The 25th meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro was held in Brussels on 26 January 2026, at which Chapter 32: Financial Control was provisionally closed.
Prime Minister Milojko Spajić led the delegation, which also included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimović, as well as the Ministers of European Affairs and Finance, Maida Gorčević and Novica Vuković, reports the EUpravo Zato correspondent from Brussels.
He assessed the closure of this chapter as fundamental and said they are confident that all remaining chapters will be completed within the next 12 months.
"Our country is becoming more stable, more committed and more reformed day by day," he added in his address.
"Today's Intergovernmental Conference is proof that there are no shortcuts on the European path. The speed at which Montenegro is closing chapters is proof that the enlargement process is alive. There is no greater ideal than a united Europe. Montenegro is confidently moving towards that goal," Spajić said, stressing that "in times of uncertainty, the EU is a pillar of peace, democracy and the rule of law".
Spajić also said that Montenegro values the merit-based approach to objections from the EU, and that in this way it will add value to the EU, noting that Montenegro expects full membership in the Union.
Kos: Montenegro on the right path to close all chapters by the year-end
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said at a press conference that the closure of Chapter 32 is very significant, noting that Montenegro closed five negotiating chapters in December last year, bringing their total to 12.
"This is a good start to the year, and Montenegro is on track to close all remaining chapters by the end of the year," Kos emphasised.
She noted that this year Montenegro marks 20 years since the restoration of independence, stressing that this year will be marked not only by the celebration of that jubilee, but also by diligent work.
Since submitting its application for EU membership in December 2008 and starting accession negotiations in 2012, Montenegro has so far opened 33 negotiating chapters, of which 12 have been provisionally closed.
Chapter 32 – Financial Control refers to the adoption of internationally accepted standards in the areas of public internal financial control, external audit and EU best practices, and their application across the entire public sector, as well as discipline and transparency in the use of national and EU funds.
The Government announced that the closure of Chapter 32 – Financial Control represents an important step forward for Montenegro on its path towards EU membership and a clear signal of the trust the Union has in the ability of Montenegrin institutions to protect the financial interests of the state and the EU, and to manage public funds responsibly and transparently.
By closing Chapter 32, Montenegro is taking an important step further towards meeting the final benchmarks for closing Cluster 1, which includes the key chapters 23 and 24, as well as the statistics chapter, which together form the foundation of the entire negotiation process.
What are intergovernmental conferences?
Accession negotiations take place at intergovernmental conferences (often referred to as accession conferences) between ministers and ambassadors of EU Member States and the candidate country.
The negotiations cover a body of common rights and rules, the so-called EU acquis, and are divided into different chapters, or clusters of chapters, which cover various policy areas.
Accession conferences may be held at ministerial level or at the level of deputies.
(EUpravo zato)
