Montenegro Constitutional Court to rule on UAE tourism agreement

The Constitutional Court of Montenegro is set to decide whether to initiate proceedings to assess the constitutionality of the Law on the Confirmation of the Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism and Real Estate Development between Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The initiative was brought forward by Budva municipal councilor Đorđe Zenović and the non-governmental organization Centre for Protection and Study of Birds. They argue the agreement was adopted in violation of the Constitution and could harm national interests. A central legal question is whether the law required a two-thirds majority in Parliament, given that it regulates the property rights of foreigners.

The government maintains that a two-thirds majority was not necessary, citing previous court practice. They also argue the court's jurisdiction is limited to assessing the procedure of adopting the law rather than the content of the international treaty itself.

A previous session on March 16 resulted in a tie, with three judges voting to initiate the procedure and three against. Following the appointment of two new judges, the court is now at its full seven-member capacity to make a decision.