In December 2010, Montenegro became a candidate country for EU membership. On 29 June 2012, at the Summit in Brussels, heads of states and governments of the EU confirmed the opening of negotiations on Montenegro’s accession to the EU. A new approach to negotiations was initiated with Montenegro, according to which negotiation chapters 23 – Judiciary and fundamental rights and 24 – Justice, freedom and security had been opened first and they would remain open by the end of the negotiation process.
In the course of negotiations so far, 32 negotiation chapters have been opened and three provisionally closed: on 18 December 2012 chapter 25 – Science and Research, and on 15 April 2013 chapter 26 – Education and Culture, and chapter 30 – External relations on 20 June 2017.
History of the EU - Montenegro relation
Montenegro’s independence was voted for in the referendum held on 21 May 2006. This was followed by numerous instances of bilateral recognition of independent Montenegro by EU member states.
On 15 October 2007 in Luxembourg, Montenegro signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), which entered into force on 1 May 2010, after ratifications by EU member states. In the meantime the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related issues was being applied, which entered into force on 1 January 2008.
On 30 November 2009, the EU Council adopted a decision to abolish visas for Montenegro, Macedonia, and Serbia, thus enabling the citizens of these countries to travel without visas to all 25 member states of the Schengen zone – 22 EU member states and four non-EU countries (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein).
On 15 December 2008, Montenegro submitted its application for EU membership. On 22 July, Montenegro received the Questionnaire of the European Commission with questions from all fields of the EU acquis, and that the responses to the Questionnaire represented a basis for the Commission’s assessment of Montenegro’s readiness to take up commitments arising from the EU membership. On 17 December 2010, the European Council to Montenegro granted Montenegro the status of EU candidate country.
On 29 June 2012, Montenegro officially began its EU negotiations.
Since 2007, the European Commission has regularly published annual reports on Montenegro’s progress. The latest report was published on 9 November 2016 (as of 2015, this report was renamed to the Report on Montenegro). In 2017, there were no reports on candidate countries and potential candidates. On 6 February 2018, the European Commission published the Strategy "A credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkans", followed by a new report on Montenegro in 2018.
As a candidate country, Montenegro has been receiving financial support from the EU within the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA). In the period 2007-2013 (IPA I), Montenegro had EUR 235.2 million at its disposal, while for the period 2014-2020 (IPA II) EUR 270.5 million was allocated for Montenegro.
Diplomatic relations between Montenegro and the European Union are maintained through the Mission of Montenegro to the EU in Brussels, which has been operational since 2006, and the EU Delegation to Montenegro in Podgorica, which has started its work in November 2007.
Important dates in Montenegro’s accession process to the European Union:
|
Date |
Event |
|
21 May 2006 |
Independence of Montenegro voted for in a referendum |
|
15 October 2007 |
Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SSA) signed between Montenegro and the EU |
|
1 January 2008 |
Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters, Agreement on Visa Facilitation, and Agreement on Readmission entered into force |
|
15 December 2008 |
Montenegro submitted its application for EU membership |
|
22 July 2009 |
Montenegro received the Questionnaire of the European Commission |
|
1 May 2010 |
Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SSA) entered into force |
|
17 December 2010 |
The European Council granted Montenegro the status of EU candidate country |
|
26 June 2012 |
The European Council confirmed the assessment of the European Commission on readiness of Montenegro to begin the accession negotiations |
|
29 June 2012 |
The beginning of the EU accession negotiations |
|
18 December 2012 |
Chapter 25 - Science and research opened and provisionally closed |
|
15 April 2013 |
Chapter 26 - Education and culture opened and provisionally closed |
|
June 2013 |
Screening process for all chapters completed |
|
18 December 2013 |
Five chapters opened: 5 – Public procurement, 6 – Company law, 20 – Enterprise and industrial policy, 23 – Judiciary and fundamental rights, and 24 – Justice, freedom and security |
|
31 March 2014 |
Two chapters opened: 4 – Free movement of capital and 10 – Information society and media |
|
24 June 2014 |
Three chapters opened: 7 – Intellectual property law, 31 – Foreign, security and defence policy, and 32 – Financial control |
|
16 December 2014 |
Four chapters opened: 18 – Statistics, 28 – Consumer and health protection, 29 – Customs union, and 33 – Financial and budgetary provisions |
|
30 March 2015 |
Two chapters opened: 16 – Taxation and 30 – External relations |
|
22 June 2015 |
Two chapters opened: 9 – Financial services and 21 – Trans-European networks |
|
21 December 2015 |
Two chapters opened: 14 – Transport policy and 15 – Energy |
|
30 June 2016 |
Two chapters opened: 12 – Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy and 13 – Fisheries |
|
13 December 2016 |
Two chapters opened: 11 – Agriculture and rural development and 19 – Social policy and employment |
|
20 June 2017 |
Two chapters opened: 1 – Free movement of goods and 22 – Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments and chapter 30 – External relations provisionally closed |
|
11 December 2017 |
Two chapters opened: 2 – Freedom of movement for workers and 3 – Right of establishment and freedom to provide services |
|
25 June 2018 |
Chapter 17 – Economic and monetary policy opened |
|
10 December 2018 |
Chapter 27 – Environment opened |
