central banks involved in the project, represents a key pillar of support in the CBCG’s institutional transformation process.
“This project provides the CBCG with a clear direction for the next phase of its institutional transformation. Its findings help us define with precision the priorities, resources and steps required for further alignment with the standards of the ESCB and the Eurosystem. For Montenegro, which is entering the final stage of accession negotiations, it is particularly important that the central bank is prepared not only from a regulatory perspective, but also operationally, technologically and in terms of human resources, for the role that awaits it within the European family of central banks,” Governor Radović stated.
The meeting reaffirmed the importance of continued cooperation between the European Commission, the partner central banks and the CBCG, as well as their shared commitment to the successful implementation of the next phase of the CBCG’s institutional alignment with ESCB standards.
In addition to Director-General Koopman, the European Commission was represented by Barbara Jesús-Gimeno, Head of the Montenegro Unit within DG ENEST, and Krzysztof Zurek, Adviser.
The partner institutions were represented by Cees Ullersma, Chair of the Project Steering Committee on behalf of De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB); Xavier Hawia, member of the Project Steering Committee on behalf of the National Bank of Belgium (NBB); Tijmen Daniels, Project Leader and Director of Strategy and Risk Management at DNB; and Maxime-Edouard Laloire, Co-Project Leader and Director of Strategy and Innovation at NBB.
In addition to Governor Radović, the CBCG delegation included Vice Governor Zorica Kalezić, Director of the Information Technology Department Saša Šćekić, and Milena Vučinić, Adviser for Project Management and Innovation at the Strategic Planning and Innovation Office within the Governor’s Cabinet.