The only real candidate in the Balkans
According to a draft of a European Commission document, whose publication has been postponed several times (first from October 2025 to the end of the year, and then to spring 2026), the EU enlargement process is in a state of stagnation for most candidate countries.
The report assesses the candidate countries:
- Montenegro is the absolute leader of the process. The country has opened all negotiation chapters and has so far successfully closed 14 of them. The main challenge for Podgorica now is to meet the strict criteria for closing the remaining 19 chapters.
- Albania has made some progress by opening all negotiation chapters last year, but has not yet managed to close a single one.
- Serbia has stalled: no new chapters have been opened for more than four years due to problems with the rule of law, relations with Russia, and the unresolved dialogue with Kosovo.
- North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina remain blocked due to internal political disagreements and protracted disputes with neighboring countries.
The document emphasizes that Montenegro’s integration — a country with a population of just over 600,000 — poses no serious financial or institutional challenges for the European Union. Moreover, its accession is critically necessary for Brussels itself in order to prove the viability of the enlargement process and not lose the trust of citizens of European countries.
Accession Treaty
In parallel with the European Commission’s assessments, the European Council has launched work on a draft Accession Treaty for Montenegro to the EU (Accession Treaty). The creation of a dedicated working group had long been blocked by France, Germany, and the Netherlands, which insisted that before admitting new members the EU must carry out internal reforms (for example, revise individual countries’ veto rights). In the end, a consensus was reached.
As European diplomats note, this document will be fundamentally new. According to Croatian MEP Tonino Picula, Montenegro’s Accession Treaty will be a document of the «new generation». It will contain strengthened safeguard mechanisms in case the country backslides on the rule of law. The MEP emphasizes that Montenegro should become a «benchmark for future enlargement», and that accelerated membership must not come at the expense of the quality of reforms.
The price and challenges for the EU
The European Commission report also analyzes in detail how enlargement itself will affect the EU’s internal mechanisms. Experts warn that when new countries are admitted, the main burden will fall on the following areas:
- Cohesion policy (regional cohesion policy).
- The Common Agricultural Policy.
- Environmental protection.
- Freedom of movement for workers.
At the same time, the Commission reassures skeptics: the overall shock to the European system will be no greater than during the 2004 «Big Bang», when 10 new states joined the EU at once.
The goal is 2028
The government of Montenegro officially and confidently states its intention to become the 28th EU member by 2028. Minister for European Affairs Maida Gorčević confirmed in April 2026 that integration is no longer purely declarative — it is being implemented through concrete changes in institutions and legislation. To achieve this goal, Montenegro is rapidly closing the remaining negotiation chapters, rejecting «shortcuts» in favor of full and high-quality compliance with all Brussels criteria.
Sources:
- Vijesti.me (10.05.2026) — «Jedino je Crna Gora blizu okončanja postupka: Jutarnji list o neobjavljenom Izvještaju EK» | Read the original
- Dan.co.me (10.05.2026) — «Jutarnji list o neobjavljenom Izvještaju EK: Crna Gora jedina suštinski blizu ulaska u EU» | Read the original
- Gov.me (April 2026) — Statements by Minister Maida Gorčević on the 2028 goal | Read the original
- Portal Analitika (10.05.2026) — «Picula: Nije najvažnije kada, nego kakva će Crna Gora ući u EU» | Read the original
- Photo source: Vijesti.me