Montenegro’s companies must strengthen competitiveness, improve quality and meet European standards before EU membership changes the country’s trade regime, participants at a business panel said. Access to a market of nearly 450 million consumers could create new opportunities, but would also bring stronger competition and new requirements for businesses, Johann Sattler, head of the European Union Delegation to Montenegro, told the panel.
The Chamber of Economy of Montenegro (PKCG) and the Ministry of European Affairs organised the discussion under their B4EU initiative, “Preparing Montenegro’s economy for EU membership”. Participants focused on steps businesses and institutions need to take before accession, including adapting to different trade rules and developing commercial partnerships.
PKCG President Nina Drakić said the initiative would assess the readiness of Montenegro and its companies, identify standards that are still missing, produce sector analyses and provide training. The chamber also plans to connect business knowledge with investment and partnerships, and to prepare a White Paper with recommendations to the government on changes needed for accession.
Drakić urged companies to improve their operations and develop employees ahead of membership rather than treat accession as the point at which they begin learning new rules. She said the chamber’s work to prepare businesses had included 35 projects, and identified limited productivity and capacity among small companies, shortages of skills and staff in businesses and institutions, and weak preparation for European projects and investment as risks.
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises face particular adjustment challenges when they have limited financial and staffing resources, Drakić said. She called for a system that gives each company clarity on the standards it must meet, the support available and the next steps it should take.
Trade changes and business readiness
Companies buying goods from the EU will no longer need import and export procedures after accession, Drakić said, while rules for transactions will change and some logistics work will become simpler. Businesses should also find it easier to identify buyers and suppliers, connect with European distributors and participate in transport flows. The changes will coincide with greater competition, making preparation important for firms seeking to benefit from the new market.
European Affairs Minister Maida Gorčević said closing negotiation chapters would align business activity with EU rules on services, capital movements, public procurement, competition and consumer protection. Accession would also change Montenegro’s trade regime, including its exit from CEFTA, and she urged companies to build relationships with European buyers and partners in advance.
Montenegro’s border arrangements with regional countries will change as the country opens towards the EU, Gorčević said. Controls on goods at the borders will not be relaxed because Montenegro will become an external border of the bloc. She pointed to Croatia, whose exports to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro fell after it joined the EU in 2013 before increasing again during 2014.
Gorčević said Montenegro had submitted all negotiating positions, including proposals for transition periods in several sectors, most of them related to Chapter 27 on the environment and climate change. She hoped negotiations would close by the end of that year, followed by the signing of an accession treaty during 2027 and ratification in all 27 national parliaments. The economy, she said, must be ready for 2028.
Using EU funds will require trained staff, efficient procedures and high-quality project documentation, Gorčević said. Municipalities and companies also need stronger capacity to prepare projects and apply for funding calls. Available funding from the funds amounted to 245 million euros in the previous year, and the government wants it distributed across the country, including the north and other less-developed regions.
Sattler said the EU supports economic transformation through financing, reforms and infrastructure projects. He identified agriculture and renewable energy as areas of particular concern for investors, while pointing to potential in energy, farms, IT, the Port of Bar and railways. Companies will need exports, laboratories and certificates ready from the first day of membership, he added.
Robert Rakar, director of the Primorska Chamber of Commerce in Koper, Slovenia, said companies seeking European customers need to deliver consistent quality, sufficient quantities, complete documentation and meet deadlines. He advised Montenegro’s businesses to use the time before accession to improve quality, digitalise operations, strengthen competitiveness and develop partnerships.
Rakar also recommended that producers work together when they lack the capacity to compete individually, allowing them to find buyers collectively and make better use of resources. Distinctive products can offer an advantage, but companies should maintain relationships with partners in the region and third countries rather than rely only on the EU market.
Sattler called for stronger institutions and better use of European funding, pointing to disparities between Budva and Petnjica. He put Budva at 140% of development and Petnjica at 36%, while Gorčević said the government had placed kajmak first on its list for protection so Montenegro could export it freely.
