{"id":373605,"date":"2024-06-26T20:06:46","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T18:06:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/2024\/06\/26\/montenegro-adesione-ue-conferenza-spajic\/"},"modified":"2024-07-24T18:15:09","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T16:15:09","slug":"from-words-to-deeds-montenegro-has-entered-the-final-phase-of-eu-accession-negotiations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/2024\/06\/26\/from-words-to-deeds-montenegro-has-entered-the-final-phase-of-eu-accession-negotiations\/","title":{"rendered":"From words to deeds. Montenegro has entered the final phase of EU accession negotiations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brussels – By now, it has become a mantra<\/a> between Podgorica and Brussels, but it certainly shows the dedication Montenegro has committed itself to the EU accession process. “If we meet all the benchmarks, we expect to become the 28th member country by 2028<\/strong>,” began Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spaji\u0107<\/strong> before the start of the 16th intergovernmental conference<\/a> this afternoon (June 26) – the second organized by the Belgian rotating presidency of the EU Council – which marked a decisive step on the path to EU membership.<\/p>\n

\"Milojko<\/a>
The Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spaji\u0107<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A “historic” conference, as it was called by the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy, Oliv\u00e9r V\u00e1rhelyi<\/strong>, who emphasized that “we have finally seen Montenegro move forward on the road to accession” since Podgorica has overall met the intermediate benchmarks<\/strong> set for chapters 23 (judiciary and fundamental rights) and 24 (justice, freedom, and security): “Now we open the last stage of accession negotiations, it means that accession is imminent<\/strong>,” Commissioner V\u00e1rhelyi said, adding that “now we have to start closing these chapters. From our side, we will do everything we can to do it in the coming months.” The first Accession Conference meeting with Montenegro at the ministerial level was in June 2012.\u00a0Since then, 33 negotiating chapters (out of 35) have been opened, with\u00a0three provisionally closed. <\/strong>In May 2021, the Council approved the application of the revised enlargement methodology to accession negotiations with Montenegro and Serbia<\/strong>, aiming to\u00a0reinvigorate the accession process.<\/p>\n

Reiterating\u00a0what he said in an exclusive interview with Eunews<\/a> in February, Prime Minister Spaji\u0107 made clear that “it is a great day for the European Union as well because we are the first country that with the new methodology was tested.\u00a0In a way, we are breaking the ice for the other Western Balkan countries and other candidates for accession<\/strong>.” There is tremendous enthusiasm in Podgorica, both for the “historic moment” that today’s result represents and for the work that will now strengthen in the coming months to close other negotiating chapters. “In the last seven years, we have accelerated the process and achieved results as in the previous seven years.<\/strong>\u00a0We are really proud,” the Montenegrin leader pointed out at a private event in Brussels with Montenegrin diplomatic staff, which Eunews<\/em> had access to. As confirmed by Belgian Foreign Minister and rotating chair of the EU Council, Hadja Lahbib<\/strong>, “The path to EU membership is long and\u00a0arduous, but this is a message of hope that Montenegro sends to the entire Balkan region and beyond.” Now, the baton passes to Hungary<\/strong> starting\u00a0Monday (July 1). However,\u00a0several diplomatic sources – Montenegrin and non-Montenegrin – assure that “there is no concern<\/strong>” that negotiations will continue\u00a0over the next six months.<\/p>\n