Brussels, 15/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On 15 December, Montenegro submitted its application to join the European Union. Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic went to Paris on Monday, where he submitted his country's official application to the President-in-exercise of the European Council, Nicolas Sarkozy. Commissioner Olli Rehn (Enlargement) also took part in the ceremony. "We are aware of the fact that we are going through a difficult time, but we are prepared to work with our partners and to meet all the challenges we will face", said Mr Djukanovic. Mr Rehn immediately welcomed Montenegro's decision. "This day is an historic stage which marks the great commitment of Montenegro to the common fundamental European values. It is now up the Council to decide to follow. The Commission is prepared to put together an opinion on Montenegro's application, as soon as the Council invites it to do so", he said. Mr Rehn added that Montenegro had made "considerable progress in its preparations for European integration" and that the country "plays a constructive and stabilising role in the region".
Montenegro, which is a country of the Western Balkans, has concluded a stabilisation and association agreement (SAA) with the EU. Like the five other countries of the region (Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo), the country has been given a "European perspective" by the EU, in other words the promise that it may one day join the EU as long as the accession conditions are fulfilled.
The application has now been put to the Council which, if it decides to, starts the procedure laid down by the Treaty of by calling on Commission to put together an "opinion". On the basis of this recommendation, the Council will decide unanimously on whether or not to grant the status of "candidate country". The Czech Republic, which will have the Presidency of the EU on the first of 2009, has set itself the priority of forwarding the European integration of the Baltic states. It is therefore more than likely that the Montenegrin application will be recommended to the Council in early 2009. The last country which applied for membership is the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). It obtained the status of candidate country in December 2005, but is still waiting for a decision of the EU on opening the negotiations for accession. (H.B./trans.fl)