As part of the Twinning Light project “Improving the Legislative Framework and Strengthening the Administrative Capacities of the Audit Authority of Montenegro,” a conference with plenary sessions and separate workshops was held on May 12, 2023, at the Ramada Hotel. The conference was attended by representatives from EU member states involved in the project—Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, and Sweden—as well as representatives from IPA countries: North Macedonia, Albania, Turkey, and Serbia, and participants from the Audit Authority of Montenegro. The conference took the form of a Mini AA Homologues Group meeting. While this practice is typically conducted by EU member states, this was the first time Montenegro, as an IPA country, organized such a meeting.
The conference provided an opportunity for exchanging experiences and work practices between representatives of EU member states and IPA countries.
Overall, the event contributed to the project’s general goal of improving the legislative framework and strengthening the administrative capacities of the Audit Authority of Montenegro. It also served the specific aim and purpose of the project—ensuring the effective closure of the 2014-2020 programming period (IPA II) and preparing Montenegro for managing and controlling projects funded under IPA III/ESIF.
Furthermore, the conference aimed to establish open and robust communication and collaboration between various national audit authorities of member states and IPA audit authorities. An additional benefit was the enhanced networking and positioning of Montenegro’s Audit Authority in the international arena, with the goal of making the AA a recognizable, unique national audit body capable of providing assistance and advice to other audit authorities.
Opening remarks were delivered by Ksenija Barjaktarović, Chief Auditor of the Audit Authority of Montenegro and leader of the beneficiary country team, and Neven Šprlje, Director of the Agency for the Audit of European Union Program Implementation Systems and leader of the member state team. Following the opening remarks, a panel discussion was held, focusing on new requirements and challenges in the IPA III perspective, differences between IPA II and IPA III, and other related topics.
After the panel discussion, participants divided into three workshops. The workshop topics were: “Continuous Improvement of Audit Methodology to Meet New Requirements and Challenges,” “Preparation for Closure – Key Challenges,” and “Audit Approach to Specific Topics.”
