Montenegro’s efforts to complete EU transport-policy alignment are moving from legislative changes toward implementation across road, rail, aviation, maritime and combined transport. Covering transport policy, includes rules on professional hauliers, railway interoperability, passenger rights and air-traffic management.
Government negotiator said Montenegro has been working toward four main closing benchmarks covering road transport, railway safety and interoperability, passenger rights and aviation. The chapter has implications for the conditions under which freight operators, railway companies, airlines, ports and passengers operate within Montenegro and across European transport markets. For road carriers, EU alignment covers driving and rest periods, tachographs, vehicle standards, access to the profession and transport-market supervision. Railway reforms involve separating regulatory responsibilities from infrastructure management and commercial operations, alongside greater compatibility between tracks, rolling stock and signalling and the wider European railway network. For ports and airports, the framework links national infrastructure more closely to European transport corridors.
Railway restructuring and traffic trends
Montenegro established a new Railway Agency at the beginning of 2026, replacing the previous railway administration and separating regulatory functions from commercial railway activities. Under the new structure, Željeznička infrastruktura Crne Gore is responsible for infrastructure, Željeznički prevoz Crne Gore operates passenger services and Montecargo handles freight, while the Railway Agency assumes regulatory and safety responsibilities. Railway traffic figures show different trends between passenger and freight services. Passenger numbers declined 12.3% in 2025, while passenger-kilometres decreased 15.2%.
Freight traffic increased by 2.1%, while freight transport measured in tonne-kilometres rose 15%.
The performance of the railway system is particularly relevant to Port of Bar, where greater reliability and interoperability could support the port’s freight connections toward Serbia and Central Europe, including bulk cargo, containers and industrial supply chains. Regulatory compliance alone does not determine railway performance. Reliability, journey times and rolling-stock availability also affect passenger use.
Road transport and market access
The EU framework for road transport covers both safety requirements and the commercial conditions governing professional carriers. For Montenegrin trucking companies, this makes Chapter 14 relevant to access to the wider European transport market. The issue became particularly visible in July, when Montenegro was considered ready to close Chapter 14, but the chapter was not provisionally closed after Croatia raised the issue of cabotage, concerning the ability of carriers from one country to provide domestic transport services in another.
The dispute placed market access alongside legislative alignment in the accession process. As Montenegro moves toward EU membership, the transport framework concerns not only the adoption of European rules but also the conditions governing carriers’ access to individual markets.
Passenger rights and aviation rules
Passenger rights form another part of Chapter 14, with EU-aligned rules increasing carriers’ responsibilities when services are cancelled or delayed. These obligations include passenger information, alternative transport, reimbursement and assistance for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility.
Aviation is undergoing a similar regulatory transition, with Montenegro required to align air-traffic management with EU rules. At the same time, Montenegro’s airports face pressure to increase physical capacity following strong passenger growth. Infrastructure and regulation therefore form interconnected elements of the transport system. Airport expansion affects the volume of traffic that can be handled, while Chapter 14 establishes the rules governing carriers and passengers using that infrastructure.
The same relationship applies to other modes. Expanded airport infrastructure depends partly on adequate ground connections, while railway modernisation has limited commercial impact if services remain unreliable. Road improvements also operate within professional transport rules governing access to markets.
Montenegro has already brought a significant part of its transport legislation closer to European standards. The remaining work under Chapter 14 concerns the implementation of those rules by regulators, operators and infrastructure owners. For Montenegro, provisional closure of the chapter would represent an EU accession milestone, while its practical application will affect hauliers, airlines, Port of Bar and the country’s railway companies operating within the European transport framework.
