Statistical Office of Montenegro, together with the other producers of official statistics, has successfully completed the European Statistical System Peer Review, one of the most significant international assessments of the quality of official statistics. The review was conducted from 21 to 26 June 2026 with the aim of assessing the compliance of Montenegro&39;s official statistical system with the standards of the European Statistical System (ESS) and the European Statistics Code of Practice.
The Peer Review is one of the most significant mechanisms for assessing the quality of official statistics in Europe. It is conducted in the Member States of the European Union, EFTA countries and candidate countries for membership in the European Union with the aim of improving quality, professional independence, transparency and trust in official statistics.
The review includes the assessment of the institutional environment, statistical processes and statistical outputs through the 16 principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice and 84 indicators, which represent the highest European standards in the production and dissemination of official statistics. The results of the review will provide the basis for the further improvement of the national statistical system and its alignment with European standards within the framework of Montenegro&39;s accession process to the European Union.
The Peer Review was conducted by an international team of experts with many years of experience in the fields of official statistics, quality management, auditing and institutional development, led by Jean-Michel Durr. The members of the expert team were Rémi Prual and Pierre Bischoff, while Matej Milanović and Maldi Dema participated as observers.
During the five-day mission, the experts held meetings with the management and staff of the Statistical Office, representatives of other producers of official statistics, state institutions, the academic community, the business sector, the media and other users of official statistics. In this way, a comprehensive assessment of
the functioning of the national statistical system was carried out, taking into consideration its strengths, challenges and opportunities for further improvement.
By completing the Peer Review, Montenegro confirms its commitment to the continuous improvement of the quality of official statistics and their alignment with European standards. This process represents an important step in the European integration process, contributes to strengthening the professional independence and credibility of official statistics, improves the comparability of statistical data with those of the European Union Member States and further strengthens public trust in official statistical data as a reliable basis for decision-making.
Statistical Office takes this opportunity to express its sincere gratitude to all institutions, representatives of the academic community, the business sector, the media and other users of official statistics who, through their active participation and constructive contribution, supported the implementation of the Peer Review. Their involvement was of exceptional importance for the comprehensive and objective assessment of the national statistical system.
The final report with the results of the Peer Review is expected by the end of 2026. Following its publication, the Statistical Office will present the key findings and recommendations, together with an action plan for their implementation, which will provide the basis for the further improvement of the national statistical system and its full alignment with the standards of the European Statistical System.

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