The Montenegrin Ministry of European Affairs called on the media last night to carefully verify information about the country’s EU membership negotiations, after reports emerged that five EU member states had requested a halt in Montenegro’s accession process, which the EU Delegation in Podgorica denied.
The Ministry stated that, as the negotiations approach their conclusion, there has been an increase in disinformation and content featuring elements of domestic and foreign manipulation of information, particularly regarding the positions of member states, the pace of negotiations, and the closing of negotiation chapters.
It called on the media to distinguish between official information and unofficial claims and speculation, and to verify data about the negotiation process with the Montenegrin Government and relevant EU institutions before publication.
The Ministry assessed that responsible and accurate reporting is important for maintaining public trust in Montenegro’s European integration process.
The Ministry’s call followed after the Podgorica daily “Dan” on Saturday, citing an unnamed source from Brussels, reported that the Netherlands had requested a pause in Montenegro’s further European integration in order to further analyze the fulfillment of EU standards.
According to the newspaper, Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia joined the Netherlands’ request, making it uncertain, according to Dan’s source, when Montenegro might close new negotiation chapters and hold the next intergovernmental conference.
The EU Delegation in Podgorica rejected these claims as unfounded, stating that the scheduling of intergovernmental conferences and the closing of chapters require the implementation of appropriate procedures, fulfillment of European standards, and the consent of all member states.
The Delegation also stated that Montenegro has made significant progress in the negotiations, but must continue implementing the remaining reforms, especially in the area of the rule of law.
Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević stated last night for RTCG that there is neither a political nor technical blockade of Montenegro’s European path and that member states have not slowed down the negotiation procedures.
She said that chapters 18, which concerns statistics, and 19, which covers social policy and employment, are ready to be closed, but that it is necessary to wait for the completion of the procedure in the Dutch parliament.
“The only thing missing is the procedure in the Dutch parliament, so I believe that these two negotiation chapters will be closed by the end of this month,” Gorčević said.
The Minister rejected claims that Estonia and Lithuania are blocking the negotiations, stating that during recent visits to those countries she received support for closing the chapters and finalizing Montenegro’s EU accession agreement.
Gorčević warned that the spread of disinformation at the end of the negotiations could have the characteristics of hybrid activity and negatively affect citizens’ expectations.
RTCG previously reported on Friday, citing an unnamed EU official, that the intergovernmental conference at which Montenegro expected to close new chapters would not be held on the sidelines of the September meeting of the EU General Affairs Council.
The EU official explained that several member states had not completed the internal procedures necessary to approve the closing of chapters, stating that this was primarily due to time constraints, not a lack of political will to continue the negotiations.
According to RTCG’s report, the next intergovernmental conference could be held in mid-October in Luxembourg.
Gorčević, however, stated last night that neither the Government of Montenegro nor the European Commission had officially announced an intergovernmental conference for September 22, adding that it is unwise to speak about dates in advance.
She said that the Montenegrin Government had completed most of the work on preparing the remaining chapters and expects several intergovernmental conferences to be held by the end of the year.
Croatian political analyst Davor Đenero told Podgorica’s “Pobjeda” that, in his opinion, publishing claims about a blockade represents a form of hybrid activity at the end of the negotiations.
Đenero, however, warned that Montenegro still has outstanding issues in its relations with certain EU member states.
He stated that the Netherlands traditionally insists on the fulfillment of rule of law standards in the enlargement process, while Croatia has unresolved bilateral issues with Montenegro and expects them to be addressed during the accession negotiations.
Montenegro began EU accession negotiations in June 2012 and has so far opened all 33 negotiation chapters, 18 of which have been provisionally closed. The last two chapters, relating to competition policy and the customs union, were closed at the intergovernmental conference held on July 14 this year.
Podgorica is seeking to close the remaining chapters by the end of 2026, which would allow the transition to the final phase of the accession process, including the drafting and harmonization of the accession agreement.
Montenegro’s admission to the EU will require the consent of all 27 Union member states and ratification of the accession agreement in accordance with their national procedures.
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