Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09PODGORICA107
2009-04-24 16:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Podgorica
Cable title:  

MONTENEGRO'S EU APPLICATION MOVES FORWARD

Tags:  PREL PGOV MW 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8637
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPOD #0107 1141642
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241642Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY PODGORICA
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1291
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA 1380
UNCLAS PODGORICA 000107 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MW
SUBJECT: MONTENEGRO'S EU APPLICATION MOVES FORWARD

REF: PODGORICA 13

UNCLAS PODGORICA 000107

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MW
SUBJECT: MONTENEGRO'S EU APPLICATION MOVES FORWARD

REF: PODGORICA 13


1. (U) After months of press speculation as to why Montenegro's
December 15 application for membership had not yet been
considered by the EU, the GoM got good news this week that the
process is again moving forward. On April 23, the European
Council announced that it would pass the application on to the
European Commission (for an "avis"),which can now formally
begin evaluating Montenegro's membership request. This decision
was greeted enthusiastically by Montenegrin media and political
leaders. EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn also praised
Montenegro's reforms to date, stressing the constructive and
stabilizing role Montenegro has been playing in the region.




2. (SBU) According to its own regulations, the European
Commission was supposed to respond within 60 days of the
December 15th application. Our European colleagues in Podgorica
tell us the delay was due to internal EU bureaucratic issues and
was not a reflection on Montenegro (though it may indicate a
general lack of enthusiasm for enlargement).




3. (SBU) The EC will now debate the merits of the application
and should send the GoM a list of approximately 4,500 questions
to gauge Montenegro's current reform progress. The GoM will
have three months to reply. The EC will then produce a
comprehensive report on Montenegro and make a recommendation on
whether to accept Montenegro's candidacy. The entire back and
forth process typically takes a year to eighteen months. If the
EC recommendation is positive (our EU colleagues in Podgorica
expect that it will be),EU member states will formally accept
Montenegro as a "candidate for membership" and set a date to
begin accession talks.

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