The Commission has advocated a stronger Union through enlargement, and has put a very modest pricetag on Montenegro's accession
Debates surrounding EU enlargement have endless dimensions. They can be viewed in terms of defence, strategic autonomy, through an administrative lens, or eventual repercussions on labour forces. But at some point, these discussions all lead back to money.
So putting a price tag on accession goes a long way in substantiating the argument, seeing it in plain economic terms. Such is the case with Montenegro (the country most likely to next join the Union), for which the European Commission estimates the cost will be €3.2 billion – “less than one euro per EU citizen per year”.
Montenegro, with a population of just 620,000, has been negotiating membership since 2010. It has set its sights on joining in the first half of 2028 under the auspices of Italy during its rotating EU presidency.
The Commission has advocated a stronger Union through enlargement. It hopes that by framing Montenegro’s membership in such modest terms, EU countries that are more wary about growing EU costs might be placated.
