European Security — 2026-04-22

EU-27 agrees ad hoc working party to draft Montenegro accession treaty, signaling shift to final enlargement phase under Cyprus presidency

EU member states on April 22 agreed to establish an ad hoc working party to begin drafting Montenegro's accession treaty, a move described by the Council of the EU and the Cyprus presidency as a signal that enlargement is moving from the chapter-by-chapter opening and closing phase to the final legal and technical drafting of membership terms. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, whose country holds the rotating Council presidency, welcomed the decision. Fourteen of 33 negotiating chapters are closed so far. Montenegro's declared political goal is to conclude negotiations by end-2026 and accede to the Union in 2028; the creation of the drafting party is the first institutional step consistent with that timeline.

Analysis
The symbolic weight lies less in Montenegro's specific trajectory than in demonstrating the EU can advance enlargement during Trump-era transatlantic uncertainty and ahead of Ukraine and Moldova accessions. Albania and North Macedonia will very likely invoke that precedent within the coming months to press for accelerated chapter closings. Cyprus's presidency ownership is not incidental: Nicosia's stake in constraining Turkish regional influence makes Montenegrin accession a priority instrument, and the political economy cements a Greek-Cypriot-Italian enlargement coalition that offsets residual French-German skepticism. A 2028 accession date remains a stretch goal, but the drafting party is the tangible institutional step that makes it credible.

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