A Historic Opportunity for Montenegro to Conclude the EU Accession Process

The twenty-second meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee between the EU and Montenegro (JCC) was held in Podgorica.

Opening the meeting, the Minister of European Affairs, Maida Gorčević, stated that the commencement of drafting the Accession Treaty represents the final phase of the negotiation process and a clear signal that Montenegro’s membership in the European Union is a goal set to be achieved in 2028.

“Alongside the closing of negotiation chapters, the drafting of the Accession Treaty directly determines the pace of our entry into the European Union and confirms that we are running the final lap of a fourteen-year marathon on the path towards the EU,” the Minister said.

She emphasised that, from the very beginning, civil society has played an important and recognised role in the negotiation process, and that representatives of the civil sector, through their participation in working groups, actively contribute to the quality of reforms and the overall accession process.

“I believe that Montenegro’s European path must be a project of the entire society. This implies not only a critical approach, but also the responsibility to jointly recognise and promote the achievements that bring us closer to membership, and to present Montenegro as the next EU Member State. In this way, we further strengthen the credibility of our policy and contribute to creating a positive image of Montenegro’s readiness for membership,” Gorčević stated.

Copyright: EU4ME

The Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, Riccardo Serri, pointed out that Montenegro has a historic opportunity to conclude the EU accession process.

“Montenegro has a historic opportunity to bring its European Union accession process to a close, but there is no time to lose – progress depends on the implementation of concrete reforms in the coming months. This process must be driven not only by institutions, but also in partnership with civil society, whose engagement is essential to ensure that reforms deliver tangible benefits to citizens and the economy, with strong support from the European Union in this final phase,” Serri stated.

Co-chair from the European side, Danko Relić, said that the EU–Montenegro Joint Consultative Committee continues to play a key role in strengthening dialogue between institutions, social partners, and civil society in the EU accession process. He highlighted that the strong political commitment is particularly encouraging, as confirmed by the participation of high-level Government representatives.

“In light of recent developments, including the establishment of the Working Group for drafting the Accession Treaty, it is clear that the accession process is entering a more mature and concrete phase. At the same time, it is important to emphasise that enlargement is not solely a technical process, but also a strategic and geopolitical issue, which entails candidate countries contributing to the security of the European Union, strengthening resilience—particularly in the context of increasingly pronounced external influences—and preserving democratic values,” Relić stated.

Co-chair of the JCC from both the Montenegrin and European sides, Srđa Keković, noted that the negotiation process has been ongoing for quite some time, but that Montenegro is now closer than ever to its goal.

“Today, the composition of our Joint Consultative Committee begins its two-and-a-half-year mandate, with the conviction that Montenegro will become the 28th Member State of the European Union before its expiry. This is further confirmed by the establishment of an ad hoc working group for drafting Montenegro’s Accession Treaty to the European Union, which represents a clear signal from our European partners that our negotiation process is nearing completion. Therefore, we call on all decision-makers, especially in the Parliament and Government of Montenegro, to set aside their political and other interests for a moment and to focus on meeting deadlines in fulfilling the final benchmarks in the remaining chapters, in order to meet citizens’ expectations that our country will join the European Union by 2028,” Keković stated.

Representatives of the civil sector—Dejan Milovac (MANS), Dragana Jaćimović (Institute Alternative), and Vesna Daković (MBA)—spoke about the current state of the Reform Agenda and the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, as well as the fulfilment of interim benchmarks within Cluster 1 – Fundamental Rights.

During the meeting, JCC members also reviewed the situation in Chapter 19: Social Policy and Employment. On this topic, views were exchanged by the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Naida Nišić, members of the negotiation structure, representatives of trade unions and the NGO sector: Marko Ćipović (Deputy Head of the Working Group), Ivana Mihajlović (Union of Free Trade Unions), Rumica Kostić (Employers’ Union), Tatjana Džudović (Union of Free Trade Unions), Marina Vujačić (NGO UMHCG), and Dumitru Fornea (EU).

The meeting also addressed the coordination of structural instruments and preparations for the next Multiannual Financial Framework, as well as an overview of the state of civil society in Montenegro. Perspectives on these topics were presented by Bojan Vujović (Director-General at the Ministry of European Affairs), Melanie Bride (the Delegation of the EU to Montenegro), Monika Panayotova (EU), Liselotte Isaksson (the Delegation of the EU to Montenegro), Zorana Marković (NGO CRNVO), Daliborka Uljarević (NGO CGO), and Kristina Mihailović (Parents Association).

Source: EU4ME