Montenegro today closed two more chapters in its EU accession negotiations at the Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, surpassing half of the total chapters, and Prime Minister Milojko Spajić announced that the „technical part of the work“ on the remaining chapters would be completed in the next few months.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels after the Intergovernmental Conference, Spajić said that „all the remaining chapters are in the final phase, and some are already ready to be closed.“
The Montenegrin Prime Minister made this statement at a joint press conference attended by Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs, Tomas Byrne, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, and European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos.
According to him, the near-unanimous support of the Montenegrin parliament for initiating constitutional changes last week adds further value to this success.
„This is a strong confirmation of political maturity, unity, and determination to achieve what is the greatest wish of our citizens and the historic goal of our country – Montenegro’s membership in the European Union,“ the Prime Minister said, referring to last week’s parliamentary consensus on constitutional changes, which is one of Brussels’ conditions for closing negotiation chapter 23, which relates to the rule of law.
Spajić assessed that the closure of the chapters on competition and customs union confirms that Montenegro is building institutions capable of protecting the market and implementing European rules.
„Progress in these areas means a stronger economy, a more competitive market, a better business environment, more efficient functioning, and stronger administrative capacities for implementing common European rules,“ he stated.
He added that the goal is for Montenegro to complete negotiations this year and become the 28th member of the European Union in 2028.
Tomas Byrne, Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, said that today’s decision by member states confirms their commitment to Montenegro’s accession to the Union and its „hard work.“
Byrne insisted on the fulfillment of reforms, but also stated that work is underway on drafting the accession treaty, and that he „encourages“ Montenegro to „work on all chapters and remaining reforms,“ while the EU Council is ready to „support the candidacy as soon as all conditions are met.“
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that the closure of today’s chapters on competition and customs will enable citizens and the economy to face fewer administrative obstacles and border checks.
She stated that Montenegro is in the final phase of preparations for membership and that this year is crucial.
„We are in the final stage of preparations for your membership, and this year is key. The European Union is ready for Montenegro, and we need to cross the finish line together. We need broader societal support for reforms so that we can achieve this goal together,“ Kos concluded.
According to Podgorica’s Vijesti, Chapter 14 (transport policy) was also ready to be closed, but did not receive the green light from Croatia, which raised the issue of cabotage, i.e., the right of carriers from one country to operate transport within another country.
Croatia had previously blocked Chapter 31, which relates to foreign, security, and defense policy, due to unresolved bilateral issues.
Since the summer of 2024, when the negotiation process with the EU was unblocked, 12 negotiation chapters have been closed. With the closure of the chapters on competition and customs, 18 out of a total of 33 negotiation chapters have now been closed.
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