Next week, Montenegro will close three chapters in the accession negotiations with the European Union, this is the decision of the ambassadors of the EU member states.
The intergovernmental conference on accession will be held on December 16 in Brussels, it was confirmed at the end of the ambassadors’ meeting.
Montenegro hoped to close four chapters. At the meeting, Croatia did not agree to close Chapter 31, which refers to foreign, security and defense policy. Last month, Croatia sent a non-paper to Montenegro in which it requested the resolution of open issues that damage the relations between the two countries.
Montenegro will temporarily close Chapter Seven (Intellectual Property Law), Chapter 10 (Information Society and Media) and Chapter 20 (Entrepreneurship and Industrial Policy).
In the process of accession negotiations, Montenegro opened all chapters and temporarily closed three. She closed the chapters for the last time in 2017.
“At the end of 2024, we are rounding off the most successful and intensive period of European integration. In just over 12 months – we have regained the trust of the EU, fulfilled the interim benchmarks for chapters 23&24, received the first IBAR in EU history, became the first candidate with SEPA membership, received approval of the Reform Agenda in the amount of over 380 million euros, held two intergovernmental conferences, and at the third one we will close three chapters,” said Montenegrin Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević.
She emphasized that Montenegro will continue in the rhythm of Euro-optimism in 2025, when the country, as she says , expect even greater and historic achievements.
The ambassadors also reached an agreement to open a cluster with Albania, Cluster 6.
