Progress in the rule of law, independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and the fight against organized crime will decisively affect the speed of Montenegro's path towards membership in the European Union (EU), said the European Parliament (EP) rapporteur for Montenegro, Marjan Šarec.
Šarec, presenting the EP report on the European Commission's (EC) report on Montenegro for last year, said that the message of that report is clear - that Montenegro remains the leading candidate in the EU enlargement process.
As he said, this is an important achievement and confirms that EU membership is no longer a distant desire, but a realistic and achievable goal.
Šarec stated that the report is not only a technical assessment of the chapters and benchmarks, but also a political assessment of where Montenegro stands today and what it still needs to do.
"The goal of concluding negotiations by the end of the year is ambitious, but achievable," said Šarec.
As he stated, the most important thing will be implementation, and this is especially true for chapters 23 and 24, which remain the backbone of the entire accession process.
"Progress in the rule of law, independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and the fight against organized crime will decisively affect the speed of Montenegro's path towards membership," Šarec stressed.
He stressed that EU accession must remain a common national priority, above daily political disputes and party interests.
"Currently, politics is facing the challenge of changing the Constitution, which requires a two-thirds majority in the Assembly. Without the cooperation of the opposition, this will not be possible. Therefore, it will be necessary to reach an agreement," said Šarec.
He believes that the platform presented by the opposition represents a good basis for further dialogue.
"This report also highlights the geopolitical position of Montenegro. Montenegro remains fully aligned with the EU's common foreign and security policy," said Šarec.
He emphasized that Montenegro, as a member of NATO and a reliable partner of the EU, has clearly demonstrated its European and Euro-Atlantic commitment.
"A few years ago, we often understood enlargement primarily as a technical process. Today, however, enlargement is also a strategic investment in European security, stability and resilience. That is why the report also addresses foreign interference, disinformation and hybrid threats, the aim of which is to undermine democratic institutions, social cohesion and public trust," Šarec said.
He added that the report also emphasizes the importance of good neighborly relations and regional cooperation.
"The future of the Western Balkans lies in European integration, economic cooperation and stability — not in nationalism, revisionism or competing geopolitical spheres of influence. European integration must also bring tangible benefits to citizens," Šarec said.
He added that Montenegro's inclusion in SEPA, progress under the Western Balkans Growth Plan, and the possibility of inclusion in the European roaming regime "like at home" show that gradual integration can bring concrete benefits even before full membership.
At the same time, as Šarec pointed out, important challenges remain the independence of the judiciary, public administration, freedom of the media, fundamental rights, as well as environmental and climate policy.
"Montenegro is no longer proving itself on the issue of its European choice; it is now proving itself in its ability to implement the final reforms necessary for membership. This report is therefore both a recognition of the progress achieved and a timetable for the work that still lies ahead," stressed Šarec.
According to him, the challenges remain real, but the opportunity is also real.
"An important step was taken yesterday by closing two more chapters, so we are now talking about 16 closed chapters out of a total of 33. If Montenegro continues to achieve results, it has every chance of becoming the next EU member. It should be noted that the Union must also fulfill its part of the task," concluded Šarec.
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