Montenegro officially applied to join the EU on 15 December 2008, and membership negotiations began on 29 June 2012. With all the negotiating chapters opened, the country enjoys a widespread support among EU members' officials, and accession of the country to the EU was considered possible by 2025 as of March 2021,[1] though as of February 2024 30 out of 33 chapters still remain to be closed. It is one of nine current EU candidate countries, together with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
History
Since Montenegro's potential candidate status was granted
Montenegro was granted potential candidate status in December 2002, when it was still in a union with Serbia. The new and independent country's European Perspective was recognized by the EU on 21 June 2003 at the Thessaloniki Summit, with the adoption of the Thessaloniki Declaration of 2003.
Recommendation
The European Commission recommended Montenegro as candidate country on 9 November 2010.
Candidacy
Montenegro officially was granted candidate status on 17 December 2010.[2]
Membership application
Montenegro officially applied to join the EU on 15 December 2008.[3]
Questionnaire
On 23 April 2009, the Council invited the European Commission to submit its opinion on the application. The Commission presented Montenegro with a questionnaire to assess its application on 22 July 2009.[4] On 9 December 2009, Montenegro delivered its answers to the EC questionnaire.[5] In 2010, the Commission issued a favourable opinion on Montenegro's application, identifying seven key priorities that would need to be addressed for negotiations to begin.
Treaties
Stabilisation and Association Agreement
The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro started the process of Accession to the European Union in November 2005, when negotiations over a Stabilisation and Association Agreement began. Such agreements were concluded by the EU with states that have expressed a wish to become members. In exchange for commitments to political, economic, trade, or human rights reform in the country, it may be offered tariff-free access to some or all EU markets (industrial goods, agricultural products, etc.), and financial or technical assistance. In May 2006, Montenegro voted for independence in a referendum and the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro was dissolved. Serbia continued with the existing SAA negotiations, and separate negotiations were launched with Montenegro in September 2006.[6][7][8] The Agreement was initialled on 15 March 2007, and officially signed on 15 October 2007. After all the 27 member-states of EU had ratified the SAA, it came into force on 1 May 2010.[9][10]
↑ Montenegro started negotiations in November 2005 while a part of Serbia and Montenegro (SiM). Separate technical negotiations were conducted regarding issues of sub-state organizational competency. A mandate for direct negotiations with Montenegro was established in July 2006. Direct negotiations were initiated on 26 September 2006 and concluded on 1 December 2006.[15]
↑ Serbia started negotiations in November 2005 while part of SiM, with a modified mandate from July 2006.
↑ Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but is still claimed by Serbia as part of its territory. The European Union remains divided, with five EU member states not recognizing its independence. The EU launched a Stabilisation Tracking Mechanism for Kosovo] on 6 November 2002 with the aim of aligning its policy with EU standards. On 10 October 2012 the European Commission found that there were no legal obstacles to Kosovo signing a SAA with the EU, as independence is not required for such an agreement.[19]
1 2 3 No Interim Agreement associated with Kosovo's SAA was concluded.[23]
↑ Kosovo's SAA was the first signed after the entry into force of the Lisbon treaty, which conferred a legal personality to the EU. As a result, unlike previous SAAs Kosovo's is exclusively between it and the EU and Euratom, and the member states are not parties independently.[20][24][25]
Montenegro's population is overwhelmingly pro-EU, with 76.2% being in favour according to polling and only 9.8% against, in October 2009.[27]
As of May 2023, the support of the citizens of Montenegro for the country's membership in the European Union reached a record high level of 79.3%, according to a survey commissioned by the EU Delegation to Montenegro. 75.9% of citizens believe that Montenegro will become a member of the EU. Over 90% of citizens would vote in the referendum, and 81.1% of those voting would support Montenegro's membership in the EU.[28]
Negotiations
In December 2011, the Council agreed to launch the accession process, with negotiations beginning on 29 June 2012.
With all the negotiating chapters opened, the country enjoys a widespread support among EU members' officials, and accession of the country to the EU is considered possible by 2025.[29] In its 2016 assessment of the accession progress, European Commission has identified Montenegro as having the highest level of preparation for membership among the negotiating states. Until 2020, Montenegro had received €507 million of developmental aid from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, a funding mechanism for EU candidate countries.
Montenegro is experiencing ecological, judicial and crime-related problems that may hinder its bid.[30] Montenegro signed an agreement with the Bulgarian government in December 2007 in which Bulgaria will assist Montenegro with its Euro-Atlantic and EU integration for the following three years.[31] To work on these matters the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Montenegro has a special agency dedicated to accession to the EU, the Office for assistance to the Chief Negotiator. The goal of the office is to support the task of the Chief Negotiator for Montenegro's Accession to EU, Zorka Kordić. On 27 July 2010, the Parliament passed a non-discrimination law that includes sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited grounds of discrimination. This was one of the requirements the country had to meet for EU membership.[32]
There are currently thirty chapters opened, three chapters that have been provisionally closed, and two chapters in which there is nothing to adopt.
22. Regional Policy & Coordination of Structural Instruments
Early stage
Considerable efforts needed
Early stage
Early stage
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
23. Judiciary & Fundamental Rights
Further efforts needed
Moderately prepared
Further efforts needed
Further efforts needed
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
24. Justice, Freedom & Security
Further efforts needed
Moderately prepared
Further efforts needed
Early stage
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
25. Science & Research
Moderately prepared
Further efforts needed
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
26. Education & Culture
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
27. Environment & Climate Change
Considerable efforts needed
Early stage
Early stage
Early stage
Early stage
Some level of preparation
Some level of preparation
Some level of preparation
Some level of preparation
Some level of preparation
Some level of preparation
Some level of preparation
28. Consumer & Health Protection
Further efforts needed
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
No major difficulties expected
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
29. Customs Union
Further efforts needed
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
30. External Relations
Further efforts needed
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
No major difficulties expected
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
31. Foreign, Security & Defence Policy
Further efforts needed
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
No major difficulties expected
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
Good level of preparation
32. Financial Control
Some level of preparation
Early stage
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
33. Financial & Budgetary Provisions
Early stage
Early stage
Early stage
Early stage
Early stage
Early stage
Early stage
Early stage
Early stage
Some level of preparation
Some level of preparation
Some level of preparation
34. Institutions
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
35. Other Issues
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Nothing to adopt
Legend:
Chapters in bold indicate completed chapters.
† indicates chapters in which the European Commission has simultaneously awarded the chapter both "moderately prepared" AND "good level of preparation".
totally incompatibleearly stageconsiderable efforts neededsome level of preparationfurther efforts neededmoderately preparedno major difficulties expectedgood level of preparationwell prepared / well advanced
The European Commission and the ECB have since voiced their discontent over Montenegro's unilateral use of the euro on several occasions.[60] A statement attached to their Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU read: "unilateral introduction of the euro was not compatible with the Treaty."[61] The EU insists on the strict adherence to convergence criteria (such as spending at least 2 years in the ERMII system) which are not negotiable before euro adoption, but have not intervened to stop the unilateral adoption of the euro by Montenegro in 2002.[60][62] The issue is expected to be resolved through the negotiations process.[60] The ECB has stated that the implications of unilateral euro adoption "would be spelled out at the latest in the event of possible negotiations on EU accession."[61]
Diplomats have suggested that it's unlikely Montenegro will be forced to withdraw the euro from circulation in their country.[58][61] Radoje Žugić, Montenegro's Minister of Finance, has stated that "it would be extremely economically irrational to return to our own currency and then later to again go back to the euro."[63] Instead, he hopes that Montenegro will be permitted to keep the euro and has promised "the government of Montenegro, will adopt some certain elements, which should fulfil the conditions for further use of the euro; such as adopting fiscal rules."[63]
Travel
Schengen Visa liberalisation process
On 1 January 2008, the visa facilitation and readmission agreements between Montenegro and the EU entered into force.[64] Montenegro was added to the list of visa exempt nationals on 19 December 2009, allowing their citizens to enter the Schengen Area, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania without a visa when traveling with biometric passports.[65] The visa liberalisation process does not include travels to Ireland which, with the United Kingdom which left the EU during Montenegro's accession process, operate the Common Travel Area for visas outside of the Schengen Area.[66]
From May 2025 citizens of Montenegro will be required to register on the EU's ETIAS before entering the Schengen area.[67]
Montenegro's foreign relations with EU member states
The European Union (EU) has expanded a number of times throughout its history by way of the accession of new member states to the Union. To join the EU, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Copenhagen criteria, which require a stable democratic government that respects the rule of law, and its corresponding freedoms and institutions. According to the Maastricht Treaty, each current member state and the European Parliament must agree to any enlargement. The process of enlargement is sometimes referred to as European integration. This term is also used to refer to the intensification of co-operation between EU member states as national governments allow for the gradual harmonisation of national laws.
A European Union Association Agreement or simply Association Agreement (AA) is a treaty between the European Union (EU), its Member States and a non-EU country that creates a framework for co-operation between them. Areas frequently covered by such agreements include the development of political, trade, social, cultural and security links.
Turkey is negotiating its accession to the European Union (EU) as a member state, following its application to become a full member of the European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor of the EU, on 14 April 1987.
In talks with countries that have expressed a wish to join the European Union, the EU typically concludes Association Agreements in exchange for commitments to political, economic, trade, or human rights reform in that country. In exchange, the country may be offered tariff-free access to some or all EU markets, and financial or technical assistance.
The most recent enlargement of the European Union saw Croatia become the European Union's 28th member state on 1 July 2013. The country applied for EU membership in 2003, and the European Commission recommended making it an official candidate in early 2004. Candidate country status was granted to Croatia by the European Council in mid-2004. The entry negotiations, while originally set for March 2005, began in October that year together with the screening process.
The Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement is the member of the European Commission in charge of overseeing the accession process of prospective new member states and relations with those bordering the European Union (EU). The present Commissioner, as of December 2019, is Olivér Várhelyi.
Montenegro is a country in South-Eastern Europe, which is neither a member of the European Union (EU) nor the Eurozone; it does not have a formal monetary agreement with the EU either. However, it is one of the two territories that has unilaterally adopted the euro in 2002 as its de facto domestic currency. This means that even though the euro is not a legal tender there, it is treated as such by the government and the population.
Currently, all of the European microstates have some form of relations with the European Union (EU).
Albania is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the European Union (EU). It applied for EU membership on 28 April 2009, and has since June 2014 been an official candidate for accession. The Council of the European Union decided in March 2020 to open accession negotiations with Albania.
The accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union is the stated aim of the present relations between the two entities. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been recognised by the EU as a "candidate country" for accession since the decision of the European Council in 2022 and is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU. Bosnia and Herzegovina takes part in the Stabilisation and Association Process and trade relations are regulated by an Interim Agreement.
Serbia applied to join the European Union (EU) in 2009 and has been a candidate for membership since 2012, along with nine other states. Serbia is the largest country in Southeast Europe seeking entry into the EU.
Kosovo adopted the euro as its de facto legal tender in 2002 despite the territory not being a member of the Eurozone or the European Union. This succeeded its use of German marks from 1999.
The accession of Kosovo to the European Union (EU) is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU. Kosovo is currently recognized by the EU as a potential candidate for accession.
There are nine recognised candidates for membership of the European Union: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Kosovo formally submitted its application for membership in 2022 and is considered a potential candidate by the European Union.
The accession of North Macedonia to the European Union has been on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU since 2005, when it became an official candidate for accession. The Republic of Macedonia submitted its membership application in 2004, thirteen years after its independence from Yugoslavia. It is one of nine current EU candidate countries, together with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
On 1 January 2007, Bulgaria and Romania became member states of the European Union (EU) in the fifth wave of EU enlargement.
The Belgrade–Pristina dialogue are a series of EU-facilitated talks between the governments of Serbia and Kosovo. Serbia claims Kosovo as its southern province under United Nations administration, and rejects its independence. Kosovo considers Serbia as a neighbouring state. The negotiations began in March 2011, three years after Kosovo declared independence. They are the first negotiations between the two entities since Kosovo declared independence in February 2008.
Since the 1980s, member states of the European Union have started to harmonise aspects of the designs of their ordinary passports, as well as common security features and biometrics.
The First Agreement of Principles Governing the Normalisation of Relations, informally known as the Brussels Agreement, is an agreement to normalize relations between the governments of Serbia and Kosovo. The agreement, negotiated and concluded in Brussels under the auspices of the European Union, was signed on 19 April 2013. Negotiations were led by Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi, mediated by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton. The government of Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state, but began normalising relations with the government of Kosovo as a result of the agreement. In Belgrade, the agreement was criticized by protestors as a convalidation of Kosovo independence.
The Strategy for the Western Balkans is a policy pursued by the EU with its partners and accession candidates in the western region of the Balkan Peninsula. Announced by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in his 2017 State of the Union address, this policy brings together the objectives of the global strategy for CSDP and the enlargement policy specific to the states in this region.
"EU Accession Negotiations". 21 December 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015. As of 21 December 2015, twenty-two negotiating Chapters, including the rule of law Chapters, 23 – Judiciary and fundamental rights and 24 – Justice, freedom and security, have been opened, out which two Chapters (25 – Science and research and 26 – Education and culture) have been provisionally closed.
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Montenegro to the European Union 
