Croatia blocked the closure of the 14th negotiation chapter on transport policy in Montenegro’s accession process to the European Union. This occurred on July 14, when Montenegro closed two other negotiation chapters at once, according to “European Truth.”
The European Commission has officially set a target for Montenegro’s accession to the EU in 2028. At the same time, Zagreb is using the negotiation process to raise bilateral issues with Montenegro. Last December, Croatia had already blocked the closure of Chapter 31, which covers foreign, security, and defense policy.
One of Croatia’s new complaints concerns the lower tariffs charged by Montenegrin trucking companies. Zagreb has expressed concerns that after Montenegro joins the EU, its carriers could take away part of the market from Croatian transport companies. As noted by “European Truth,” the mechanism for resolving these claims could potentially serve as a model for the EU in settling the dispute between Ukraine and Poland regarding Polish carriers.
Croatia also refuses to recognize Montenegrin aeronautical charts in their current form. Zagreb fears that such recognition could strengthen Montenegro’s position in a potential territorial dispute. The issue of delimiting the maritime boundary between the two countries also remains unresolved.
In addition, issues related to the 1991–1995 war have not been fully resolved between Montenegro and Croatia. Zagreb is also demanding the return of the training ship “Jadran.” According to the publication, relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly in recent years, although they had previously made considerable efforts to resolve contentious issues.
