Reliable Official Statistics for Better Decisions and Public Policies

Montenegro has closed another negotiating chapter with the European Union—Chapter 18, Statistics—confirming that its official statistics system has reached the required level of alignment with European rules and standards. The aim of Chapter 18 is for Montenegro to have a modern, professionally independent and reliable statistical system that produces high-quality, timely data according to the same rules and methodologies applied by EU member states. When Montenegro and EU member states use the same standards and methodologies, we can see much more precisely where we stand in relation to other European countries and how we are progressing over time. In other words, citizens will not experience the closure of Chapter 18 through a single immediate change, but through better decisions based on higher-quality information—from better monitoring of the population’s needs to more efficient use of public funds. Data are used to monitor Montenegro’s progress in almost all areas of European integration, from the economy, agriculture and social policy to public finances, regional development and environmental protection. After EU membership, certain statistical data will also play an important role in systems linked to the European budget, economic and fiscal coordination, and cohesion policy.