"Progress in the area of the rule of law is crucial for Montenegro's EU path," European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, said at a plenary session of the European Parliament on Tuesday.

In a discussion on the Montenegro progress report, he recalled that the country had opened all chapters in negotiations with the European Union and he praised reforms in many areas, stressing that progress was needed in the areas of governance, law, media independence and the fight against organized crime.

“Progress in the rule of law will be crucial. We need to see strong and clear progress there,” he said. “The Western Balkans region is a priority to us, the European Union, the Commission and me personally,” he said, adding that the European Union “treats Western Balkans as a privileged partner.”

European Parliament’s rapporteur for Montenegro, Croatian MEP Tonino Picula (SDP/S&D), also said that Montenegro’s progress in accession negotiations would depend on its progress in the rule of law.

Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva welcomed, on behalf of the Council, the alignment of Montenegrin legislation with EU law, saying that the new accession negotiation methodology mostly focused on the rule of law, fundamental human rights, the functioning of democratic institutions and public administration reform.

Croatian MEP Zeljana Zovko said, on behalf of the EPP group, that Montenegro should step up its efforts to improve the status of ethnic minorities.

Another Croatian MEP, Valter Flego (IDS/Renew Europe), Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Montenegro Delegation, said that the goal must be for Europe to have “28 members again,” expressing certainty that Montenegro should be the 28th member.

The last country to join the EU, Croatia, became the bloc’s 28th member in 2013. In 2016, the UK held a referendum on leaving the EU, which came into effect in January 2020, reducing its membership count to 27.