Montenegro is being presented by Brussels as the most advanced candidate in the race to join the European Union. According to Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, the accession treaty could be signed as early as next summer if the technical part of the negotiations is completed on time.
Brussels sets an ambitious timeline
According to Marta Kos’s statement, the technical part of the negotiations with Podgorica could be completed by the end of this year or at the beginning of next year. Along the same lines, the European Commission has begun preparations for the accession treaty, which under this projection could be signed next summer.
This is an ambitious timeline and remains tied not only to the pace of negotiations, but also to the political will of the member states, which in the decisive phases carry the real weight of the process.
Full membership mentioned for 2028
According to the version presented by the commissioner, after the treaty is signed, ratification by the member states begins, a process that could last from one to two years. Under this scenario, Montenegro could become the EU’s 28th member in 2028.
The deadlines, however, depend on political developments in each member state and on the bloc’s readiness to move enlargement forward without new blockages.
Podgorica remains the most advanced candidate
Montenegro is considered the candidate country furthest ahead in the accession process. So far it has provisionally closed 18 of the 33 negotiating chapters, while Montenegrin authorities aim to conclude the negotiations by the end of this year.
This position gives Podgorica a clear advantage over other candidate countries, at least in Brussels’ official reading of the pace of rapprochement with the EU.
New rules and focus on the October summit
The European Commission has said that Montenegro is expected to be the first country where the new approach for candidate countries will be applied. On October 6, the Commission approved the proposal for this new approach toward states seeking EU membership.
Enlargement is expected to be one of the main topics at the summit of European leaders on October 15 and 16 in Brussels. At the end of October, the Commission is also expected to present the framework roadmaps for Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine, where the main condition remains maintaining the pace of reforms.
Signals from Brussels for Montenegro are more optimistic than usual, but the EU enlargement calendar has often shown that political statements do not automatically translate into membership.
Beyond the announced timelines, the real test will remain the closing of negotiations, ratifications in European capitals and the sustainability of the reforms required by the process.