The representative of the NGO Mladiinfo Montenegro attended the conference entitled “Towards EU rules on coordination of social security systems”, which was held at the EU Info Center in Podgorica.
Coordinator of the Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance Marija Backović presented the target of the project. It consists in ensuring the effective implementation of social security systems by strengthening the administrative capacity of the competent authorities of Montenegro to implement relevant legal heritage in the field of freedom of movement for workers.
Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Purišić Kemal said that the participants of the project were: Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, Ministry of Health, Disability Insurance Fund of Montenegro, Bureau for employment of Montenegro and the Center for Social Work. They are, according to him, by participating in workshops and training made a great contribution to the successful finalizing of the project activities. The aim of the project was the fulfillment of the activities referred to in Chapter 2, and support the efforts of Montenegrin institutions in building capacity for effective coordination of social security systems in Montenegro’s accession to the European Union.
“Bearing in mind that participation in the coordination of social security systems requires the establishment of custom structures for effective implementation, training and education of civil servants, it was necessary to strengthen the administrative kapcitete institution responsible for the coordination of social security systems,” said Purišić.
He added that the activities of Chapter 2 Freedom of movement for workers, which was opened on 11 December 2017 at the Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, significantly enhanced by this project. The Government of Montenegro on 28 March 2019 adopted an action plan for the implementation of the obligations referred to in Chapter 2.
Deputy Head of Sector for Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Montenegro Audrone Urbonaviciute, said that the most important impact of free movement of workers between Montenegro and the EU Member States in the Montenegrin administrative system of social security. The biggest advantage is according to her ability of citizens to travel and work in the EU labor market without discrimination.
Chairman of the Steering Committee of the project Jovo Pajović said that the project activities are divided into three main components:
– Analysis of the impact of free movement of workers in the administrative system of social security of Montenegro. The objective of the implementation is dedicated to develop and analyze legislation, administration and financial assessment of the current situation and the impact of free movement of workers.
– training activities and capacity building of Montenegrin institutions involved in the coordination of the system of social security through the implementation
– communication activities on the rights relating to freedom of movement of workers applies to migrants.
Project expert, Mary Kasar said that the objective of the training, general principles and rules of the EU. Training it took about 50 officers and 4 coaches, and ended the 103 officials and 16 coaches. Among them were experts from Croatian, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovenia and Montenegro. Key results of the project are: the development of movement for workers between Montenegro and the EU Member States on the Montenegrin administrative system on the coordination of social security systems, workers and migrants to be better informed about the social security system.
Fredrecik De Wispelaere said that the key findings and recommendations: budgets, administration, development of analytical and financial studies, medical health insurance card, the realization of training for staff of all institutions, the implementation of training for the following trainers, study visits to institutions of a Member State, the development of communication strategies .