Key points
- The European Commission adopted its 2026 Enlargement Package on 4 November 2026, and says Montenegro is close to the final stage of its accession process.
- Reuters reports that the Commission's annual enlargement policy report says negotiations with Montenegro could realistically be closed by the end of 2026, with an accession treaty possible as soon as June 2027 — the first such closure since Croatia in 2011.
- The package assesses ten countries — nine candidates plus Kosovo, a potential candidate — and includes indicative roadmaps for the four frontrunners: Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine.
- Reporting on drafts circulated before publication indicated Moldova could provisionally close as many as 25 chapters in 2027 and Ukraine seven policy areas, while Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo had made no progress on the fundamentals.
- The next steps belong to the member states, and any accession treaty would need ratification by the parliaments of all 27 EU member states; Montenegro has aimed at membership in 2028.
The European Commission has put Montenegro on course to become the first country in fifteen years to finish negotiating membership of the European Union, adopting its annual enlargement package on Wednesday and saying the talks could realistically close by the end of 2026. Read more: Hungary blocks Ukraine's final two EU chapters in Brussels — and Kyiv's end-of-2026 hope hangs on what happens next
Reuters reports that the Commission's annual enlargement policy report says an accession treaty with Montenegro could be signed as soon as June 2027. "For the first time since 2011, when the EU closed accession negotiations with Croatia, the EU is in a position to soon close accession negotiations with another candidate country, Montenegro," the report says, as quoted by Reuters. The Commission added that the progress was "testament to Montenegro's sustained efforts to advance on the European path and implement the reforms needed to turn EU membership into reality."
The key figures
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Accession negotiations with Montenegro could close | By the end of 2026 | European Commission, via Reuters |
| Accession treaty could be signed | As soon as June 2027 | European Commission, via Reuters |
| Last country to close accession negotiations | Croatia, in 2011 | European Commission, via Reuters |
| Countries assessed in the package | 10 — nine candidates plus Kosovo | European Commission |
| Frontrunners receiving roadmaps | Montenegro, Albania, Moldova, Ukraine | European Commission |
| Parliaments that must ratify a treaty | All 27 EU member states | Reported by Moldova1 |
What the package contains
The package is the Commission's yearly stocktake of enlargement: a Communication on enlargement policy plus detailed reports on each candidate and potential candidate. The Commission's enlargement page lists reports for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine — nine candidates plus Kosovo as a potential candidate — alongside a document on gradual integration, which would give candidates phased access to EU policies before full membership. The Commission's own summary is blunt: "Montenegro is close to the final stage of its accession process. EU enlargement is delivering."
The package also carries the indicative roadmaps for the four frontrunners — Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine — that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised in her State of the Union address on 16 September, according to The New Union Post. The Commission said in October that the roadmaps would be presented as part of the 2026 package provided the countries maintain reform momentum. They set milestones for 2027, but they are explicitly indicative: reporting on the Moldova roadmap describes it as a "living document" that does not prejudge either the outcome or the pace of negotiations, and it sets no date for Moldova's accession itself.
Reporting on drafts circulated before publication sketched how uneven the picture is. Moldova1 reported on Wednesday that the draft roadmap indicated Moldova could provisionally close as many as 25 chapters in 2027 — nine in the first half of the year and sixteen in the second — while Politico, via Ukrainska Pravda, reported seven policy areas in which Ukraine could provisionally conclude negotiations next year, including education and culture in the first half and foreign and security policy in the second. The same draft reporting, via Radio Free Europe and Vijesti, said Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo had made no progress in the fundamentals — rule of law, democratic institutions, public administration reform and economic criteria — which set the overall pace of negotiations. Those draft assessments may differ from the final texts; what the final package confirms is Montenegro's position at the front.
What happens next
The next decisions belong to the member states: as Vijesti notes, it is on the basis of the package that member states decide further steps in accession negotiations, such as opening or closing chapters. A treaty, once signed, would then need ratification by the parliaments of all 27 EU member states, Moldova1 reported.
Montenegro's stated objective is membership in 2028, which would make it the EU's 28th member, The New Union Post reported in October. That timetable still depends on Podgorica sustaining reforms and on member states agreeing each step. But Wednesday's package puts Montenegro closer to the finish than any candidate since Croatia. Europe Unfolded will report the member states' response and any chapter closures as they are confirmed.
Updates & corrections
Published 4 November 2026.
No updates or corrections have been made to this article since publication.
Sources
- European Commission, Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood, "Strategy and Reports", on the adoption of the 2026 Enlargement Package on 4 November 2026, that Montenegro is close to the final stage of its accession process, and the list of country reports and gradual-integration documents in the package: enlargement.ec.europa.eu
- Reuters, "Montenegro could sign accession treaty with EU in June 2027, European Commission says", 4 November 2026, on the Commission's view that accession negotiations could realistically be closed by the end of 2026, that a treaty could be signed as soon as June 2027, that this would be the first closure since Croatia in 2011, and the Commission's quoted assessment of Montenegro's sustained efforts: reuters.com
- European Commission, "Preparing for a wider Union", 6 October 2026, on the indicative roadmaps for Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine to be presented as part of the 2026 Enlargement Package, provided they maintain reform momentum: enlargement.ec.europa.eu
- Moldova1, "Moldova could provisionally close 25 EU chapters in 2027", 4 November 2026, on the draft roadmap indicating Moldova could provisionally close as many as 25 chapters in 2027, nine in the first half and sixteen in the second, on Montenegro provisionally closing its remaining chapters this year, on a treaty needing ratification by the parliaments of all 27 EU member states, and on the roadmap as an indicative living document setting no accession date: moldova1.md
- Ukrainska Pravda, "EU prepares gradual accession plan for Ukraine as Moldova moves ahead in talks", 4 November 2026, citing Politico and a European Commission document, on seven policy areas in which Ukraine could provisionally conclude negotiations in 2027, on the Commission avoiding an end date for Ukraine's negotiations, and on June 2027 as the treaty target for Montenegro: pravda.com.ua
- Vijesti, "EU Enlargement Package: Montenegro's exceptional progress, could conclude accession negotiations in December", 30 October 2026, citing Radio Free Europe's reporting on the draft annual communication, on Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo having made no progress in the fundamental areas, on Montenegro having met the final benchmarks in all negotiation chapters, and on member states deciding further steps on the basis of the package: en.vijesti.me
- The New Union Post, "Montenegro edges closer to EU accession, 3 chapters at once", 12 October 2026, on the roadmaps announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union address on 16 September, and on Montenegro's objective of becoming the EU's 28th member state by 2028: newunionpost.eu