Photograph: Photograph: high-level meeting of Western Balkan finance ministers to combat illicit tobacco trade. March 2025, Montenegro

In July 2025, Montenegro adopted a new law entitled “Law on Financing Political Parties and Electoral Campaigns” (Law No 081/25 of 29 July 2025 and Law 101/25 of 9 September 2025, as amended), which includes a clear prohibition on tobacco industry contributions.

The Law (first published in the Official Gazette of Montenegro on 29 July 2025) regulates the manner of acquiring and securing financial resources for the regular operations and election campaigns of political entities; the prohibitions and restrictions on the use of state property, funds, and public authority during the campaign; and the mechanisms for control, oversight, and auditing of financing and financial operations of political entities, with the aim of ensuring legality and transparency in their activities.

Paragraph 1 of Article 33 (Prohibitions and restrictions) of the law explicitly states that the tobacco industry shall not finance political parties. Paragraph 1 stipulates that:

“Political entities are prohibited from receiving material and financial assistance or in-kind contributions from the following sources:

• Other states
• Business companies, entrepreneurs, and legal entities headquartered outside Montenegro
• Natural persons who do not have voting rights in Montenegro
• Anonymous donors
• Public institutions
• Legal entities and business companies whose founder and/or majority or partial owner is the state or a municipality
• Trade unions
• Religious communities and organizations
• Non-governmental organizations
• Casinos, betting shops, and other organizers of games of chance
• Persons engaged in the production, processing, and trade of tobacco and tobacco products.”

This provision strengthens transparency and aligns national legislation with Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, reinforcing protections against industry interference in public health policy.

More information: Dr Mina Brajovic, Head of Country Office, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Montenegro Country Office, brajovicm@who.int