The Council of the European Union's Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the EU is scheduled to meet on 26 June 2026 at 10:00 in Brussels to advance accession negotiations with Montenegro, Ukraine, and the Republic of Moldova. The meeting, announced in a notice of meeting and provisional agenda published on 25 June 2026, will focus on exchanging views on draft Common Positions for Montenegro and reviewing screening outcomes for Ukraine and Moldova.
For Montenegro, the Working Party will exchange views on draft Common Positions for chapter 8 (Competition policy) and chapter 29 (Customs Union), based on documents WK 9131/26 REV 1 and WK 9133/26 REV 1. This step is part of the process to align Montenegrin legislation with EU standards in these areas, which are critical for market integration and trade facilitation.
For Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the agenda includes a review of screening outcomes on clusters 2 to 6. These clusters cover a broad range of policy areas, including internal market, competitiveness, agriculture, and regional policy. The screening process assesses the candidates' alignment with EU acquis and identifies areas requiring further reform. The relevant documents for Ukraine are WK 8758/26, WK 8761/26, WK 8763/26, WK 8765/26, and WK 8767/26; for Moldova, they are WK 8760/26, WK 8762/26, WK 8764/26, WK 8766/26, and WK 8768/26.
The meeting will conclude with any other business (AOB). This session is part of the EU's ongoing enlargement process, which has gained momentum following the granting of candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova in 2022 and the opening of accession negotiations in 2024. The Working Party's discussions will inform the preparation of subsequent negotiating rounds and the eventual adoption of Common Positions by the Council.
Stakeholders impacted include the governments and citizens of Montenegro, Ukraine, and Moldova, who stand to benefit from closer EU integration but face significant reform requirements. EU member states will need to balance their strategic interests with the pace of enlargement, while businesses in candidate countries may gain improved access to the EU single market as negotiations progress. The European Commission, which conducts the screening and proposes draft Common Positions, will use the Working Party's feedback to refine its approach.