On March 17 and 18, 2026, the Municipality of Berane hosted the fourth partners’ meeting of the transnational project Twinning and Engagement in net-zero tRansport tRAnsItioN – TERRAIN, funded by the European Union under the Interreg IPA ADRION programme 2021 – 2027.
The meeting took place at the Municipality of Berane and gathered representatives of partner institutions, under the coordination of Ms Glykeria Mirovali from the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), the project’s lead partner. Representatives from the partner cities of Skopje, Ljubljana and Pančevo attended in person, while participants from Zagreb, Bologna, Sarajevo and Durrës joined the meeting online.
The first day opened with welcome remarks by the Vice President of the Municipality of Berane, Ms Mira Paunović. Ms Kana Tomašević, Head of the First Level Control Directorate at the Ministry of Finance, addressed participants online, highlighting that the current financial perspective builds on lessons learned from previous IPA programmes (2007–2013 and 2014–2020), with the aim of ensuring the effective implementation of defined priorities in line with the EU enlargement strategy. She underlined that such projects bring significant benefits to citizens, strengthen institutional capacities, and contribute to aligning Montenegro with European standards. She also emphasized the importance of strong cooperation between project beneficiaries and control bodies, noting Montenegro’s successful track record in implementing EU-funded projects despite its size.
The event then deep-dived off into Berane achievements within the URBACT IV program. Independent advisor of the Municipality Mrs. Tatjana Mališić Delević presented the ‘Econnecting’ project, an initiative designed to improve city life through strategic action plans centered on sustainability, community empowerment, and greener urban mobility.
During the meeting, partners reviewed the progress achieved so far and defined the next steps for the development of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), as well as for the implementation of pilot actions within the project.
The second day focused on exploring the city’s potential for improving sustainable mobility. It began with a study visit to locations of strategic importance for project activities, with particular attention to enhancing connectivity between rural and urban areas. Mr Miljan Ralević, Secretary of the Secretariat for Economic Development and Investments of the Municipality of Berane, provided detailed insights into ongoing infrastructure projects and planned investments expected to significantly transform the city.
