EU says Montenegro on track to become bloc's next member state by 2028

Being “on track” means Montenegro is currently the leading EU candidate and is following a timetable that could lead to membership in 2028. It does not mean membership is guaranteed. The country must still complete reforms and finish the formal accession process.

The European Commission said negotiations could be wrapped up by the end of 2026. If that happens, Montenegro could sign an accession treaty in June 2027. The treaty would set out the terms for joining the EU and would then need approval from every member state.

The projected date depends on several steps going as planned. Montenegro must address remaining issues, especially fundamental rights and financial services. All 27 EU countries must ratify the treaty. If they do, membership could be finalized in 2028, making Montenegro the bloc’s next member after Croatia joined in 2013.

EU accession negotiations are formal talks between the Union and a candidate country about meeting the requirements for membership. They matter because joining the EU requires national laws and standards to work consistently with shared European rules. The process tests whether a candidate can fulfill those commitments.

The article gives Montenegro as the clearest example. The country is expected to continue reforms, particularly on fundamental rights and financial services. Negotiations could finish by the end of 2026 if progress continues. An accession treaty could then be signed in June 2027.

Signing the treaty is not the final step. Every one of the 27 EU member states must ratify it. Only after that approval can membership be finalized. The article says this sequence could allow Montenegro to join in 2028. Thus, negotiations prepare the agreement, while ratification completes the political approval process.

Montenegro is a small Balkan country with a population of 630,000, according to the article. That figure describes the country’s size in people, not the scale of its legal or political task. EU membership depends on meeting common requirements and completing the Union’s approval process.

The key number for accession is 27. Montenegro’s treaty must be ratified by every one of the 27 existing EU member states. Before that stage, the country must finish negotiations and carry out remaining reforms, especially in fundamental rights and financial services.

The article presents a possible sequence: negotiations could end by late 2026, the treaty could be signed in June 2027, and ratification could permit membership in 2028. Montenegro’s population helps show its national scale, while the 27-state requirement shows the collective decision needed for joining the EU.

Montenegro is the EU’s leading candidate, but “on track” does not mean every requirement has been met. The European Commission says the country must still implement several reforms before membership can become possible. These reforms are part of the broader effort to meet EU rules and standards.

The article highlights two areas in particular: fundamental rights and financial services. It does not specify the exact legal changes or institutions involved. More generally, candidates must bring national laws and standards into line with EU requirements, including rules covering environmental protection and human rights.

The remaining work matters because negotiations can be completed only when the candidate has made sufficient progress across the accession requirements. If Montenegro finishes negotiations by the end of 2026, it could sign a treaty in June 2027. Ratification by all 27 EU states would still be necessary for membership in 2028.

Accession negotiations and treaty ratification are separate stages. Completing negotiations would show that Montenegro had reached an agreement with the EU on the conditions for joining. It would not, by itself, create membership. The article specifically says the treaty must be ratified by all 27 EU member states.

For example, the Commission’s proposed timetable has negotiations ending by the close of 2026 and a treaty being signed in June 2027. That treaty would then move through the ratification process in each member state. If even one country did not ratify it, the required all-member approval would be missing.

The direct consequence is that Montenegro could not finalize membership under that treaty on the projected 2028 timetable. The article does not explain what would happen next, such as whether a new agreement or further negotiations would follow. It establishes only that unanimous ratification is required for membership to be finalized.

Montenegro is currently the strongest performer among nine candidate countries seeking EU membership. The Commission says it could finish negotiations first. Albania is roughly a year behind and aims to complete negotiations by the end of 2027 after more justice reforms and action against organized crime and corruption.

Moldova hopes to implement required reforms by early 2028, a goal the Commission calls ambitious but achievable at its current pace. Ukraine has made progress despite Russia’s invasion, but must accelerate reforms involving the rule of law and democratic institutions. These countries are moving forward, but on different schedules.

Progress is slower for North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia. Serbia could receive a boost if a new government strengthens democracy after the student movement defeated Aleksandar Vucic. Kosovo seeks membership but lacks candidate status. Georgia and Turkey are considered furthest away because of democratic backsliding.

EU candidates must align their national laws and standards with the Union’s requirements because membership places countries inside a shared legal and political system. Common rules help make commitments meaningful across member states. The article connects this work with areas such as environmental protection and human rights.

Montenegro shows how this works in practice. Although it is the leading candidate, it still needs reforms in fundamental rights and financial services. Ukraine has also been praised for progress, but the Commission says it must improve the rule of law and the functioning of democratic institutions. These are not separate from accession; they are central to it.

This requirement also explains why progress differs among candidates. Albania must continue justice reforms and fight organized crime and corruption, while democratic backsliding puts Georgia and Turkey furthest away. Aligning laws therefore serves as both a membership condition and a way to build trust in shared institutions and protections.