Montenegro becomes formal EU candidate

EU heads of state and government have granted Montenegro official candidate status, moving forward its bid to join the European Union in an important step. The European Council, meeting in Brussels, agreed to grant Montenegro candidate status, which will allow it to begin official accession negotiations, but did not give a specific date for the start of the talks. EU leaders agreed to a written statement declaring Montenegro a formal candidate, and the approval "went automatically", Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite told the German Press Agency dpa. Montenegro welcomed the decision, but noted that challenges lay ahead. "The decision of EU leaders is a major encouragement for Montenegro and an affirmation of our efforts,' Deputy Prime Minister Igor Luksic told the dpa.

In November the European Commission recommended that Montenegro be granted official candidate status, but outlined several areas where Podgorica must make improvements. European Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele, speaking at the press conference announcing the annual progress report that contained the recommendation, said further work was needed in the field of the rule of law, noting that officials now have seven specific priorities that must be met in order for accession negotiations to begin. Although the country is considered a parliamentary democracy, parliament's control of the government remains weak, the report says. And although there is broad consensus on the fundamentals of economic policy, the Commission does not believe that the country is a functioning market economy.

The report notes: "The main concerns are related to the politicization of the judiciary and shortcomings in the functioning of law enforcement institutions, in particular in fighting organized crime and corruption. There are also concerns over efficiency and accountability of the judiciary." The tiny Balkan state of 600,000 people, which declared its independence in 2006, joins Croatia and Macedonia on the list of Balkan countries that have been granted the status. Turkey and Iceland are also official candidates. Albania, Bosnia, Serbia and Kosovo are considered potential candidate countries.

News source: Balkan Insight link: article