Montenegro

Montenegro was still part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) when that country applied for accession to the WTO in 2001. FRY was the last of the former republics of Yugoslavia to do so.

In 2003, the FRY became the country of Serbia and Montenegro, with the understanding that the two republics would pursue harmonized economic policies and therefore continue accession to the WTO as a single entity.

By 2005, however, it became clear that while the Union State of Serbia and Montenegro might be considered a single country, its two constituent territories were operating as separate economic units. They petitioned jointly to split the accession process and to negotiate their WTO Membership as separate customs territories.

The General Council established a Working Party to examine Montenegro’s WTO accession application in February 2005. Its Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime was circulated in March 2005.

Montenegro’s first Working Party meeting was held in October 2005. Montenegro’s most recent Working Party meeting – its seventh, held in November 2008 -- conducted the final substantive review of draft Working Party report and provided WTO Members with an opportunity to complete market access negotiations for goods and services. The final WP meetings to adopt WP report and Schedules are planned for later in 2009, after Montenegro completes its bilateral market access negotiations. General Council approval will follow.

The United States has actively participated in Montenegro’s Working Party meetings, and has engaged in bilateral consultations with the Government of Montenegro on the margins of WTO meetings in Geneva.

The United States signed its bilateral market access agreements with Montenegro in January 2009.

The United States has provided technical assistance to Montenegro in the form of an advisor resident in Belgrade, drafting documentation, training, legal drafting, and institution building in the areas of customs, licensing, intellectual property, standards and sanitary measures. This program concluded in March 2009.