The Government of Montenegro adopted the Regulation on the Fee Paid by Sellers of Lightweight Plastic Carrier Bags with a Wall Thickness Greater than 50 Microns, published in the “Official Gazette of Montenegro”, No. 001/26 of January 5, 2026. This regulation defines the method of calculation, payment, and the amount of the fee that sellers are required to pay for placing certain types of plastic bags on the market.
The purpose of this regulation is to further improve the waste management system and reduce the negative environmental impact of plastic products by introducing higher financial obligations for sellers who use this type of packaging.
Increase in the Fee for Plastic Bags
One of the most important changes introduced by this regulation relates to the increase in the fee per plastic bag.
According to the new rules:
- the fee amounts to €0.05 per bag,
- the previously prescribed fee amounted to €0.03 per bag.
This change means that sellers who place lightweight plastic bags with a wall thickness greater than 50 microns on the market now have a higher financial obligation compared to the previous period.
Calculation and Reporting
The fee is calculated based on a monthly report on the quantity of plastic bags placed on the market by the seller. Sellers are required to regularly record the quantities and report them to the competent authority.
The procedure is as follows:
- the seller submits a monthly report on the quantity of bags placed on the market,
- the report is submitted to the authority responsible for environmental protection,
- the deadline for submitting the report is no later than the 5th day of the month for the previous month.
Based on the submitted report, the competent authority determines the amount of the fee through a formal decision, after which the seller is obliged to make the payment.
Payment Deadline and Method
Once the competent authority issues a decision determining the amount of the fee, the seller must make the payment within the prescribed deadline.
Key obligations include:
- payment must be made within 15 days from the date the decision is issued,
- the funds are paid to the special account of the Environmental Protection Fund,
- payment is made in accordance with the regulations governing the payment of public revenues.
This system enables monitoring of the quantity of plastic bags on the market and ensures additional funding for activities that contribute to environmental protection.
Repeal of the Previous Regulation
With the entry into force of this regulation, the previous Regulation on the Fee Paid by Sellers of Lightweight Plastic Carrier Bags with a Wall Thickness Greater than 50 Microns, published in the “Official Gazette of Montenegro”, No. 105/24, ceases to apply.
In this way, the new regulation fully replaces the previous rules and introduces revised financial obligations for sellers.
The new regulation introduces a relatively simple but significant change — an increase in the fee for plastic bags from €0.03 to €0.05 per bag. Although this represents a small amount per individual bag, for retailers using large quantities of such packaging it may represent a significant annual cost.
For this reason, businesses that use plastic bags in their operations should pay attention to:
- maintaining proper records of quantities,
- submitting monthly reports on time,
- making the payment of the fee promptly after the decision is issued.
In this way, potential irregularities and additional costs can be avoided, while also contributing to the environmental protection system in Montenegro.
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