The intergovernmental conference between Montenegro and the EU, which will close Chapter 5 (public procurement), will likely be held on June 27, "Vijesti" has learned unofficially.
An EU official from Brussels told "Vijesti" that the next Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) with Montenegro cannot be officially confirmed for now, because the European Union has not yet adopted a common position for Chapter 5.
"However, it is expected that this will happen in the coming days and weeks at the level of member state representatives (COREPER), and in that case, June 27 seems to be the most likely date for this event to take place," he said.
The EC has prepared a Draft Common Position for Chapter 5 in which it stated, among other things, that Montenegro has made significant progress in all areas related to public procurement, by adopting legislation aligned with the EU acquis and strengthening its administrative structures and implementation capacity.
The draft common position has been considered by the EU Council Working Party on Enlargement and Accession Countries (COELA). It is then considered by the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States (COREPER II), and then goes to “ministerial level”.
The Ministry of European Affairs told "Vijesti" that the procedure regarding the organization of the next Intergovernmental Conference is underway and they expect that the date of the Intergovernmental Conference will soon be determined in coordination with the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the institutions of the European Union.
When asked whether the Government will fulfill its obligation in the area of visa policy, to introduce visas for one country, by the Intergovernmental Conference, the Ministry responded that "the issue of visa policy does not directly relate to the holding of the Intergovernmental Conference, nor does it affect the closing of the chapter."
The EC recently stated in its non-paper for chapters 23 (judiciary and fundamental rights) and 24 (justice, freedom, security) that more intensive work and political commitment are needed for Podgorica to fully meet all final benchmarks in the chapters, especially in the areas of judiciary, fight against corruption and organized crime, visa policy, media freedom and fundamental rights.
"Montenegro must fully align its visa policy with that of the EU. With its decisions from December and February, Montenegro is regressing in fulfilling its obligations regarding the final benchmarks and reducing its credibility in meeting these requirements. Montenegro must concretely demonstrate its commitment to aligning with the list of countries requiring an EU visa," it says in this informal document, which "Vijesti" had access to.
In the Draft Common Position for Chapter 5, the EC stated that Montenegro had made further progress in revising its framework for combating corruption, conflict of interest and fraud in the area of public procurement, but that further measures were needed to address this issue.
It is noted that the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism and Real Estate Development, concluded on March 28, 2025 between the governments of Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates, provides that all contracts, programs and further agreements with investors from the UAE are exempt from the legislation of both countries in the field of public procurement, public tenders and public bidding procedures.
"It would be crucial for Montenegro to ensure that the implementation of this Agreement does not conflict with the EU acquis in the field of public procurement. The way in which the Agreement will be interpreted, applied and enforced will need to be carefully managed. The EU stands ready to support Montenegro in this regard," the document states.
The EU, it added, calls on Montenegro to improve the database for transparent sharing of information on decisions related to concessions and public-private partnership contracts, as well as procurement contracts in the field of defense and security.
Montenegro opened negotiations with the EU on June 29, 2012, and has so far opened all 33 negotiation chapters and closed six.
At the last Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels on December 16, Montenegro temporarily closed three negotiation chapters - Chapter 7 (intellectual property), Chapter 10 (information society and media) and Chapter 20 (entrepreneurship and industrial policy).
The closure of Chapter 31 (foreign, security and defence policy) was then blocked by Croatia, after relations between the two countries deteriorated. The government hoped that Croatia would give Montenegro the “green light” to close Chapter 31 in June if the two countries agreed on compensation for Croatian citizens who were detained in the former Morinje camp and changing the name of the city swimming pool in Kotor, and if the process of transferring the Tivat “Josip Marković” Cultural Centre to Zagreb was finalized.
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