EU moves to draft Montenegro’s accession treaty, commissioner says

EU member states have agreed to begin drafting Montenegro’s accession treaty, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos announced on Wednesday.

"Today, Member States decided to start drafting Montenegro’s EU Accession Treaty," Kos said on US social media company X.

“Montenegro’s place inside the EU is now taking shape,” she said, describing it as "a major step on the path to EU membership."

She added that the move marks “a clear recognition of Montenegro’s progress, and an encouragement to accelerate reforms.”

“It also offers a chance to draw lessons from past enlargements and include new and stronger safeguards in future accession treaties to prevent backsliding,” she said.

EU Council President Antonio Costa also welcomed the decision, calling it “a big step” toward Montenegro’s accession.

“Congratulations to Montenegro – today we took a big step towards your accession to the European Union,” Costa said on X.

He added that the establishment of a working party to draft the new accession treaty represents “a key milestone.”

“For the first time since 2013, the EU starts the clock for the next enlargement,” he said.

Drafting an accession treaty is a key stage in the EU enlargement process, defining the legal and institutional framework for membership.

Montenegro applied for EU membership in 2008 and was granted candidate status in June 2010. Accession negotiations were formally opened on June 29, 2012.