What is being negotiated?

Chapter 28 consists of two main areas: consumer protection and public health protection. The goal of this chapter is to align the legislation and policies of candidate countries with European Union standards.

Consumer protection

Consumer protection policy aims to preserve the economic interests of citizens, ensure product safety, provide accurate and complete information about goods and services, and educate consumers about their rights. It is also important to provide legal remedies in cases of violations of consumer rights.

EU legislation in this area provides for:

• Out-of-court dispute resolution,

• The right to compensation,

• The right to unilateral contract termination.

These measures contribute to raising consumer awareness and creating a safe and fair market for all EU citizens. Consumer protection is considered a matter of public interest and is an important factor in the quality of life in the EU.

Public health protection

The second area of Chapter 28 relates to the harmonization of public health policies among EU member states. The goal is to improve population health and ensure effective control over achieving health objectives.

Public health areas include:

• Prevention and control of infectious diseases,

• Combatting rare diseases and cancer,

• Preventing drug, tobacco, and alcohol dependency,

• Prevention of alcohol-related accidents,

• Control of diseases linked to environmental pollution,

• Ensuring rapid and coordinated action in health emergencies.

In addition, public health covers regulation of the use of blood, organs, tissues, and cells (SOHO legislation), improvement of mental health, promotion of healthy nutrition, and reduction of health inequalities.

When was Chapter 28 opened?

Chapter 28 – Consumer Protection and Health was opened on 16 December 2014. and temporarily closed on June 15, 2026 at the Intergovernmental Conference held in Luxembourg.

Benchmarks for closing

Montenegro has three final benchmarks under this chapter: one related to consumer protection and two related to public health:

1. Montenegro must amend the Law on General Product Safety and the Consumer Protection Law to further align its legislation with Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights, and demonstrate the establishment of adequate administrative structures and capacities to properly implement the legislation by the accession date.

2. Montenegro must demonstrate compliance with the acquis in the field of infectious diseases and ensure appropriate institutional, technical, and administrative capacities by the accession date, so that the acquis is implemented and reporting and coordination obligations with the EU are fulfilled to address serious cross-border health threats.

3. Montenegro must adopt laws achieving alignment with the acquis concerning substances of human origin, particularly regarding organs, reproductive cells, and reporting of serious adverse events and reactions. Montenegro must also demonstrate that it will have adequate administrative capacities for proper implementation and enforcement of laws in the areas of blood, tissues, cells, and organs by the accession date.