Montenegro closes chapters 8 and 29 at Brussels Intergovernmental Conference

Montenegro today, at the Intergovernmental Conference on accession in Brussels, closed two negotiating chapters: 8 - Competition and 29 - Customs Union, bringing the total number of closed chapters to 18. Addressing the conference participants, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić emphasized that Montenegro once again confirms that the reform process yields concrete results and that our country continues to progress towards full EU membership. The Prime Minister highlighted that today's closure of chapters demonstrates that Montenegro is building institutions capable of protecting competition, ensuring a fair market, and safeguarding the EU's external borders in accordance with common European rules. Speaking about customs policy, the Prime Minister noted that Montenegro has transformed from a system once associated with smuggling into a modern customs administration that meets all European standards and is ready to protect the EU's external borders. European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, said that Montenegro's today’s Intergovernmental Conference continues progress in negotiations, and that closing 18 chapters is a significant achievement. Prime Minister Spajić stated that Montenegro remains fully committed to completing negotiations, continuing reforms, and strengthening the rule of law, with the conviction that Montenegro's membership contributes not only to our country but also to a stronger and more resilient European Union.