Political system: Parliamentary republic
Capital city: Podgorica
Total area: 13,812 km²
Population: 672,180
Currency: Euro
Montenegro's application for membership of the EU was submitted on 15 December 2008.
At its meeting on 23 April 2009 the Council decided to implement the procedure laid down in Article 49 of the Treaty on EU and invite the Commission to submit to the Council its opinion on this application. The Commission delivered a positive opinion on 12 October 2011 and recommended to open accession negotiations.
The European Council of 16/17 December 2010 agreed to give Montenegro the status of candidate country.
The European Council of 29 June 2012 endorsed the decision of the Council, taken on 26 June 2012, to open accession negotiations.
The first meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro at Ministerial level opened accession negotiations on 29 June 2012.
The second Accession Conference with Montenegro at Ministerial level was held in Brussels on 18 December 2012, to open and provisionally close the first negotiating chapter, Science and Research.