The Montenegro EU Accession Program for the period 2026–2027, adopted by the Government at yesterday’s session, represents a clear and operational roadmap for closing all negotiating chapters by the end of 2026, bringing Montenegro into the final phase of the negotiation process.
The Ministry of European Affairs stated that this strategic document precisely defines the timing of the adoption of national legislative and strategic acts, fully complementary to the Government’s plan for closing negotiating chapters and successfully finalizing negotiations with the European Union.
Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević said that the 2026–2027 Accession Program confirms the readiness of institutions to enter the final stage of negotiations with clear deadlines and measurable results.
“This is the year in which we enter the final stage of negotiations, with a clear plan, realistic deadlines, and full institutional responsibility. Institutions take their part of the work seriously, which gives us a basis for realistic optimism that reforms in 2026 will be implemented according to plan and lead to the successful conclusion of negotiations,” Gorčević said.
The Accession Program covers a total of 581 acts within all 33 negotiating chapters, of which the adoption of 77 strategic documents and 504 legislative acts is planned.
Given the Government’s goal of closing all negotiating chapters by the end of 2026, most obligations are planned for the current year. In 2026, the adoption of 495 acts is planned, including 67 strategic documents, 119 laws, and 309 by-laws, while a total of 86 obligations are planned for 2027.
Minister Gorčević emphasized that the Accession Program clearly separates key obligations leading to the closure of chapters from the continuous process of alignment with the EU acquis.
“The Accession Program is not just a technical document – it is a political roadmap for the final year of negotiations. We have focused on obligations directly related to fulfilling the final benchmarks, because our goal is clear: closing the chapters by the end of this year and preparing Montenegro for membership,” Gorčević said.
Obligations related to closing the negotiating chapters are planned for implementation in the first two quarters of 2026. The largest number of obligations is planned in six negotiating chapters: Chapter 12 – Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Policy (80 obligations), Chapter 14 – Transport Policy (75), Chapter 1 – Free Movement of Goods (71), Chapter 13 – Fisheries (55), Chapter 27 – Environment and Climate Change (37), and Chapter 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights (28).
The institutions with the largest number of planned acts are the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, the Food Safety Administration, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development, the Civil Aviation Agency, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Economic Development, and the Ministry of Health.
By adopting the 2026–2027 Accession Program, Montenegro confirms its political determination and administrative readiness to achieve the key strategic goal – membership in the European Union – in the final phase of negotiations.
MINISTRY OF EUROPEAN AFFAIRS