Montenegro expects to receive an additional €97.3 million from the European Union Reform and Growth Facility by October 2026 after reporting completion of 83% of the reforms required during the latest assessment period. The country has already drawn more than €89 million from its indicative allocation of €383 million available for the 2024–2027 period. The broader Western Balkans Reform and Growth Facility consists of approximately €2 billion in grants and €4 billion in loans.
EU accession process advances
Montenegro is scheduled to provisionally close negotiations on Chapter 8 – Competition Policy and Chapter 29 – Customs Union during the EU–Montenegro Accession Conference in Brussels on 14 July 2026. The country currently has 16 provisionally closed negotiating chapters. If the two chapters are successfully concluded, the total number will increase to 18.
Competition and customs chapters carry economic significance
Chapter 8 – Competition Policy covers state aid, competition enforcement, public enterprises and the treatment of government support for major investment projects.
Chapter 29 – Customs Union addresses customs administration, import procedures, trade-data systems and Montenegro’s future integration into the European Union customs framework.
Reform implementation linked to investment financing
The expected disbursement would provide additional resources for public investment and the implementation of reform measures. The financing framework links access to EU funding with the implementation of reforms, meaning that progress in areas such as competition policy, customs, digitalisation, public administration and financial governance may affect the timing of future infrastructure financing. The implementation of the competition and customs chapters is expected to establish a more structured framework for concessions, subsidies and utility financing, alongside enhanced documentation, transparency and regulatory requirements governing market access, customs procedures and state-aid rules.
