No starting date for Montenegro's EU accession talks

Montenegro will be declared an EU candidate country in December but no date will be set for the start of accession talks, according to diplomatic sources.

The declaration will be made at European Council meeting of heads of state next month, but actual negotiations are unlikely to begin before 2012.

The Netherlands, the only country that still has reservations about awarding Macedonia candidate status, could pose a last-minute stumbling block as the Lisbon Treaty requires unanim...