EU holds accession conferences with four candidate countries

Largest enlargement step in over 20 years: Montenegro closed chapters 8 (competition) and 29 (customs union) and continues to aim for concluding negotiations by the end of 2026 with accession in 2028; Albania closed three chapters (25, 26, 30); Ukraine and Moldova opened a new negotiating cluster on external relations.

Four parallel intergovernmental conferences on the sidelines of the General Affairs Council on 14 July 2026; this means 18 of 33 chapters are now closed for Montenegro.