The Ministry of European Affairs organised a presentation and consultations on the Draft Programme for Montenegro’s Accession to the European Union 2026–2027.
The event, attended by representatives of the European Integration Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro, members of the negotiating structure, and non-governmental organisations, provided an opportunity to exchange views with the aim of ensuring the highest possible quality in the finalisation of this strategic document.
The document was presented by State Secretary at the Ministry of European Affairs, Biljana Papović; Acting Director General of the Directorate for Montenegro’s Accession to the European Union and the EU acquis, Denis Vukotić; and Head of the Agriculture and Fisheries Unit at the Ministry of European Affairs, Granica Petrić.
State Secretary Papović explained that the Accession Programme represents the most important strategic document in the negotiation process and that it covers obligations for 2026 and 2027. She further pointed out that, in line with previous practice, Montenegro faces a large number of obligations within the document itself, but that it is necessary to make a clear distinction between those arising from closing benchmarks, that is, the closure of negotiating chapters. She stressed that these obligations are precisely the Government’s and the negotiating structure’s priority for the first two quarters of 2026, when the deadline for their implementation is envisaged, all with the aim of closing all negotiating chapters by the end of 2026.
In this regard, she stated that, out of a total of 564 acts, 490 are planned for 2026, of which 122 obligations are directly linked to meeting benchmarks and closing chapters, namely 22 strategic acts, 48 laws, and 52 by-laws. She also emphasised that, through this Accession Programme, efforts were made, including visual ones, to highlight the obligations that constitute the conditions for closing chapters, which are marked in blue.
She underlined that it is extremely important for Montenegro to complete the negotiation process by the end of 2026, noting that the deadlines are short, and, bearing in mind the importance of the role and activities of civil society in the EU accession process, she invited representatives of non-governmental organisations to become involved and contribute so that the work can be completed in a timely and high-quality manner.
Acting Director General Denis Vukotić stated that the Accession Programme is a key strategic document of European integration, defining the scope and dynamics of reforms necessary for alignment with the legal acquis of the European Union. Due to the continuous development of the EU acquis, the Programme is updated annually to reflect the latest changes and ensure alignment of national legislation with European standards.
He explained that the preparation of the Accession Programme began in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the aim of aligning the document with the new EU acquis from 1 October 2024 to 31 October 2025, as well as with the dynamics of adopting national legislative and strategic documents necessary for the finalisation of accession negotiations by the end of 2026.
“The preparation of the Programme for Montenegro’s Accession to the European Union for the period 2026–2027 involved a detailed analysis of 2,625 European Union acts, whereby relevant regulations to be transposed into the national legal order were translated into planned obligations contained in the Programme. The Programme is designed to clearly distinguish activities that represent an immediate precondition for closing negotiating chapters from those implemented as part of the regular process of further alignment with the European Union acquis. Activities of key importance for closing chapters are planned in the first two quarters of the year, in line with the practice of the European Commission, according to which all obligations must be implemented at least four months before the planned closure of negotiating chapters,” said Vukotić.
The Head of the Agriculture and Fisheries Unit at the Ministry of European Affairs, Granica Kovačević Petrić, presented the statistical aspects of the document, highlighting the scope of obligations within the strategic and legislative framework by year, with a particular focus on the negotiating chapters and institutions with the highest number of planned obligations. In this context, she highlighted that, under the Draft Accession Programme, the largest number of obligations is planned in six negotiating chapters: Chapter 14 – Transport Policy (81 obligations); Chapter 12 – Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Policy (80 obligations); Chapter 1 – Free Movement of Goods and Chapter 13, with the same number of obligations (55 obligations); Chapter 27 – Environment and Climate Change (37 obligations); and Chapter 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights (28 obligations).
She pointed out that the highest number of obligations was planned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management – 94 obligations; the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Affairs – 80 obligations; the Ministry of Finance – 62 obligations; the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development – 41 obligations; the Ministry of Economic Development – 38 obligations; and the Ministry of Transport – 36 obligations.
During the discussion, representatives of the civil sector expressed interest in an overview of the level of fulfilment of obligations in the previous year. They also showed interest in adopting acts under an urgent procedure, issues related to constitutional amendments, and issues concerning gender identity based on self-determination.