Greece Prevents Macedonia to Obtain Date
Greece has succeeded in its intention to prevent Macedonia to obtain a date for launching the EU accession talks, MIA reports from Brussels.
The marathon meeting of the General Affairs Council (GAC) ended late Tuesday without the desired conclusion for setting a date and launching the screening process for Macedonia, although this year the European Commission and Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, for the fourth time in a row, recommended that Macedonia should start the EU accession negotiations, particularly because it has met all necessary criteria to that effect.
If the four paragraphs of the conclusion on Macedonia were known in advance, the fifth, vital one suffered substantial amendments and instead of a date for launching the EU accession talks in next June and screening process for the Chapter 23 and 24 of the Acquis, the ministers of foreign and European affairs, under Greece’s and partially Bulgaria’s pressure at the end concluded that a European Council possible decision on opening Macedonia’s EU accession talks will be based on the report the EC is to publish in the spring of next year. It will review the conduct of reforms in regard to the (Macedonia-EU) High-Level Accession Dialogue (HLAD), undertaken steps for promoting good-neighbourly relations and reaching mutually acceptable solution to the name issue under the UN auspices.
The Council however hails Macedonia’s progress in a numerous of key political areas, including the electoral legislation, freedom of expression and public administration. The Council notifies the report of implementing the Framework Agreement and encourages the Government to move forward to the next reviewing stage.
GAC conclusion also says that the European Council has been notifying the country’s contribution to HLAD, which has served as a catalyst for accelerating reforms
“Notifying the need of continuous reforms, the Council says their momentum should be sustained in all areas related to the political criteria, focusing in particular on the rule of law, including freedom of expression, combat against corruption, inter-ethnic relations and reconciliation,” the conclusion reads.
The fourth paragraph was also a subject of minor amendments, saying that in line with European Council conclusions of June 2008, the nourishing of good-neighbourly relations, including an agreement on mutually acceptable solution to the name issue under the UN auspices, is of vital importance.
The long negotiations on the name issue should bring final result without delay. The Council welcomes the momentum, generated by recent contacts/exchange between the two parties, following the Greece’s MoU, and is encouraged by recent contacts with the UN mediator. In this respect, the Council also notifies the recent high-level contacts between Macedonia and Bulgaria, expecting for them to bring concrete actions and results, the paragraph reads.
