BRUSSELS -- The European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations has urged Montenegro to start implementing legislation already passed in the country in order to move closer to both EU and NATO membership.
Speaking after talks in Brussels on April 15 with Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, Commissioner Johannes Hahn said the two “shared the view that a lot in terms of legal provisions has been done” in Montenegro.
But Hahn said Podgorica must now show “concrete and sustainable” progress on implementing reforms.
Hahn said “this is definitely also linked to the assessment when it comes to getting a [membership] invitation from NATO.”
Montenegro in 2009 was granted a Membership Action Plan, the final step in an application for NATO membership.
The next assessment of Montenegro’s progress toward NATO membership is expected by the end of 2015.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said there won't be any EU membership invitations during his mandate, which ends in 2019.
Montenegro hopes to join the EU soon after that date.