Montenegro has come very close to completing its negotiations on joining the European Union. According to the annual enlargement package published by the European Commission on 4 November 2026, the country could close all remaining negotiating chapters by the end of 2026, and sign the accession treaty as early as June 2027.
“For the first time since 2011, when the EU closed accession negotiations with Croatia, the Union is in a position to soon complete negotiations with another candidate country — Montenegro,” the European Commission’s report states. The Commission considers it realistic to close the negotiations by the end of 2026. This has become possible thanks to Podgorica’s sustained reform efforts.
To date, Montenegro has provisionally closed 21 of the 33 negotiating chapters. According to Brussels, the remaining chapters could be closed at intergovernmental conferences in November and December 2026 — provided there is unanimous agreement from all 27 EU member states. Work on the draft accession treaty is planned to be completed in the spring of 2027, with a tentative signing date of June 2027. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos explicitly stated that, at the current pace of reforms, the EU would be ready to sign the treaty in June 2027.
Montenegro (with a population of about 630,000) aims to become the 28th EU member state in 2028. However, signing the treaty does not automatically mean accession: the document must be ratified by all current EU member states. Brussels also stresses the need to maintain broad cross-party support for the European path inside Montenegro itself and to continue reforms, especially in the area of the rule of law.
Montenegro is currently leading among the candidates. It is followed in the group of the most advanced countries by Albania, Moldova and Ukraine, for which the European Commission has also presented indicative roadmaps. At the same time, experts and diplomats warn that the process could be complicated by bilateral issues — in particular with Croatia, whose consent is required at every stage.
If the planned timetable is met, Montenegro would become the first new country to join the EU after Croatia (2013). This would send an important signal for the entire EU enlargement process.
