Accession negotiations between North Macedonia and the European Union

European Union North Macedonia

North Macedonia has been an official candidate for accession to the European Union (EU)since December 15, 2005.

In its progress report of October 2009, the European Commission recommended starting accession negotiations with the EU. However, the Council of the European Union found it difficult to make a decision. Greece made the start of accession negotiations dependent on a resolution of the dispute over the name of the state . This was found with the Prespa Agreement adopted by both parliaments. The name change officially came into effect on February 12, 2019. A year later, at the end of March 2020, the decision was made in Brussels to start the accession talks.

Relations between North Macedonia and the European Union

The European Union and North Macedonia established diplomatic relations on December 22, 1995 . The Macedonian government applied for EU membership on March 22, 2004. On May 15, 2004, the Council of the European Union forwarded the application for membership to the European Commission for comments.

The European Commission submitted its opinion ( Avis ) on November 9, 2005. In it she recommends granting candidate status. The European Council followed this recommendation on December 16, 2005 due to the progress made by Macedonia, in particular with the implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) and the Ohrid Framework Agreement .

In its progress report of October 2009, the European Commission recommended the start of EU accession negotiations due to the further reform progress. It renewed this recommendation in the current progress report dated November 9, 2010. A corresponding decision by the council is currently pending. It must be adopted unanimously by the 28 EU member states. Greece makes its approval of the start of accession negotiations dependent on the name dispute between Greece and Macedonia being resolved by mutual agreement. In September 2012, the EU commissioner for enlargement Štefan Füle also warned Macedonian politicians about increasing problems and a lack of cooperation with Bulgaria. In December of the same year the Bulgarian government of Macedonia withdrew its support due to the lack of cooperation in the Skopje 2014 project and dealing with the Bulgarian minority in Macedonia and spoke out against a specific date for starting accession talks. A condition for renewed support on the part of Bulgaria is the signing of a friendship agreement and compliance with it. Such a contract is rejected by Macedonia.

The European Union mentions the country under the provisional name "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia". It is based on the Interim Accord that Greece and Macedonia signed in New York in September 1995 . Article 11 (1) provides that Greece does not object to an application for membership or membership of Macedonia in an international organization pending a resolution in the name dispute, if it occurs under the name "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia". The Republic of Macedonia was also admitted to the United Nations under the provisional name . The state name according to the Macedonian constitution is "Republic of Macedonia".

On June 12, 2018, the two parties to the dispute agreed on a compromise solution, according to which the Republic of Macedonia should change its previous state name to Република Северна Македонија / Republika Severna Makedonija (German Republic of North Macedonia or Republic of North Macedonia ). However, this has yet to be confirmed by the Greek parliament and a Macedonian referendum. The Macedonian parliament voted on January 11, the Greek parliament on January 25, 2019.

The Macedonian pre-accession logo consists of the sun from the Macedonian flag and four stars from the European flag on a dark blue background. The motto is: "The sun, too, is a star".

See also : North Macedonia # foreign policy

On September 26, 2019, the Bundestag voted to start EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia. Meanwhile, Krassimir Karakachanov , Bulgaria's deputy prime minister, opposed the start of accession negotiations on September 29, 2019. Especially from conservative to nationalist politicians in Bulgaria, North Macedonia is required to "correct" its national history before the country can become part of the EU.

Only France opposed the opening of accession negotiations with North Macedonia at a meeting of the heads of government in mid-October 2019.

State of reform

The European Commission monitors the reform progress of Macedonia on its way into the European Union in its enlargement strategy and the progress reports, which appear every autumn.

In its conclusions of 14 December 2010 on Macedonia, the Council of the European Union emphasized:

“The Council welcomes the fact that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has made further progress, albeit at different speeds, in key reform areas, such as police reform. The country continues to meet its obligations under the Stabilization and Association Agreement. The Council expects the country to maintain the pace on the reform agenda. The country needs to make further progress on dialogue between political actors, reform of the judiciary and public administration, and the fight against corruption, freedom of expression and improvement of the business environment. The implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement continues to be instrumental in consolidating democracy and the rule of law in the country.

The Council broadly endorses the Commission's assessment that the country adequately meets the political criteria and notes that the Commission has renewed its recommendation to open accession negotiations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Council stands ready to come back to the subject under the next presidency.

Maintaining good neighborly relations, including a negotiated and mutually acceptable solution to the name issue under the auspices of the UN , is of vital importance. The Council welcomes the ongoing high-level dialogue and hopes that results will be achieved shortly. "

Stabilization and Association Process

On April 9, 2001, the EU signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Macedonia as the first state in the Western Balkans. An interim agreement mainly containing trade-related provisions came into force on June 1, 2001. The SAA has been in force under international law with the EU since April 1, 2004 after it was ratified by all signatory states.

In October 2009 the European Commission recommended the transition to the "second phase" of the SAA, which provides for even closer cooperation. However, the Council has not yet taken a corresponding decision.

Financial EU support for the reform process in Macedonia

The EU supports Macedonia's rapprochement with the EU financially, primarily through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). From 2007 to 2010 the EU made 288 million euros available for Macedonia, 92 of which in 2010. From 2011 to 2013 Macedonia is to receive a further 305 million euros from IPA funds.

Visa liberalization

On January 1, 2008, visa facilitation and readmission agreements with the EU came into force with all states of the Western Balkans (except Kosovo ) . Then the European Commission, together with the participating states, submitted timetables for visa exemption. After Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia had fully met the conditions of the timetables, the EU has been granting visa exemption for these countries since December 19, 2009. It is valid for tourist trips in all Schengen countries for up to 90 days. The prerequisite is that travelers have a biometric passport and are not employed.

literature

• Werner Weidenfeld , Wolfgang Theodor Wessels (ed.): Yearbook of European Integration 2014. Published by the Institute for European Politics, Berlin / Bonn. Nomos, Baden-Baden 2014, ISBN 978-3-8487-1931-0 (published annually in December, since 1980 ISSN  0721-5436 ).

Web links

• European Commission, Directorate-General for Enlargement: Macedonia

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The other candidate countries are Albania , Montenegro , Serbia and Turkey . The other states of the Western Balkans ( Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo ) are potential candidate countries.
2. ↑ "Commission welcomes the green light for the start of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia" , press release of the European Commission, 25 March 2020.
3. ^ Füle: The problems between Sofia and Skopje must be resolved. Vest magazine, September 18, 2012, archived from the original on September 19, 2012 ; Retrieved September 19, 2012 (Macedonian). 
4. ↑ Bulgaria continues to insist on good neighborly relations with Macedonia ( memento of October 17, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), May 31, 2013
5. ^ Text of the agreement ( Memento of December 18, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
6. ^ Macedonia and Greece: Deal after 27-year row over a name. BBC News, June 12, 2018, accessed June 12, 2018 . 
7. ↑ Keep your word, aim for the north. taz, January 11, 2019, accessed on January 12, 2019 . 
8. ↑ End of a memorable argument. tagesschau.de, January 25, 2019, accessed on January 25, 2019 . 
9. ^ Bundestag for accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. Der Tagesspiegel , September 26, 2019, accessed on September 29, 2019 . 
10. ↑ Bullgaria nuk pranon që Maqedonisë së Veriut t'i hapen bisedimet. Top Channel , September 29, 2019, accessed September 29, 2019 (Albanian). 
11. ↑ "The French stumbling block and the unclear enlargement debate " Euractiv, October 21, 2019
12. ↑ COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Enlargement Strategy and Most Important Challenges 2010-2011 ( Memento of March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
13. ↑ https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/sites/near/files/pdf/key_documents/2010/package/mk_rapport_2010_en.pdf
14. ↑ Stabilization and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, on the one hand, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, on the other
15. ↑ Archive link ( Memento from June 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
16. ↑ ec.europa.eu: Progress Report 2011 (PDF file; 408 kB) , October 12, 2011, accessed on November 27, 2011
17. ↑ Agreement between the European Community and that of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to facilitate the issuing of short-stay visas
18. ^ Agreement between the European Community and that of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on readmission