Montenegro EU Candidacy Blocked

The move came before the European Commission issued an evaluation on the country's readiness for candidate status. Several member states within the EU's Enlargement Working Group reportedly expressed reservations about Montenegro's application. Those states opposed to Montenegro's application for candidate status include Holland, Spain, France, Belgium and Germany. Montenegro's Deputy Prime Minister Gordana Durovic denied that the application had been blocked.

A diplomat from one of the countries objecting to the application reportedly said that Montenegro “still has work to do.”

Germany cited Podgorica's insufficient fulfillment of required criteria and growing concern over EU enlargement among its public. Holland noted Podgorica's ineffective measures against corruption and concern over granting it any undue privileges over its neighbor Serbia. Holland has adopted a similar stance toward Serbia in that country's integration process.

Opinion Not Sought First

Applications for EU candidate status are customarily forwarded without protest first to the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) and then to the Council of Ministers. The Council then solicits an opinion on the candidacy from the European Commission, a process that typically take a year. After it receives the opinion, the Council debates the merits of the given country's candidate status application.

The Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU Presidency, had made European integration of countries from the Western Balkans one of its priorities and pushed for the issue to be on the Council's agenda. But the matter will not be addressed at an upcoming meeting of EU foreign ministers.

The decision underscores divisions between the Council of Ministers and the EC.

An EC official told Agence Europe that it was important to adopt a pragmatic approach and consider every candidacy on its merit, on a case-by-case basis and that it was logical to take the first step in the process and call on the commission for its opinion.