EU begins drafting Montenegro accession treaty: Commissioner

The European Commission’s Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos announced Wednesday that work has begun on drafting an EU accession agreement for Montenegro.

Kos said member states made the decision to start preparing the accession treaty, describing it as a significant step towards eventual membership.

“Montenegro’s place inside the EU is now taking shape. Today, Member States decided to start drafting Montenegro’s EU Accession Treaty. This is a major step on the path to EU membership, a clear recognition of Montenegro’s progress, and an encouragement to accelerate reforms," she wrote on US-based social media platform X.

"It also offers a chance to draw lessons from past enlargements and include new and stronger safeguards in future accession treaties to prevent backsliding on the rule of law and fundamental values," she added.

Montenegro applied for EU membership in 2008, began accession negotiations in 2012 and is the frontrunner among Western Balkan candidates, having opened all negotiating chapters.