Mitigation of Safety and Security Risks related to SALW/SCA in Montenegro (OSCE Mission to Montenegro)

Duration

November 2020 – December 2026

Beneficiary/ies

Ministry of Defense – Armed Forces of Montenegro, Ministry of Interior

Donor/s

Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Montenegro, Slovakia, Switzerland

Funding Amount

EUR 2,171,776

Funding gaps (if any)

EUR 716,652

Objective/s

• Enhanced strategic, training and coordination capacities of the Ministry of Defence and other accountable and equitable government bodies in the field of SALW/SCA management.
• Support in establishing an SCA surveillance framework.
• Support in introducing capabilities to transport SALW/SCA in a safe and secure way according to international good practice.
• Support in reconstruction of the storage site "Brezovik" and "Nova lokacija" Židovići – Pljevlja.

Contributing to the Roadmap goal/s

Contributing to the Roadmap overall targets

Goal 6:

• Strengthen the capacities of relevant state institutions to establish inspection systems and implement Life Cycle Management of SALW and ammunition.

Goal 7:

• Ensure safe and secure SALW/firearms and ammunition storage facilities designated based on identified needs and in accordance with international standards.

Key activities implemented up to date

• The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) governing the project was signed on 4th February 2022.
• The project completed the Hazard Classification of Montenegro’s Military Explosives and Munitions including Police ammunition according to NATO Guidelines for Storage of Military Ammunitions (AASTP-1, 2015) and IATG: 01.50 - UN explosive hazard classification system and 90 codes. In the process of hazard classification, all ammunitions were updated from the “Nomenklaturni broj JNA”. The final draft was delivered to the MoD and MoI for their further ownership.
• The project finalised the Rulebook on safes storage of ammunition according to NATO standard AASTP 1c (2023), the rulebook is pending national adoption.
• The project completed the Explosive Limit Licensing inspections of three of MoD’s ammunition storage site Brezovik, Taraš and "Nova lokacija" Židovići, the findings are pending national adoption.
• Under capacity building initiatives with the MoD and the Armed Forces of Montenegro the project delivered 17 workshops and training courses attended by 135 participants (19 woman and 116 men) by the end of 2024.
• The project completed procurement and delivery of furniture for two classrooms and one office, as well as tools and supplies for technical training courses for the dedicated MoD ammunition training facility in Podgorica.
• The project provided ADR training and certification under the Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) (valid for 5 years) for 10 specialists from the Montenegrin Army, Air Force and Navy.
• The project delivered two ADR trucks to the MoD for ammunition transportation.
• The project completed all firefighting activities mentioned in the first cooperation plan with the support of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). Namely, fire prevention needs assessment, training on systematic fire prevention, firefighting including ToT, establishing a training polygon and equipment donations.

Main challenges encountered

• The formation of a National Technical Authority and its institutionalisation is delayed due to the political situation and senior management turnover.
• Inflation and world market price increases have impacted the project budget, and the budget has been increased to meet the changes in.
• Beneficiaries need to budget for life-cycle costs and the sustainability of the project results from 2027 onwards.