EU grants Montenegro candidate status

On December 17th 2010 the European Union announced that Montenegro has been granted the status of candidate for full membership in the 27-nation bloc.

The two sides will now have to fix a date to begin long negotiations in which candidate countries are required to implement changes to fall in line behind EU policies.

Jose Manuel Barroso, the head of the EU's executive, the European Commission, said in his official statement  that the move represented "a strong signal of our commitment to the future" of the nations of the Balkans.

Candidacy is a key stepping stone for membership. Still, Montenegro will likely require another four to five years to finalize accession negotiations. However the status of candidate will boost reforms in the energy sector and enable the country to further tap its RES and EE potential.

Montenegro emerged as an independent nation in 1996 after the dissolution of its short-lived union with Serbia. Of the eight states of the western Balkans, only Slovenia is an EU member. Croatia has nearly completed its accession negotiations and expects to be inducted next year or in 2012.

Sources:
http://www.eubusiness.com
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com

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