Montenegro has finalized the incorporation of the Electricity Integration Package into its national legislation, a move that significantly strengthens the country’s electricity market framework and accelerates its energy transition. By aligning its legal framework with the latest European market rules, Montenegro has removed a key obstacle toward joining the EU’s Single Day-Ahead Coupling (SDAC) and Single Intraday Coupling (SIDC) mechanisms, even prior to formal EU membership. The next step involves formal compliance verification by the Energy Community Secretariat and the European Commission, a process that authorities say is now being actively pursued.
The legislative process was completed on 15 February with the adoption of two final government decrees regulating system operation rules, emergency procedures, and system restoration measures. These acts complement the Energy Law and the recently approved legislation governing cross-border electricity and natural gas exchanges. Officials emphasize that the new regulatory framework is intended to provide clearer investment signals, reinforce regional integration, promote fair competition, and enhance supply security.
With this step, Montenegro becomes the third contracting party within the Energy Community to fully transpose the Electricity Integration Package, following Serbia and Moldova, both of which completed the process last year. Serbia is currently undergoing the verification stage. The Energy Community Secretariat has expressed its readiness to support Montenegro in implementing the updated legal framework, which is considered essential for the faster deployment of renewable energy sources and modernization of the national power system.
Montenegrin authorities describe the achievement as a clear signal of the country’s preparedness for deeper integration into regional and European electricity markets, supported by a transparent and stable regulatory environment aimed at ensuring competitiveness, sustainability, and reliable energy supply.
