Montenegro’s President Jakov Milatović has returned a law on the National Security Agency to parliament for reconsideration, citing concerns over surveillance provisions and possible inconsistencies with European Union legal standards.
The law, adopted by lawmakers on March 6, was sent back to the assembly because parts of it are not aligned with the EU acquis, Montenegro’s constitution and international standards related to privacy rights, the president’s office said in a statement.
Milatović also said the legislation did not sufficiently take into account rulings of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the limits of privacy in public spaces and would remove judicial oversight of certain surveillance measures without valid justification.
He added that several other provisions of the law required additional review.
Under Montenegro’s legislative procedure, parliament must reconsider the bill after the president’s veto and can adopt it again with a new vote.