EU to prepare enlargement roadmap, Montenegro could see faster integration

The European Commission (EC) is expected to present a document in the coming days concerning a review of reforms ahead of enlargement, with enlargement set to be the main topic of the next European Union leaders’ summit at the end of the month.

The annual report on the progress of candidate countries is also expected at the end of October, CE Report quotes FENA.

The move is part of the European Commission’s efforts to fulfil commitments made by President Ursula von der Leyen during her 2022 inauguration, Adnan Ćerimagić, a senior analyst at the European Stability Initiative in Berlin and a close observer of political developments in Brussels, told Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG).

EC to Assess Whether EU Is Ready for New Members

Ćerimagić said the EC president will present a document assessing whether the European Union itself is ready for new members and what the EU would need to do to prepare for further enlargement.

The annual report on the progress of candidate countries is expected at the end of October.

The EU intends to present a roadmap for countries seeking to join the bloc. This would give all candidates, particularly Montenegro, clearer indications of when they could expect the next concrete steps.

“Of course, the European Commission is the institution that can make proposals and put forward ideas, but decisions on concrete steps, such as completing the accession treaty, concluding negotiations and, ultimately, full EU membership, are matters decided unanimously by the member states,” Ćerimagić said.

Montenegro Must Meet Expectations

Although the latest proposals are optimistic and offer some hope, the reactions of the member states still need to be awaited.

Montenegro is doing much of what is within its power, Ćerimagić said.

“It must continue and convince the European Commission, as well as the member states, that it has done everything expected of it,” he said.

Potential Benefits for Citizens and Economy

“Montenegro, in addition to what Croatia received, such as participation in the work of EU institutions as an observer, could also gain concrete benefits that citizens and the economy would feel, such as the Franco-German proposal that the next country, namely Montenegro, should enjoy all the benefits, including participation in the single market, immediately after completing its reforms,” Ćerimagić said.

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