Montenegro has provisionally closed three additional negotiating chapters in its European Union accession process, bringing the total to 21 out of 33 and marking another significant step towards EU membership.
The chapters were closed on 12 October at an Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg and cover Economic and Monetary Policy (Chapter 17), Statistics (Chapter 18), and Social Policy and Employment (Chapter 19).
The latest progress is particularly relevant to Montenegro’s economic development. Alignment with EU requirements in these areas is intended to strengthen economic governance, improve the reliability of official statistics and bring employment and social policies closer to European standards.
The agreement follows the closure of two chapters in July, covering competition policy and the customs union, as Montenegro continues to advance through the final stages of accession negotiations.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos welcomed the progress, highlighting the tangible benefits of reforms and describing Montenegro as approaching the final steps towards EU membership.
Ireland, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, also welcomed the achievement. Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne reaffirmed that enlargement remains a priority, noting Montenegro’s continued progress towards closing its remaining negotiating chapters.
With 21 chapters now provisionally closed, Montenegro has completed negotiations on almost two-thirds of the chapters required for accession, leaving 12 still to be closed.
However, provisional closure does not constitute a final agreement. The EU will continue monitoring Montenegro’s implementation of European rules, and the accession process will only be completed once all chapters and the overall negotiations have been concluded.
