The key facts

  • Croatia sent the EU a document with eight demands for Montenegro, including compensation for around 300 detainees of the Morinj camp (1991–1992)
  • Zagreb is blocking four negotiation chapters; Montenegro has closed 21 of 33 and aims to become the EU's 28th member by 2028
  • The demands include locating 14 missing persons, property disputes, the return of the sailing ship Jadran and settlement of the land and maritime border

Zagreb's eight conditions

On Monday Croatia sent EU governments a document obtained by Euronews setting out eight demands for Montenegro which Zagreb considers necessary to conclude the EU accession negotiations. The document states: 'Croatia sincerely seeks to turn this painful page of shared history and build a future-oriented relationship with Montenegro. However, mutual trust and genuine, lasting reconciliation are impossible without resolving these issues.' Many of the grievances date back to the wars that accompanied the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Negotiation progress and blocked chapters

Montenegro is regarded as the leading candidate for the next EU enlargement and aims to become its 28th member by 2028. On Monday it closed three more negotiation chapters — on statistics, economic policy and employment — bringing the total to 21 of 33. However, Croatia is blocking progress on four other chapters: transport, external relations, fundamental rights and home affairs. Since every member state has a say in the enlargement process, Zagreb's position remains a serious obstacle to Montenegro's bid.

The Morinj camp and the missing

One of the most sensitive demands concerns the Morinj camp on Montenegrin territory, where from October 1991 to August 1992 around 300 Croatian citizens — civilians and prisoners of war — were held and mistreated. Zagreb demands compensation for former detainees and permanent visibility for the memorial plaque at the camp site: after protests by Montenegrin nationalist groups, a large metal frame was erected around it. Croatia also asks for assistance in establishing the fate of 14 people missing from the war of independence, calling this 'a major humanitarian issue that remains unresolved', and demands that command responsibility for crimes against civilians be taken into account in the cases of already convicted war criminals.

Property, the Jadran and borders

Croatia insists on settling property disputes from the early 1990s, when a number of Croatian families lost property without adequate compensation. The document notes that a 2021 law allowed the return of land in a region predominantly inhabited by the Albanian minority, which 'raises concerns about unequal treatment in comparable cases'. Zagreb also demands the return of the training sailing ship Jadran, controlled by Montenegro since the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, and the settlement of the land and maritime border in line with the conclusions of the Arbitration Commission of the Conference on Yugoslavia.

Zagreb's position and the Slovenia precedent

Despite its tough stance, Croatia stresses that it supports Montenegro's EU accession: 'Croatia has consistently called on Montenegro to resolve the remaining bilateral issues while actively supporting its EU accession. Despite Croatia's sustained efforts and constructive approach, none of the unresolved issues has been settled so far.' At the same time, Croatia itself still has an unsettled border dispute with Slovenia, which nevertheless did not prevent its accession to the European Union in 2013.