“It’s a very cheap cup of coffee,” they added.
The EU’s next €2 trillion budget — which will come into force at the start of 2028 — will have to be topped up to cover the costs of new members joining.
The Commission issued its financial proposal for Montenegro’s accession to the EU on June 30. It must now be agreed by EU countries before the start of financial negotiations between Brussels and Montenegro.
“Today’s package is another concrete step towards Montenegro’s future in our Union. We are getting Montenegro, Member States and our institutions ready,” the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a statement.
Montenegro — a country of 600,000 people that became an EU candidate in 2010 — is expected to become the EU’s next member by 2028, although chances of entering on Jan. 1 are slim, according to the official.
Its contribution to the EU budget is estimated at €500 million for the next seven years.