PRINT

EU and Montenegro close accession negotiations in the areas of economic and monetary policy, statistics, and social policy and employment

Milojsko Spajić shaking hands with Marta Kos
© Copyright: Bojan Gnjidić, Vlada Crne Gore

 

The EU and Montenegro provisionally closed accession negotiations on economic and monetary policy (chapter 17), statistics (chapter 18) and social policy and employment (chapter 19).

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said the reforms under the three provisionally closed chapters bring tangible benefits to Montenegro.

“Hard work has brought the country to the final steps towards EU accession.”

At a press conference, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić said that the closure of the three chapters had established a clear framework for economic and monetary stability.

„I am proud that at the second Intergovernmental Conference for Montenegro held under the Irish presidency, we provisionally closed three more negotiating chapters. With 21 negotiating chapters now provisionally closed, Montenegro is making continued progress towards the closure of all remaining chapters. Enlargement is a geopolitical necessity for the EU and remains a top priority of the Irish presidency” said Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European affairs and defence of Ireland, on behalf of the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU

These provisional closures follow on the heels of the previous accession conference on 14 July 2026, which provisionally closed chapters 8 on competition policy and 29 on customs union. Monitoring of progress in the alignment with and implementation of the EU acquis will continue throughout the negotiations.

Montenegro has opened all 33 negotiating chapters in its EU accession negotiations. With today’s closures, a total of twenty-one of these chapters have now been provisionally closed. According to the negotiating principles endorsed by the Accession Conference, agreements reached in the course of negotiations on specific chapters may not be considered as final until an overall agreement has been reached for all chapters. 

The EU may, if necessary, return to these chapters at an appropriate moment.