Montenegro Could Wrap Up EU Accession Talks This Year
The European Commission says Montenegro is very close to completing its EU membership negotiations. If that happens this year, the country could join the bloc in 2028.
Montenegro, a Balkan country and candidate for European Union (EU) membership, could finish its accession negotiations as early as this year. This is stated in a report the European Commission, the EU's executive body, published on Wednesday. If the process goes smoothly, the country could become a member state in 2028.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said Montenegro leads the nine EU candidate countries and is very close to concluding the talks. The Commission also noted that the country still has to carry out several reforms, particularly in the areas of fundamental rights and financial services.
What comes next
If negotiations are completed by the end of 2026, Montenegro could sign an accession treaty next year. The document would then have to be ratified by all 27 current EU member states. That stage could, potentially, allow the country to join the EU in 2028.
Ultimately, Montenegro's entry depends on approval from the existing member states.
The negotiation process
Accession talks are a lengthy process in which candidate countries must align their national laws and standards with EU requirements and rules.
The most recent country to join the EU is Croatia, which entered the bloc in 2013.
