Today in Podgorica, the nineteenth meeting of the Subcommittee on Trade, Industry, Customs and Taxes between Montenegro and the European Union was held in a hybrid format.
During the meeting, results and progress were presented in negotiation Chapters 1 – Free Movement of Goods, 16 – Taxation, 29 – Customs Union, as well as in Chapters 20 – Enterprise and Industrial Policy and 30 – External Relations, which have been provisionally closed.
The meeting was opened by Montenegro’s Chief Negotiator with the European Union, Predrag Zenović, and co-chaired by Kristof Zurek from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood on the European side, and Aida Ceković, Head of the Negotiating Working Group for Chapter 30 – External Relations, on the Montenegrin side.
Chief Negotiator Zenović said that Montenegro continues to achieve concrete results in the mentioned chapters, with an increasingly strong focus on implementation. He stated that, through dedicated work and measurable results, Montenegro will manage to close all chapters by the end of the year.
“Our efforts are focused not only on legislative alignment, but also on ensuring effective implementation, modernisation of administrative systems, and strengthening institutional capacities. In this regard, we expect that continuous work and measurable results will enable decisive progress towards closing Chapters 1, 16 and 29, as well as all others by the end of 2026,” Zenović said.
Zenović stated that EU membership remains a strategic priority, and that the accession process continues to be a key driver of economic development, institutional strengthening, and improved competitiveness.
“The chapters covered by this Subcommittee — free movement of goods, taxation, customs union, enterprise and industrial policy, and external relations — together form the backbone of the EU internal market. They represent the ‘alphabet’ of economic integration, shaping the conditions for the free movement of goods, a predictable business environment, and the efficient functioning of trade both within the Union and with global partners,” the Chief Negotiator said.
Co-chair from the European side Kristof Zurek said that significant progress has been achieved in all chapters covered by this Subcommittee, but that efforts need to be intensified in order to provisionally close all chapters by the end of the year.
“In the past year, significant progress has been achieved in all chapters we discussed today, and this is a moment to acknowledge the success of our joint work, but also to double efforts in order to maintain a positive trajectory towards the provisional closure of all negotiation chapters this year. In the coming months, you will need to intensify your efforts, especially in Chapters 1 (Free Movement of Goods) and 16 (Taxation). The accession process is and will remain fully merit-based,” Zurek said.
Co-chair from the Montenegrin side Aida Ceković recalled that over the past year Montenegro has made progress in aligning its legislation with the EU acquis in the field of trade, and has continued to align its positions with those of the European Union, including within the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“In line with the agreed Agenda, the Montenegrin side already submitted on 9 April 2026 a consolidated package with accompanying annexes for all agenda items, which comprehensively and qualitatively covered all issues, as confirmed by the small number of additional questions submitted by the European Commission,” Ceković said.
Representatives of Montenegrin institutions presented achieved results to their colleagues from the European Commission and exchanged views on the fulfilment of requirements arising from the European agenda in the areas covered by these chapters.
It was jointly assessed that Montenegro has continued to implement necessary reforms and achieve good results between the two meetings, which leads it towards the final stage of the negotiation process and secures its place in the European family.
MINISTRY OF EUROPEAN AFFAIRS