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Accession of Montenegro to the European Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Status | Candidate negotiating (screening complete) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Earliest possible entry | 2028 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Constitution |
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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Milo_%C4%90ukanovi%C4%87_%26_Jean-Claude_Juncker.jpg/220px-Milo_%C4%90ukanovi%C4%87_%26_Jean-Claude_Juncker.jpg)
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]
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