EU ambassadors have approved the formation of a working group to begin drafting Montenegro’s accession treaty, marking a significant milestone for the Balkan nation that has advanced furthest in the EU membership process. The move, announced during Cyprus’s EU presidency, signals that the bloc is preparing to move from technical negotiations to the formal legal framework for enlargement .
Montenegro has opened all 33 negotiating chapters and temporarily closed 14, making it the frontrunner among Western Balkan candidates. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos emphasized that the accession treaty will include new “safeguard clauses” designed to prevent a repeat of Hungary’s experience, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban has systematically blocked EU decisions since joining in 2004. “The lesson learned from the 2004 enlargement is that we must have protective measures ensuring new members respect the rules,” Kos told the European Parliament, adding that countries abiding by EU values “won’t even feel these safeguards,” while those backsliding on democracy and rule of law “will truly feel them”.
The safeguard mechanism represents a model shift in EU enlargement policy, addressing long standing concerns that the bloc expanded too quickly in previous rounds without sufficient enforcement tools. Kos stressed the clauses are not additional criteria but rather insurance for the Union’s integrity, necessary to “preserve trust between member states, trust of our citizens, and trust in the enlargement process itself” . She also announced a financial package for Montenegro will be presented before summer, providing concrete economic support alongside the political commitment.
For Montenegro, the development offers both opportunity and challenge. While the accession treaty preparation accelerates its path toward membership, the new safeguard clauses mean Podgorica will face stricter ongoing surveillance than previous candidates. With the EU determined to learn from Hungary’s trajectory, Montenegro’s accession could become the template for a more cautious, conditional enlargement approach in the Western Balkans.
