Paris: Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic presents Montenegros EU membership application to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, President-in-Office of European Council

Today at the Elysee Palace, Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic presented Montenegros EU membership application to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the President-in-Office of the European Council.

President Sarkozy congratulated Montenegro on this very important occasion, which confirmed its unreserved commitment to further integration with the European Union, by means of implementing the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU and meeting all accession criteria. Montenegro can rely on full support from France in its EU accession process. There is no fixed timetable and if Montenegro should be among the first countries to meet membership requirements, it will be among the first to join the European Union, President Sarkozy said. He underlined that Montenegro was ahead of its neighbors in terms of meeting political criteria. After last weeks meeting of the European Council, at which the agreement to continue with the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty was reached, there are no obstacles preventing France from receiving Montenegros application with great pleasure.

President Sarkozy announced that France would promptly inform all EU members of Montenegros membership application. Prime Minister Djukanovic thanked France for its understanding and continued support, which he said was of utmost importance both for this and subsequent stages of Montenegros EU accession process.

In particular, he thanked President Sarkozy for his words of encouragement when referring to the European perspective of Montenegro and for accepting the membership application. Prime Minister Djukanovic at the same time congratulated France on its successful presidency of the EU, in times of difficult and unpredictable inter-European and global challenges and problems.

President Sarkozy announced he would visit Montenegro next year.

The talks at the Elysee Palace were attended by EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, who underlined that this was a historic day for Montenegro and the European Union, adding that the Commission would immediately continue working, first together with France and then with the Czech Republic, to prepare the so-called Avis on Montenegros preparedness for future accession talks.





Chronology of Montenegros EU accession path

On 15 October 2007, Montenegro signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement. The Interim Agreement came into effect on 1 January this year and has been successfully implemented ever since. In June this year, Montenegro adopted the Nation Programme for Integration for 2008-2012, a detailed plan for Montenegros further integration path, fulfillment of all SAA obligations and gradual alignment of national legislation, procedures and institutions with European regulations and accession criteria. In view of the successful implementation of the Interim Agreement, the progress achieved in the EU integration process so far and good communication with EU member states, in particular France as the EU presidency, the Government of Montenegro adopted the Decision to submit Montenegros EU Membership Application at the Cabinet meeting of 11 December this year. The Membership Application was signed by the President of Montenegro, President of the Parliament of Montenegro and the Prime Minister. The Application includes the Governments Decision to submit the Membership Application of 11 December this year, the Memorandum on the Submission of the Membership Application with a systematic set of reasons why Montenegro considers itself ready for this stage of the integration process and two parliamentary resolutions dedicated to the fulfillment of all obligations arising from the Stabilization and Association Process and the need to intensify European and Euro-Atlantic integration processes. Under the Treaty on the European Union, the membership application is addressed to the EU Presidency. According to Article 6, paragraph 1 of the Treaty The Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which are common to the Member States, whereas Article 49 of the Treaty on EU provides that Any European State which respects the principles set out in Article 6(1) may apply to become a member of the Union, by submitting a membership application to the Presidency of the European Union.