BRUSSELS – Last night, the EU and Montenegro provisionally closed accession negotiations on economic and monetary policy (Chapter 17), statistics (Chapter 18) and social policy and employment (Chapter 19).
Montenegro has opened all 33 negotiating chapters in its EU accession negotiations.
These provisional closures follow on the heels of the previous accession conference on 14 July 2026, which provisionally closed chapters 8 on competition policy and 29 on customs union.
With latest closures, a total of twenty-one of these chapters have now been provisionally closed. According to the negotiating principles endorsed by the Accession Conference, agreements reached in the course of negotiations on specific chapters may not be considered as final until an overall agreement has been reached for all chapters.
The EU may, if necessary, return to these chapters at an appropriate moment.
“I am proud that at the second Intergovernmental Conference for Montenegro held under the Irish presidency, we provisionally closed three more negotiating chapters. With 21 negotiating chapters now provisionally closed, Montenegro is making continued progress towards the closure of all remaining chapters. Enlargement is a geopolitical necessity for the EU and remains a top priority of the Irish presidency”, stated Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European affairs and defence of Ireland, on behalf of the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU.
Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, stated that “Montenegro has closed three more negotiating chapters: Economic and Monetary Policy, Statistics, and Social Policy and Employment.
“Reforms under these chapters will help keep prices stable, give governments accurate data to make better decisions, and strengthen workers’ rights and safety at work. Close to two thirds of all chapters are now closed. The finish line is within reach. All political forces, in government and opposition, have a responsibility to put the interests of Montenegrins first, work together and deliver the remaining reforms without delay”, Kos underlined.
According to Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić, “the Government of Montenegro has completed literally all obligations under its jurisdiction necessary for the final stage of accession negotiations”.
“I believe that at other levels the necessary level of wisdom and compromise will be reached to bring this process to the very end. With our European partners, we continue decisively until the full membership of Montenegro in 2028”, Spajić noted.
