EU and Montenegro provisionally close chapter on Trans-European networks in accession negotiations

At the 26^th meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro accession negotiations on chapter 21 (Trans-European networks) were provisionally closed.

“In the current geopolitical context, enlargement is more than ever a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability, and prosperity. I am delighted to see another negotiating chapter with Montenegro being closed today, in the second Intergovernmental Conference for Montenegro under the Cyprus presidency, bringing their total number to 14. Montenegro remains a frontrunner in the enlargement process and today’s progress confirms the strong momentum of its accession negotiations, which is based on own merits,” stated Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the EU.

The EU may, if necessary, return to this chapter at an appropriate moment.

This provisional closure follows less than two months after the previous accession conference on 26 January 2026, which provisionally closed chapter 32 on financial control. Monitoring of progress in the alignment with and implementation of the EU acquis will continue throughout the negotiations.

Montenegro has opened all 33 negotiating chapters in its EU accession negotiations. With the provisional closure agreed at the 26^th meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro, a total of fourteen of these chapters have now been provisionally closed. According to the negotiating principles endorsed by the Accession Conference, agreements reached in the course of negotiations on specific chapters may not be considered as final until an overall agreement has been reached for all chapters.

Background

The European Union delegation was led by Ms Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the EU, with the participation of Commissioner for Enlargement, Ms Marta Kos. The Montenegrin delegation was led by Mr Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro.

• EU common position regarding chapter 21 
• Twenty-fifth meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro, 26 January 2026
• Council conclusions on enlargement, 17 December 2024 
• Enlargement: new enlargement methodology will be applied to Montenegro and Serbia (press release, 11 May 2021)
• Montenegro (background information)
• How EU enlargement works (background information)