EU and Montenegro Provisionally Close Accession Chapter 21

EU Council Sanctions Press Releases

Published March 17th, 2026

Detected March 18th, 2026

Summary

The Council of the EU announced the provisional closure of accession negotiations with Montenegro on Chapter 21, Trans-European networks. This marks a step in Montenegro's EU accession process, bringing the total number of provisionally closed chapters to fourteen.

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What changed

The Council of the EU has announced the provisional closure of accession negotiations with Montenegro concerning Chapter 21, which covers Trans-European networks. This development occurred during the 26th Accession Conference meeting on March 17, 2026. Montenegro has now opened all 33 negotiating chapters and provisionally closed fourteen of them, indicating significant progress in its EU accession bid.

This notice serves as an informational update on the progress of Montenegro's EU accession negotiations. While this closure is provisional and subject to overall agreement on all chapters, it signifies a positive step in the ongoing process. No immediate compliance actions or deadlines are imposed on regulated entities by this announcement, as it pertains to intergovernmental accession negotiations.

Source document (simplified)

Council of the EU
Press release
17 March 2026 18:45

EU and Montenegro provisionally close chapter on Trans-European networks in accession negotiations

Today, the 26 th meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro provisionally closed accession negotiations on chapter 21 (Trans-European networks).

In the current geopolitical context, enlargement is more than ever a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability, and prosperity. I am delighted to see another negotiating chapter with Montenegro being closed today, in the second Intergovernmental Conference for Montenegro under the Cyprus presidency, bringing their total number to 14. Montenegro remains a frontrunner in the enlargement process and today’s progress confirms the strong momentum of its accession negotiations, which is based on own merits.

Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the EU
The EU may, if necessary, return to this chapter at an appropriate moment.

This provisional closure follows less than two months after the previous accession conference on 26 January 2026, which provisionally closed chapter 32 on financial control. Monitoring of progress in the alignment with and implementation of the EU acquis will continue throughout the negotiations.

Montenegro has opened all 33 negotiating chapters in its EU accession negotiations. With the provisional closure agreed today, a total of fourteen of these chapters have now been provisionally closed. According to the negotiating principles endorsed by the Accession Conference, agreements reached in the course of negotiations on specific chapters may not be considered as final until an overall agreement has been reached for all chapters.

Background

The European Union delegation was led by Ms Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the EU, with the participation of Commissioner for Enlargement, Ms Marta Kos. The Montenegrin delegation was led by Mr Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro.

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