Montenegro is preparing to close EU accession Chapter 15 – Energy, Minister of Energy and Mining Admir Šahmanović announced. He stated that Montenegro will meet all remaining obligations by the end of December, enabling the chapter to be closed at the next intergovernmental conference. According to Šahmanović, Montenegro is set to become a full member of the EU energy market even before formal EU accession.
As part of this process, Montenegro will adopt a new law on cross-border electricity and gas exchange by the end of the year. The government has also signed an agreement with Italy’s Terna to install the second subsea power cable by 2027. With this, Šahmanović said, Montenegro has fulfilled its obligations, and the European Union now has 18 months to complete its part of the project.
Montenegro participates in the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme, a decade-long initiative worth around €1 billion. Since 2013, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested €60 million in energy-efficiency upgrades in Montenegro, including the renovation of schools and hospitals. Recent grants signed with the Ministries of Education and Health aim to improve thermal comfort, ventilation and energy performance in public buildings.
The programme, also supported by Germany’s development bank KfW and the European Commission, has so far enabled the renovation of 540 public buildings across the Western Balkans and provided support to SMEs and households. The next phase will extend the programme to state-owned companies and institutions.
