Brussels – Following Tirana and Pristina, Ursula von der Leyen’s tour of the Western Balkans reached Podgorica, where Montenegro remains the country closest to joining the European Union. It is here, according to the Commission President, that what Brussels now calls “the final stretch” of the accession process is playing out: the country has opened all 33 negotiation chapters. It has provisionally closed 18 of them – more than half.
“It is the final stretch, after years of effort”, said Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, reiterating the aim of welcoming Montenegro as the 28th Member State in 2028. The government in Podgorica aims to conclude negotiations in 2026, sign the accession treaty in 2027 and complete its accession to the EU in 2028: the “28th (Member State) by ’28”.
The process, however, is not yet complete. Of the 33 open chapters, 15 remain to be closed, following a significant acceleration this year. Chapter 32 on financial control was provisionally closed in January; Chapter 21 on trans-European networks in March; Chapter 2 on the free movement of workers and Chapter 28 on consumer and health protection in June; while Chapter 8 on competition policy and Chapter 29 on the customs union were concluded in July.
“Work on the accession treaty is now moving forward”, von der Leyen explained, announcing that Brussels is already preparing Montenegro’s financial transition from candidate country to member state to enable it to participate in the priorities of the next Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034. The Commission, von der Leyen added, is also preparing for “Montenegro’s borders to become EU borders.”
As part of the transition towards accession, Brussels also wishes to introduce certain safeguards to ensure that the progress made is not called into question. “We have always had safeguards in the accession treaties, and we will continue to have them, without a doubt,” said von der Leyen, while pointing out, however, that the details will be set out in the review of the pre-enlargement policy, which the European Commission will launch on 6 October.
Spajić presented the “Euro Model”, the package of economic and legislative reforms launched by the government, as the means of preparing the country for EU accession. The aim, he explained, is to ensure that citizens can remain in Montenegro, that those who have left can return, and that the country can achieve the living standards of developed Europe.
The timetable is also under pressure from the current geopolitical situation. The Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, in an interview with Corriere della Sera, said that “now is truly the right time” for leaders to discuss enlargement at the European Council in mid-October. According to Kos, Montenegro could meet all the criteria “by the end of this year or early next year,” but the pace of progress will have to remain linked to the results of reforms. This applies to both sides, as the Union itself must restructure to prepare for the family’s enlargement. “They must deliver results, but so must we,” Kos observed.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
