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Updated · POLITICO Europe · Jun 30European Commission Puts Montenegro's EU Entry Cost at €3 Billion by 2034
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO Europe · Jun 30Summary
- €3 billion is the European Commission’s estimate for Montenegro’s accession cost over the EU budget cycle running from 2028 to 2034.
- Montenegro, expected to join in 2028, would then start drawing farmers’ subsidies and regional development funds from the EU’s central budget.
- €1 extra per taxpayer is the rough impact over that seven-year period, according to a senior Commission official speaking anonymously.
- The estimate gives one of the clearest price tags yet for adding the small Balkan country to the bloc as the EU plans its next long-term budget.
Insights
Is Montenegro's €3 billion entry fee a strategic investment or a risky gamble on EU stability? Will Montenegro become a rule-of-law success or the EU's next internal democratic crisis?