Montenegro has moved another step closer to joining the European Union after EU ambassadors approved the creation of a special working body that will help prepare the country’s future accession treaty.
The newly established Ad Hoc Working Party, made up of representatives from EU member states, will begin regular meetings focused on the legal and technical details required for Montenegro’s eventual entry into the bloc. European officials described the move as an important signal that enlargement remains an active priority for Brussels.
“This marks a significant step forward in Montenegro’s accession process and sends a strong signal to all enlargement partners that EU accession remains within reach,” a spokesperson for the Cypriot EU presidency said after the group held its first meeting.
Montenegro, which has a population of around 600,000 people, became an official EU candidate in 2010, four years after separating from Serbia. Formal accession negotiations started in 2012. Since then, the country has provisionally closed 14 out of the 33 negotiating chapters required before membership can be finalized.
The rule of law continues to be viewed as the biggest remaining challenge. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has repeatedly urged Podgorica to maintain the pace of judicial and institutional reforms as negotiations enter a more advanced stage.
