Accession of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the European Union

Republic of Macedonia

Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...

has been a candidate for accession to the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

since 2005. It submitted its membership application in 2004, thirteen years after its independence from former Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....

. Currently (as of 2010), it is one of five remaining candidate countries, together with Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

, Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

, Montenegro

Montenegro

Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...

, and Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

, after the latest round of enlargement that brought membership to Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

and Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

. Among current obstacles to full membership is the ongoing dispute with Greece

Macedonia naming dispute

A diplomatic dispute over the use of the name Macedonia has been an ongoing issue in the bilateral relations between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia since the latter became independent from former Yugoslavia in 1991...

over the country's name, which is also the reason why it is officially addressed by the European Union with the provisional appellation "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", rather than its constitutional name, "Republic of Macedonia". Accession to the EU has been defined as the highest strategic priority for the country's government. The expected accession is currently described as a "medium to long term" prospect.

The government's motto for the candidacy is "The Sun, too, is a star", referring to the sun from the flag of the Republic of Macedonia

Flag of the Republic of Macedonia

The national flag of the Republic of Macedonia depicts a stylised yellow sun on a red field, with eight broadening rays extending from the centre to the edge of the field. It was created by Pr...

being displayed among the other stars in the Flag of Europe, in the official logo of the candidacy.

History

The Republic of Macedonia began its formal process of rapprochment with the European Union in 2000, by initiating negotiations about the EU's Stabilisation and Association Process

Stabilisation and Association process

In talks with countries who have expressed a wish to join the European Union, the EU typically concludes Association Agreements in exchange for commitments to political, economic, trade, or human rights reform in that country...

, and it became the first non-EU country in the Balkans to sign the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), on 9 April 2001 in Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

. The agreement was ratified by the Macedonian parliament on 12 April 2001, and was the first to be ratified by all the member states and come into force on 1 April 2004.

At the same time, on 22 March 2004 in Dublin, Ireland, Macedonia submitted its application for EU membership. On 6 September 2004, the Macedonian government adopted a National Strategy for European integration, supported by the country's parliament through its Commission for European Issues. The government subsequently began the procedure of answering the questionnaire of the European Commission

European Commission

The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....

regarding its performance in preparation for membership in accordance with the Copenhagen criteria

Copenhagen criteria

The Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a country is eligible to join the European Union. The criteria require that a state has the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights, has a functioning market economy, and accepts the obligations and intent of the EU...

, a process that was finished by 31 January 2005. The European Council

European Council

The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...

officially granted the country candidate status on 17 December 2005, after a review and a positive recommendation of the candidacy by the European Commission.

Controversy

A major obstacle for the accession process is the Republic's still-unresolved dispute with Greece

Macedonia naming dispute

over its name. While the country prefers to be called by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia, the European Union, in acknowledgment of concerns raised by Greece, has maintained a practice of recognising it only as the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", the compromise "provisional reference" introduced by the United Nations in 1993. Greece, being a EU member state of long standing, has veto power against new accessions, and has repeatedly stated that it will block Macedonian accession unless the naming issue is resolved beforehand. Since 2008, resolution of the naming conflict has also been added to the official preconditions raised by the EU.

More recently, EU sources have also criticised the country's leadership under prime minister Nikola Gruevski

Nikola Gruevski

Nikola Gruevski has been Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia since 27 August 2006. He has led VMRO-DPMNE since May 2003. He was Minister of Finance in the VMRO-DPMNE government led by Ljubčo Georgievski until September 2002.- Personal life :...

for its policies against its Albanian minority

Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia

Albanians are the largest ethnic minority in the Republic of Macedonia. Of the 2,022,547 citizens of Macedonia, 509,083, or 25%, are Albanian according to the latest national census in 2002. The Albanian minority lives mostly in the north-western part of the country...

and the politicisation of many state institutions, warning that these problems may become obstacles to the official start of accession talks.

Bilateral conflicts also exist with Bulgaria

Bulgaria

, mainly related to conflicting views about the two countries' shared 19th- and 20th-century history and the ethnic separateness of the two nations. Bulgaria joined the EU on 1 January 2007. In July 2006, Bulgarian foreign minister Ivaylo Kalfin

Ivaylo Kalfin

Ivaylo Georgiev Kalfin is a Bulgarian politician. A three-term deputy, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and Deputy Prime Minister from 2005 to 2009...

and president Georgi Parvanov

Georgi Parvanov

Georgi Sedefchov Parvanov is a President of Bulgaria, whose second and last mandate expires on January 22, 2012; he was elected after defeating his predecessor Petar Stoyanov in the second round of the presidential elections in November 2001 and he came into office on January 22, 2002...

stated that Bulgaria's support for Macedonian membership might not be unconditional, citing concerns over negative and aggressive attitudes against Bulgaria and Bulgarian history fostered by the Macedonian authorities. Defiant answers were reported from the Macedonian political leadership.

Timeline

October 1992 — The Republic of Macedonia appoints its representative in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

, agreeing to the use of the "former Yugoslav" before its constitutional name ("Republic of Macedonia") designation in bilateral relations;
22 December 1995 — The Republic and the EU establish diplomatic relations. Negotiations commence directed at an agreement with a wide scope of co-operation in the fields of trade, financial operations and transport;
February 1996 — The permanent Macedonian Mission in Brussels is upgraded to an ambassadorial level;
10 March 1996 — Macedonia becomes a full partner in the PHARE
Phare
The Phare programme is one of the three pre-accession instruments financed by the European Union to assist the applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe in their preparations for joining the European Union....

Programme (Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

: Assistance for Reconstruction of their Economies);
20 March 1996 — Negotiations begin towards a Cooperation Agreement and a Transport Agreement between the Republic and the European Communities;
20 June 1996 — Conclusion of the Cooperation Agreement and the Transport Agreement;
November 1997 — The Transport Agreement enters into force;
1 January 1998 – The Cooperation Agreement enters into force;
February 1998 — 1st political talks on ministerial level are held in Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...

, in accordance with the Cooperation Agreement;
11 March 1998 — A Trade and Textile Agreement is signed (it remains in force until 1998 and is later replaced with a new agreement on 1 January 2000)
21 and 22 March 1998 — 1st meeting of a mutual Cooperation Council in Skopje;
5 March 1999 – 2nd meeting of the Cooperation Council in Brussels
24 January 2000 — The European Commission adopts directives regarding cooperation and regarding the official start of negotiations for potential membership
March 2000 — Opening of the EU Delegation in Skopje; appointment of the first Chief of the Delegation;
5 April 2000 — Start of 1st round of negotiations on the SAA
June 2000 – Adoption of a Perspective (regulation) on Potential Membership by the European Council in Fiera
24 November 2000 – The SAA is initiated at the Zagreb Summit
December 2000 – Entering into force of Council Regulation on Introducing Exceptional Trade Measures; Macedonia joins the Regional CARDS Programme 2002–2006;
16 February 2001 — Interim Agreement on SAA Trade Provisions signed;
9 April 2001 — SAA and Interim Agreement on Trade and Trade Issues signed. The Agreement enters into force on 1 June 2001;
January 2002 — Supplementary Protocol on Wine and Spirits, and Textile Products Trade Agreement;
20 February 2003 — The President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, visits Skopje, reconfirming the EU position on the country's perspective for EU membership;
25 July 2003 — Last of 6 meetings of the Cooperation Council in Brussels;
February 2004 — “Declaration on the Application for EU membership” signed by the Macedonian parliament
22 March 2004 — At a ceremony in Dublin, Ireland, the Macedonian government submitted the application for membership in the EU;
1 April 2004 — SAA enters into force following the ratifications by all the EU Member States;
3 June 2004 — 1st meeting of the Stabilisation and Association Committee held in Skopje;
6 September 2004 — National Strategy for European Integration adopted by the Macedonian government;
14 September 2004 — 1st meeting of the Stabilisation and Association Council in Brussels;
1 October 2004 — Questionnaire on accession preparation submitted to the Macedonian government by the European Commission
31 January 2005 — Answers to the Questionnaire finalised by the Macedonian government
14 February 2005 — Answers to the Questionnaire submitted to the European Commission by a Macedonian delegation in Brussels
Additional Questions to the Questionnaire of the European Commission that were received on 22 April 2005, are answered, accepted by the Republic's government and sent to Brussels on 10 May 2005
9 November 2005 — Positive recommendation on Macedonian accession issued by the European Commission
17 December 2005 — The European Council in Brussels approves the candidate status.
9 November 2006 — The European Commission decides to start visa facilitation negotiations with the Republic.
12 July 2007 – The European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...

issues the 2006 Progress Report on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Both Greece and the Republic declare a "victory" – The report is critical of the Bilateral Immunity Agreement with the USA (which violates the principles of the Rome Statute); failures in the implementation of the Badinter principle
Ohrid Agreement
The Ohrid Framework Agreement was the peace deal signed by the government of the Republic of Macedonia and ethnic Albanian representatives on August 13, 2001...

; the Khaled El-Masri affair; the renaming of Skopje Airport
Skopje Airport
Skopje Airport , or Skopje "Alexander the Great" Airport is the larger and busier of the two international airports in the Republic of Macedonia...

to "Alexander the Great"; and other issues such as environmental protection and neighborly relations. Two proposed amendments referring to Bulgaria and Greece's failure to recognize a Macedonian minority living in these countries, and one referring to the constitutional name Republic of Macedonia, were rejected. On the other hand, the EU reiterated that the naming issue will not be considered in the accession process (although Greece's ability to veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...

remains intact). EuroMP
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...

s from the ruling Greek Nea Dimokratia party voted in favor of the resolution; those from the opposition PASOK
Panhellenic Socialist Movement
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party...

party voted against.
23 June 2008 – Following the EU summit, the resolution of the naming dispute was added as a precondition to EU accession.
14 October 2009 – The European Commission has recommended start of the accession negotiations for full-fledged membership of the Republic of Macedonia.
8 December 2009 – The EU council of ministers postpones granting Macedonia a start date for accession negotiations until at least the first half of 2010.

Negotiation progress

Acquis chapter	EC Assessment At Start	Screening Started	Screening Completed	Chapter Opened	Chapter Closed
1. Free Movement of Goods	Very Hard To Adopt	–	–	–	–
2. Freedom of Movement For Workers	Further efforts needed	–	–	–	–
3. Right of Establishment & Freedom To Provide Services	Further efforts needed	–	–	–	–
4. Free Movement of Capital	Further efforts needed	–	–	–	–
5. Public Procurement	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
6. Company Law	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
7. Intellectual Property Law	Very Hard To Adopt	–	–	–	–
8. Competition Policy	Very Hard To Adopt	–	–	–	–
9. Financial Services	Further efforts needed	–	–	–	–
10. Information Society & Media	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
11. Agriculture & Rural Development	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
12. Food Safety, Veterinary & Phytosanitary Policy	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
13. Fisheries	No major difficulties expected	–	–	–	–
14. Transport Policy	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
15. Energy	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
16. Taxation	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
17. Economic & Monetary Policy	No major difficulties expected	–	–	–	–
18. Statistics	No major difficulties expected	–	–	–	–
19. Social Policy & Employment	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
20. Enterprise & Industrial Policy	No major difficulties expected	–	–	–	–
21. Trans-European Networks	No major difficulties expected	–	–	–	–
22. Regional Policy & Coordination of Structural Instruments	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
23. Judiciary & Fundamental Rights	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
24. Justice, Freedom & Security	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
25. Science & Research	No major difficulties expected	–	–	–	–
26. Education & Culture	No major difficulties expected	–	–	–	–
27. Environment	Totally incompatible with acquis	–	–	–	–
28. Consumer & Health Protection	Further efforts needed	–	–	–	–
29. Customs Union	Considerable efforts needed	–	–	–	–
30. External Relations	No major difficulties expected	–	–	–	–
31. Foreign, Security & Defence Policy	No major difficulties expected	–	–	–	–
32. Financial Control	Very Hard To Adopt	–	–	–	–
33. Financial & Budgetary Provisions	No major difficulties expected	–	–	–	–
34. Institutions	Nothing to adopt	–	–	–	–
35. Other Issues	Nothing to adopt	–	–	–	–
Progress		0 out of 33	0 out of 33	0 out of 35	0 out of 35

Institutions

The Macedonian government has established a management infrastructure for the European integration process on the basis of a paper adopted in 1997 under the title "The strategic bases of the Republic of Macedonia on achieving the membership of the European Union". It consists of the following institutions:

The Committee for Euro-Atlantic Integration plays the central role in the decision-making of the country's policies in the European integration process. It is chaired by the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Ministers, all ministers in the Government, the Governor of the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia
National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia
The National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia is the central bank of the Republic of Macedonia, located in the capital city, Skopje.The current Governor of the NBRM is Dimitar Bogov, since May 21, 2011.-Functions:...

and the President of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts is the most eminent academic institution in the Republic of Macedonia.-History:The Academy of Sciences and Arts was established by the Macedonian Assembly on 22 February 1967 as the highest scientific, scholarly and artistic institution in the country...

are members of the Committee.
The Working Committee for European Integration of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia (WCEI) – It is chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers in charge of EU Integration, whose deputy is the Minister of Economy. The members are the secretaries from all Ministries. It is an operational, inter-ministerial body establishing the methods and dynamics for implementation of strategic decisions, political guidelines and priorities of the Government, as well as monitoring the realization of the concrete tasks.
The Deputy to the President of the Government is responsible for the European integration as centre in the management and coordination of the operational part of the integration process. Its support and service is the Sector for European Integration within the General Secretariat of the Government of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The Sector for European Integration within the Republic's government is given the task to organise, coordinate and synchronise the EU integration process. It is organized in seven units in charge of the approximation of the national legislation with that of the EU, translation of the EU legal acts, institution building, support to the WCEI, coordination of foreign assistance, and information to the broader public on EU and the European integration process.
Departments/Sectors/Units for European Integration within the Ministries have similar structure and competencies as the central Sector for European Integration within the Government, being a key link in the institutional infrastructure.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs – EU domain – is responsible for communications with the EU structures through the Mission of former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in Brussels, gathering valid and timely information that have impact on the integration process and presenting the uniform perspectives and positions in the European structures.

The other institutions supporting the EU integration process are the following:

the Republic's Assembly and its Commission for European Issues
the Secretariat for Legislation
the General Secretariat of the Government
the Subcommittee of the WCEI for approximation of the legislation with its working groups

External links

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