The European Union has highly praised Montenegro’s progress on the path to membership: the country is becoming the leading candidate for accession by 2028
Montenegro has been recognized as the most advanced country in the Western Balkans on the path to joining the European Union — this is stated in the European Commission’s new annual report on the progress of EU enlargement. The document emphasizes that Podgorica has demonst...
Montenegro has been recognized as the most advanced country in the Western Balkans on the path to joining the European Union — this is stated in the new annual report of the European Commission on the progress of EU enlargement. The document emphasizes that Podgorica has demonstrated the "most significant progress" among the region’s candidate countries, while Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are noticeably lagging behind in carrying out reforms and achieving political stabilization.
Montenegro — a leader in European integration
According to the report, Montenegro has opened all 33 negotiating chapters, and seven of them have already been closed. The European Commission noted that "the continuous political commitment of the Montenegrin authorities to the strategic goal of European integration has produced tangible results in implementing the necessary reforms".
Particularly notable is the progress in reforming the judicial system: in 2024, the country implemented an intensive phase of changes aimed at strengthening the independence, impartiality, and accountability of the courts. These measures, it is emphasized, are already producing "the first positive results".
Montenegro has also advanced in the fight against corruption, ensuring freedom of expression, and developing media pluralism. Progress was also noted in combating money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as in implementing Schengen and customs plans.
An important element of recognition from the EU was granting Montenegro access to the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans — a six-billion-euro financial assistance package designed to accelerate the region’s development and integration. Podgorica has already fulfilled 30 conditions from the Reform Agenda and received funds from the second wave of payments.
Economic integration with the EU
Since October, SEPA has been operating in Montenegro — the Single Euro Payments Area. This means that transfers between Montenegrin and European banks are now carried out under the same rules as within the EU, with lower fees and faster processing times.
In addition, from November 1 Montenegro will join the Convention on a Common Transit Procedure
, which simplifies the movement of goods across borders and reduces administrative procedures for businesses. These steps, as the European Commission emphasizes, are concrete proof that the country is already integrating into the common European economic space.
Preparation of the accession treaty
According to Politico, work has already begun in Brussels on a draft treaty on Montenegro’s accession to the European Union. This will be the first such document for Western Balkan countries in recent years.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that the new EU enlargement package, which will be presented in the coming days, "will be a geopolitical tool demonstrating that the European Union is capable of responding to challenges across the entire continent".
According to her, new countries will be admitted with the introduction of transition periods — temporary restrictions on some rights of new members, for example, the use of veto power in foreign policy matters. This approach, Kos said, will make it possible to avoid blocking decisions and ease the concerns of older EU members about the possible emergence of "new Orbáns" within the Union.
Brussels’ goal is to preserve the political momentum of enlargement while ensuring that only those countries that are truly ready for membership join the EU.
New member states may join the EU without full voting rights
The European Union is discussing the possibility of admitting new member states without full voting rights, including veto power, in the initial stages of membership. As reported by Politico, this idea is intended to speed up the enlargement process — for example, for Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkan states — while avoiding the need for complex changes to the EU founding treaties.
In such a format, new members would gain access to the internal market, funds, and institutions of the Union, but their influence on key decisions would be temporarily limited. The initiative is still at the stage of informal consultations among diplomats and has no legal force, but it reflects Brussels’ desire to find a compromise between the swift integration of candidates and maintaining effective governance in an enlarged EU.
A contrast with its neighbors: reform stagnation in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
The European Commission report emphasizes that Serbia "maintains European rhetoric," but the actual pace of reforms remains slow. Brussels is demanding that Belgrade "carry out credible reforms in all areas" and, in particular, alignment with the EU’s foreign and defense policy, including the introduction of sanctions against Russia.
At present, Serbia remains one of the few countries in Europe that has not joined anti-Russian sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine. The European Commission also points to "increased public polarization" in the country, mass protests, and growing pressure on civil society and independent media.
The document says that the risks of "state capture" and a high level of corruption still persist in Serbia, and attempts by the authorities to limit the independence of the judiciary "undermine the rule of law and democratic standards".
Another issue causing concern in Brussels is the accelerated granting of Serbian citizenship to Russian citizens, which creates "potential risks" for the visa-free regime between Belgrade and the EU.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the situation is assessed as reform stagnation amid political crises and confrontation between ethnic and administrative structures. The European Commission notes that laws undermining the constitutional order were adopted in Republika Srpska, and former leader Milorad Dodik was convicted for failing to comply with the decisions of the international High Representative.
In addition, due to delays in implementing the Reform Agenda, Brussels reduced the amount of financial assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina by 10%. Nevertheless, the country has achieved full alignment with the EU’s foreign and defense policy, including sanctions against Russia.
Europe is accelerating enlargement, but cautiously
The European Commission report emphasizes that the EU enlargement process is moving faster than it has in the past 15 years, but caution remains among member states. According to Politico, some countries, especially those neighboring potential candidates, remain skeptical and call not to "rush" the admission of new members.
Nevertheless, Brussels sees Montenegro as "an example of successful integration" and a signal to other countries in the region. According to analysts, if Podgorica maintains the current pace of reforms, Montenegro’s accession to the European Union could take place as early as 2028 — a symbolic year that the EU would like to mark as the beginning of a new wave of enlargement.
Photo source: Vlada Crne Gore (pictured: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro)
