Montenegro is approaching a turning point. With EU membership on the horizon, the country’s tourism-driven coastal economy must confront environmental standards far stricter than anything applied in the past. The EU’s Green Deal, Natura 2000 requirements, coastal-zone protection directives and wastewater obligations pose a stark question: can Montenegro’s current tourism model survive European environmental compliance?
Local reports in Monitor, Analitika and environmental networks highlight deep concern: Montenegro’s coastline — from Ulcinj to Herceg Novi — remains plagued by inadequate sewage systems, uncontrolled urbanisation, outdated waste-treatment facilities and illegal land use. The summer boom masks systemic fragility that becomes painfully visible each autumn when rains overwhelm outdated drains and raw sewage flows into the sea.
EU accession will not tolerate this. Brussels expects strict waste-water treatment, urban-density control, coastal protection and environmental monitoring. Many coastal municipalities currently fall short.
Tourism operators fear rising compliance costs. Developers worry about restrictions on coastal zoning. Municipalities fear they lack resources to upgrade infrastructure quickly. Environmental activists argue that Montenegro’s tourism model must become sustainable — or collapse under regulatory pressure.
The looming clash between development and sustainability is now irreversible. Montenegro built its tourism identity on natural beauty — beaches, bays, mountains — yet development strategies often treated these assets as expendable. EU entry changes the rules: environmental obligations will be binding, enforceable and closely monitored.
Yet the transition offers opportunity. Clean coasts, modern wastewater systems, protected marine areas and sustainable development zones increase long-term tourism value. Montenegro could position itself as one of the Adriatic’s most sustainable destinations — a competitive asset as climate change reshapes global travel.
The challenge is execution. Can Montenegro mobilise investment, governance and coordination? Or will it struggle under the weight of its own contradictions?
The EU’s answer will arrive soon. Montenegro’s response will shape the future of its tourism economy for decades.
