MEP Şerban Dimitrie Sturdza (ECR) has asked the European Commission whether Montenegro's EU accession benchmarks under Chapter 23 adequately protect the Aromanian (Vlach) community, warning that minority rights must be reflected in concrete and verifiable criteria. The written question, submitted on 8 July 2026, targets the Commission's data on the community's size, legal status, and access to education, media, and cultural life in its native language, which UNESCO classifies as vulnerable.
Sturdza's question follows Montenegro's stated goal of joining the EU by 2028 and the Tivat Summit, where EU institutions reaffirmed minority protection as an essential requirement of the accession process. The MEP argues that the Aromanian community, a historic Balkan Romance-speaking population, remains largely invisible in official reports, with its linguistic, educational, cultural, and religious rights inadequately documented by European institutions.
whether the Commission holds up-to-date data on the community's size, distribution, and legal status; whether Chapter 23 closure benchmarks include measurable criteria for protecting the community; and what verification mechanisms the Commission uses to ensure effective implementation of European minority standards. Sturdza's intervention signals a push for greater transparency and accountability in the accession process, particularly regarding smaller minority groups that may be overlooked in broader negotiations.
The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. Its answer will indicate whether it considers current benchmarks sufficient or whether additional monitoring is needed, potentially affecting Montenegro's accession timeline and the treatment of minority rights across the Western Balkans.