On Monday 11 December, two new EU accession chapters were opened for Montenegro: chapter 2 on the free circulation of workers and chapter 3 on the right of establishment and the free supply of services.
Enlargement negotiations Commissioner Johannes Hahn told reporters that the two chapters were at the very heart of the internal market. Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mixler said on behalf of the presidency of the Council of the EU that the opening of these chapters was a tangible demonstration of the progress made by Montenegro towards accession.
With these chapters, Montenegro has now opened 10 in total and provisionally closed three. It is the country that has made the most progress towards enlargement. Montenegro’s European Minister, Aleksandar Andrija Pejović, said it was a remarkable success for his country in the five years since the accession negotiations opened. He added that it was a reason for intensifying efforts towards accession in order to open the remaining chapters, A Council press release said that other accession conferences would be planned where necessary to open these chapters and make progress in the first half of 2018.
Johannes Hahn said that Montenegro needed to pursue its reforms, particularly those relating to the rule of law. He called on all sides to overcome the Parliament’s boycott and make progress. He also pointed out that the country needed to take account of the OECD recommendations about the election process in an inclusive and transparent manner. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)