Central Bank of Montenegro discusses EU accession reforms and ESCB integration with Banque de France

The Central Bank of Montenegro said Governor Irena Radović used a working visit to Paris to discuss with Banque de France Governor Emmanuel Moulin Montenegro’s European Union accession process, the central bank’s work under the negotiating chapters within its remit, and preparations for future integration into the European System of Central Banks. The meeting focused on the CBCG’s alignment with European central banking standards and on payments infrastructure priorities, including Montenegro’s implementation of SEPA standards and the planned introduction of TIPS instant payments. Radović said Montenegro aims to close all negotiating chapters by the end of 2026 and highlighted reforms in financial services, payment systems, statistics, AML/CFT and the CBCG’s institutional strengthening. She also presented the results of the CBCG Needs Assessment Project for Alignment with ESCB and Eurosystem Standards, which is being carried out with the central banks of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany with European Union support. Moulin backed Montenegro’s European path and stressed the importance of independent and robust institutions. The Paris visit also included meetings with the French Supreme Audit Institution, the French Competition Authority and the French Senate. Those discussions covered institutional transparency and responsible governance, competition and regulatory predictability, digitalisation in the financial sector, and France’s support for a merit-based European Union enlargement policy. The CBCG and Banque de France also discussed future cooperation through professional exchanges, training programs and support for the CBCG’s institutional transformation.