Accession of Montenegro to the European Union
Status	Candidate negotiating (screening complete)
Earliest possible entry	2028
Application European perspective December 2002 Potential candidate December 2002 Membership application 15 December 2008 Candidate status 17 December 2010 Screening 29 June 2012 Screened & negotiations commence 27 June 2013
Negotiations Clusters open 6 Chapters open 33 Clusters closed 0 Chapters closed 3 9.1% complete
Memberships & Treaties Association Agreement 1 May 2010 Economic and monetary policy EU Free Trade Agreement part of the SAA World Trade Organization (WTO) Member since 29 April 2012 Euro & the Eurozone Euro has de facto been used since 1 January 2002 Main article: Montenegro and the euro Travel Schengen visa liberalisation 19 December 2009 Energy Energy Community 15 December 2006 Euratom There are no nuclear power plants or research reactors in Montenegro. ENTSO-E Crnogorski Elektroprenosni Sistem is a member Foreign and military policy North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 5 June 2017 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) 10 September 2000 (as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) Human rights and international courts Council of Europe (CoE) Member since 11 May 2007 International Criminal Court (ICC) Member since 3 June 2006 International Court of Justice (ICJ) Entitled to appear since 28 June 2006; there are no cases
Impact (27+1) Population 446,828,803 449,004,567 0.5% Area 4,233,262 km2 1,634,472 mi2 4,237,074 km2 1,639,805 mi2 0.3% HDI 0.896 0.893 0.1% GDP (PPP) $25.399 trillion $25.416 trillion 0.07% GDP per capita (PPP) $56,928 $56,605 0.5% GDP $17.818 trillion $17.825 trillion 0.03% GDP per capita $39,940 $39,699 0.6% Gini 30.0 30.1 0.1% Official Languages 24 25 Montenegrin +1

Politics of Montenegro
Constitution
Executive President (list) Jakov Milatović Prime Minister Milojko Spajić Government
Legislative Parliament President: Andrija Mandić
Judiciary Supreme Court Constitutional Court
Political parties Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Democrats (DCG) New Serb Democracy (NOVA) Movement for Changes (PzP) Social Democratic Party (SDP) Democratic People's Party (DNP) Socialist People's Party (SNP) United Reform Action (URA) Democratic Alliance (Demos) United Montenegro (UCG) Bosniak Party (BS) Social Democrats (SD) New Democratic Power (FORCA) Croatian Civic Initiative (HGI) Workers' Party (RP) Liberal Party (LP)
Recent elections Presidential: 2018 2023 Parliamentary: 2020 2023 Local: 2021 2022
Administrative divisions Municipalities
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Ranko Krivokapić Diplomatic missions of / in Montenegro Nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy European Union NATO Croatia Serbia
Other countries
v t e

Accession of Montenegro to the European Union is on the agenda for future enlargement of the EU.

Shortly after voting for independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro in a referendum in 2006, Montenegro began the process of accession to the European Union by agreeing to a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU, which officially came into force on 1 May 2010.

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 widespread support among EU members' officials, and the accession of the country to the EU was considered possible by 2025 as of March 2021.^[1] However, as of February 2024, thirty out of 33 chapters 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.

Chief negotiator Predrag Zenović named accession by 2028 as realistic.^[2]

History

Since Montenegro's potential candidate status was granted

Identification

Montenegro was granted potential candidate status in December 2002, when it was still in a union with Serbia. The EU recognized the new and independent country's European Perspective on 21 June 2003 at the Thessaloniki Summit. The adoption of the Thessaloniki Declaration of 2003 was a promise by the EU that the former Yugoslav republics along with Albania have "unequivocal support for future integration and full membership of these states in the Union".^[3]

Recommendation

The European Commission recommended Montenegro as a candidate country on 9 November 2010. Montenegro officially was granted candidate status on 17 December 2010.^[4]

Candidacy

Membership application

Montenegro officially applied to join the EU on 15 December 2008.

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.^[5] On 9 December 2009, Montenegro delivered its answers to the EC questionnaire.^[6] 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. The EU concluded such agreements with states that wish to become members. In exchange for commitments to political, economic, trade, or human rights reform in the country, tariff-free access to some or all EU markets (industrial goods, agricultural products, etc.), and financial or technical assistance may be offered by the EU.

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.^[7][8][9]

The Agreement was initiated on 15 March 2007 and 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.^[10][11]