This is a “record year for EU enlargement policy”

This is a “record year for EU enlargement policy.” This is the message conveyed at the Ministerial Meeting of the Berlin Process, which is being held in Pržno near Budva.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that Montenegro’s progress had given new momentum to the enlargement policy in the Western Balkans.

“You have already closed 18 negotiating chapters, and we expect several more chapters to be closed at the next Intergovernmental Conference in mid-October. You are now firmly in the final stage, so continue to invest all your energy in successfully concluding the negotiations,” said Marta Kos.

Kos said that enlargement represents a security and strategic interest for Europe. She stressed that the principle of enlargement remains merit-based despite geopolitical developments.

“Geopolitics determines why enlargement matters and how urgently we need to act. But we remain committed to the merit-based principle, because it is merit that determines the conditions, who is ready to join and when,” said Marta Kos.

Copyright: Evropska kuća

She stressed that 2026 was already a record year for opening and closing negotiating chapters.

“Nine months into the year, we have already opened or closed more chapters than in any previous year over the past 25 years,” said Marta Kos, stressing that enlargement is not only a political issue, but also a matter of security, economic development and the resilience of European democracies.

The host of the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimović, stressed that the meeting is taking place at a time when Europe is changing rapidly.

“The security environment around us is becoming more complex. The European continent is facing conventional military threats, as well as hybrid attacks, cyber threats, disinformation, foreign interference and growing pressure on critical infrastructure. At the same time, Europe is undergoing profound economic and technological transformation, and our societies are changing with it – perhaps most importantly, in terms of the expectations of young people. That is why I believe that the European perspective of the Western Balkans should not be understood solely as an institutional process,” said Ibrahimović.