Accession of Montenegro to the European Union

Accession of Montenegro to the European Union
StatusCandidate negotiating (screening complete)
Earliest possible entry2028
Application
European perspectiveDecember 2002
Potential candidateDecember 2002
Membership application15 December 2008
Candidate status17 December 2010
Screening29 June 2012
Screened & negotiations commence27 June 2013
Clusters open6
Chapters open33
Clusters closed0
Chapters closed3
Memberships & Treaties
Association Agreement
1 May 2010
Economic and monetary policy
EU Free Trade Agreementpart of the SAA
World Trade Organization (WTO)Member since 29 April 2012
Euro & the EurozoneEuro has de facto been used since 1 January 2002
Travel
Schengen visa liberalisation19 December 2009
Energy
Energy Community15 December 2006
EuratomThere are no nuclear power plants or research reactors in Montenegro.
ENTSO-ECrnogorski 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)
Population446,828,803447,461,961
Increase 0.14%
Area4,233,262 km2
1,634,472 mi2
4,237,074 km2
1,639,805 mi2
Increase 0.3%
HDI0.8960.893
Decrease 0.1%
GDP (PPP)$25.399 trillion$25.416 trillion
Increase 0.07%
GDP per capita (PPP)$56,928$56,605
Decrease 0.5%
GDP$17.818 trillion$17.825 trillion
Increase 0.03%
GDP per capita$39,940$39,699
Decrease 0.6%
Gini30.030.1
Negative increase 0.1%
Official Languages2425
Montenegrin Increase +1

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

After voting for independence from Serbia and Montenegro 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. Membership negotiations began on 29 June 2012.[1] As of 2024, Montenegro's goal is to achieve membership of the EU by 2028.[2][3]

It is one of nine current EU candidate countries, together with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Among the six candidates with open negotiations (Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Moldova and Ukraine), the most advanced stage of the negotiations—defined as meeting the interim benchmarks for negotiation chapter 23 and 24 which allow the closing process of all negotiation chapters to start—has so far only been reached by Montenegro.[4] As of September 2024, thirty out of 33 chapters remain to be closed.

  1. ^ Kajosevic, Samir (26 March 2021). "Montenegro Targets 2025 to be Ready for EU Accession". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  2. ^ "The EU-Montenegro Joint Consultative Committee: Montenegro is advancing in the EU accession path". European Economic and Social Committee. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  3. ^ Tatiana Marinova; Simona-Alex Mihaleva (17 June 2024). "President Radev: Bulgaria Supports Montenegro's European Integration". BTA. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  4. ^ Council of the European Union (26 June 2024). "Sixteenth meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro at Ministerial level (press release by the Council of the EU)". Consilium. Retrieved 1 August 2024.