Brussels: Montenegro could sign EU accession treaty by June 2027

Montenegro could wrap up its European Union accession talks by the end of 2026 and sign an accession treaty as early as June 2027, the European Commission said Wednesday in its annual enlargement report. That timetable puts the small Adriatic country on course for the membership it's aiming at: 2028.

The Commission credited Montenegro's reform push, but didn't hand out a free pass. It urged the government to keep the momentum going and to hold on to cross-party backing — the kind of support that tends to fray once the finish line comes into view.

If it gets there, Montenegro would be the first candidate to close negotiations since Croatia, which joined the bloc in 2013. It's not running alone, though: Albania, Ukraine and Moldova are also among the frontrunners in the queue.

Montenegro's road has been a long one. It applied for membership in December 2008, landed candidate status in December 2010 and kicked off accession talks in June 2012. Of the 33 negotiating chapters, all have been opened and 21 have been provisionally closed.

One hurdle remains at the very end: every one of the EU's 27 member states has to ratify the deal. Until those signatures land, the 2028 target stays a target.