EU ambassadors in Brussels have approved the decision to start drafting Montenegro’s EU accession treaty, bringing the country ever closer to becoming the 28th member of the association. None of the other candidate countries has yet reached this stage on the road to EU membership.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos called the decision “an important step towards EU accession” and “a clear recognition of the progress Montenegro has made”. She also noted that the treaty will take into account the previous experience, and the document will contain clearer guarantees that the accession country will respect the rule of law and the fundamental values of the EU.
Montenegro was also congratulated by other leading EU representatives. The authorities hope that Montenegro will be able to join the EU no later than 2028.
Montenegro received the status of candidate for EU accession in 2010. It has long been called one of the main contenders to become the first country to join the EU, after Croatia’s accession in 2013.
At the same time, the EU discussed the possibility of accelerated membership for Ukraine, which displeased the Western Balkan countries, which have long been “queuing up”. The leadership of some countries, however, made it clear that an exception for Ukraine was unlikely to be made. Ukraine has acquired the status of a candidate for accession to the EU, but official accession negotiations have not yet begun, their start being blocked so far by Hungary. After the change of power in Budapest, this process may intensify.