Parliament of Montenegro (BETAPHOTO/AMIR HAMZAGIC)
France has agreed with the forming of a working group for drafting the contract on Montenegro’s EU accession, coupled with an informal agreement for it to start operating after Montenegro fulfills several conditions, the Podgorica-based daily Vijesti reported on Dec. 17.
The agreement was made on France’s request, which several EU members and candidates supported. The sources of Vijesti from diplomatic circles and the Montenegrin government claim that French representatives had tried to include their conditions for the working group in the EU Council’s conclusions about enlargement, but that the agreement on the conditions for the start of the working group’s operation was reached instead, which is also referenced in the draft conclusions.
It has been agreed for the working group to convene for the first time after Montenegro closes a sufficient number of negotiation chapters and after the EU and the member states provide guidelines “on the future format of accession contracts.” Allegedly, some EU states want Montenegro’s accession contract to be a model for the contracts with other candidate countries, the report reads.
France has explained the delay in the start of drafting of the contract with the need for the member states to have more time to assess the progress accomplished by reforms. Experts tasked with assessing the reforms are to arrive in Montenegro in early 2026.
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