The European Commission sees Montenegro joining the EU in 2028, with an accession treaty signed in June 2027, according to Handelsblatt and Koha. It is also pressing Ukraine to speed up reforms, including on the rule of law and new negotiating clusters.
The EU enlargement roadmap sets out how candidate countries in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe move toward membership, through negotiating clusters and reform benchmarks assessed by the European Commission. Candidates such as Montenegro and Ukraine stand against the clock of EU demands on the rule of law and institutional reform.
The European Commission says Montenegro could become an EU member in 2028 and sign its accession treaty in June 2027, according to Handelsblatt and Koha. Koha also reports that the Commission wants Ukraine to speed up reforms, while TASS, citing a document obtained by Politico, says Brussels presses Kyiv on the rule of law and on opening new negotiating clusters.