Iceland and Montenegro Could Join the EU Together, Politico Reports

Iceland and Montenegro could simultaneously join the European Union in 2028, according to a report by Politico. In Iceland's case, the main condition for the process is a positive outcome from the referendum scheduled for August, in which citizens must approve the resumption of negotiations for EU membership.

The EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, described Iceland as a “special case,” considering the country’s participation in the European Economic Area and the Schengen area. He noted that if negotiations resume, they could take one to two years.

According to Politico, during this time, Iceland could reach the level of Montenegro's integration. Montenegro has already closed more than half of the 33 negotiation chapters and aims to join the EU by 2028.

One European official regarded the simultaneous membership of Iceland and Montenegro as a realistic scenario. He stated that economically developed Iceland could become a donor to the EU budget, somewhat balancing the financial costs associated with Montenegro’s integration.

The Montenegrin Minister for European Affairs, Maida Gorovic, announced that Podgorica is ready to consider the option of joint membership with Iceland. Iceland's Foreign Minister, Þórdís Kolbrún Rósdóttir, also deemed parallel membership possible, noting that it would depend on the course of the negotiations.