Montenegro's process of joining the EU is reaching a crucial stage. The European Commission stated on November 4th that the EU may complete negotiations with Montenegro by the end of this year, and sign a treaty to join the EU with the country as early as June 2027.
The European Commission stated in its annual enlargement policy report on that day: "Since the EU completed negotiations with Croatia for membership in 2011, it is possible for the EU to complete negotiations with another candidate country—Montenegro—in the near future."
The European Commission stated: "This proves Montenegro's continuous efforts to advance the process of European integration and implement the reforms necessary for joining the EU."
Montenegro applied to join the EU in 2008, and negotiations for membership were officially launched in 2012. Currently, both parties have started all 33 negotiation chapters, with 21 of them being temporarily closed.
Black Mountain Minister for European Affairs, Mieda Gorechivich, stated at the expanded EU summit in Brussels on November 3rd that Black Mountain is confident in completing all membership negotiation chapters this year and securing EU membership by 2028 as the 28th member state.
"I believe that the goal of having 28 member states by 2028 is indeed ambitious. Yes, and this process is ongoing, and we are all witnessing it," said Gorčević.
However, the Montenegro side also has clear requirements for the conditions for joining the alliance.
When asked about a proposal to set a 15-year transition period for new member states and to include legal mechanisms to ensure rule of law, Gorchević made it clear that Montenegro hopes to gain full EU membership status.
"We do not hope to obtain a second-class member state status within the EU because it is neither fair nor can it be considered a true formal member state." Gorchevich said.
Furthermore, historical disputes between Heishān and Croatia, a neighboring country, may also become an obstacle to its application for membership.
In October of this year, Croatia submitted a document to other EU countries containing eight requirements, outlining issues that Montenegro should address before joining the EU.
Gorcvic said that Montenegro hopes to resolve the bilateral disputes, but related issues can also be addressed after joining the EU. She emphasized that border disputes should not be an obstacle to Montenegro’s accession to the EU.
