Article 25 of the Law on Official Statistics and System of Official Statistics ("Official Gazette of Montenegro", no. 18/12 and 47/19) specifies that the implementation of census activities is regulated by a separate law, as an integral part of the program and annual plan of official statistics.
Accordingly, Statistical Office has established a working group, followed by the establishment of a commission for drafting of law. With purpose of transparency of work, Statistical Office has twice launched a call for NGOs to take part in the work of the working group for drafting of law. No interest was received for this issue.
To start with drafting the law, the management of Statistical Office has decided to prepare the law according to the form of previous laws which regulated and defined preparation and implementation of census.
The law drafting process consisted of the following activities:
- March 2021 - Statistical Office submitted a draft law to the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare for further procedure;
- September 2021 – a public discussion was opened by the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare. The public discussion comprised submitting comments, suggestions and proposals in written form only, having in mind the circumstances caused by COVID pandemic that no round table was possible to be organized. After the finished public discussion, after observing all submitted comments, there was produced the Public Discussion Report released in public, and submitted to relevant institutions for their opinion;
- December 2021 – the opinion of the European Commission on the produced law was received, as a precondition for the approval of the European Integration Office.
The opinion of the European Commission (a direct quote): “If adopted in its current version, we do not assess any obvious serious problems. However, details of the implementation will be important, especially in some aspects, such as the population base. We are aware that the draft law is just a part of the census implementation and most of the issues will be clarified only with other documents, including guidelines, etc. Therefore, we would be grateful if you could keep us informed of the implementation of this exercise, including the more detailed documents that will be developed. As is the usual practice, we would like to have the English translation of the law following its final adoption.”
The draft law on census of population, households, and dwellings was adopted at the session of the Government of Montenegro on 29 December 2021.
Pursuant to the procedure, the law document was submitted to the Parliament of Montenegro for the adoption.
The Parliament of Montenegro at the third sitting of the second ordinary (autumn) session in 2022 on 12 December 2022 passed the Law on Census of Population, Households, and Dwellings.
At it session held on 9 February 2023 the Government of Montenegro adopted the Decree on establishing the period of implementing Census of Population, Households, and Dwellings, and the reference moment of census.
The Government of Montenegro, at its session held on 31 October 2023, adopted the Decree on Amendments to the Decree on establishing the period of implementing Census of Population, Households, and Dwellings, and the reference moment of census, which is published in the Official Gazette of Montenegro No 098/23.
Integral text of the Decree on Establishing Period of Implementing Census of Population, Households, and Dwellings and Reference Moment of Census you can find here.
On 29 November 2023, the Government of Montenegro adopted the Decree Amending Decree on Establishing the Period of Implementing Census of Population, Households, and Dwellings, and the Reference Moment of Census.
Upon the proposal of Statistical Office, the Government of Montenegro, at its session held on 30 June 2023 adopted the Decision on Amount and Allocation of Funds to Census Commissions for Financing the 2023 Census of Population, Households, and Dwellings
