Montenegro provisionally closed two more chapters in its European Union accession negotiations on July 14, further strengthening its position as the frontrunner among candidate countries seeking EU membership, the European Council said.

At an Accession Conference, the EU and Montenegro provisionally closed negotiations on chapter 8 on competition policy and chapter 29 on the customs union.

The latest progress follows the provisional closure of chapter 2 on the free movement of workers and chapter 28 on health and consumer protection at the previous accession conference on June 15.

With the closure of the two additional chapters, Montenegro has now provisionally closed 18 of the 33 negotiating chapters it has opened since launching accession talks.

"I am proud that we are delivering the first Intergovernmental Conference for Montenegro under the Irish presidency, at which we provisionally closed two more negotiating chapters," Thomas Byrne, Ireland's minister of state for European affairs and defence, said on behalf of the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU.

"With 18 chapters now provisionally closed – more than halfway to the end – Montenegro remains the frontrunner in the EU's accession process. EU enlargement is a geopolitical necessity to ensure European stability, security and democratic reforms. It will remain at the top of our presidency's priorities," Byrne added.

The European Commission was represented at the conference by Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, while the Montenegrin delegation was led by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić.

The Council of the EU noted that the provisional closure of the chapters does not represent a final agreement and that the EU may reopen discussions on the chapters if necessary.

Progress in aligning Montenegro's legislation with the EU acquis and implementing the required reforms will continue to be monitored throughout the accession process.

Under the EU's negotiating framework, agreements reached on individual chapters become final only once an overall agreement has been reached on all chapters.