• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Macedonia & EU

In North Macedonia, the authorities consistently stated that EU accession remains their strategic goal. By 2023 North Macedonia continued to fully align with the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The country also made some progress in in the area of justice, freedom and security, including the fight against organised crime and the management of migration. As a negotiating country, North Macedonia needed to deliver on the implementation of EU related reforms, including in the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organised crime, public administration reform, including management of public finances, and public procurement.

North Macedonia had committed to launch and achieve the relevant constitutional changes as a matter of priority, with a view to include citizens who are part of other people. The screening process of the EU acquis had progressed smoothly, and the authorities had shown a high level of commitment. The EU Commission presented to Council the screening reports on the “fundamentals cluster” for North Macedonia in July 2023 and looked forward to a swift follow up, with a view to opening negotiations on this cluster by the end of 2023.

A handful of European Union countries led by France blocked membership talks for North Macedonia as well as Albania. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called the failure of the 28 leaders meeting in Brussels on 18 October 2019 to agree to start formal accession negotiations with Skopje and Tirana "a historic error." EU Council President Donald Tusk added "It's not a failure, it's a mistake. I feel really embarrassed". The European Commission had said North Macedonia and Albania have done enough to begin accession talks, and EU member states had pledged that a firm decision on the two countries’ future would be taken “no later than October.” Apart from France, all the other EU members agree that North Macedonia had made enough progress on reforms -- including changing its name from Macedonia to appease Greece -- to start talks.

The 12 February 2018 European Commission enlargement strategy for the Western Balkans stated that "The Commission is ready to prepare recommendations to open accession negotiations with Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, on the basis of fulfilled conditions."

The Western Balkans are part of Europe, geographically surrounded by EU Member States. The peoples of the EU and the region have a common heritage and history and a future defined by shared opportunities and challenges. "Accession negotiations are already well underway with Montenegro and Serbia. With strong political will, the delivery of real and sustained reforms, and definitive solutions to disputes with neighbours, they could potentially be ready for membership in a 2025 perspective. This perspective is extremely ambitious. Whether it is achieved will depend fully on the objective merits and results of each country. ... Today, the Western Balkans countries show clear elements of state capture, including links with organised crime and corruption at all levels of government and administration, as well as a strong entanglement of public and private interests. All this feeds a sentiment of impunity and inequality. There is also extensive political interference in and control of the media."

A major goal that the Republic of Macedonia pursues in its relations with the European Union is the early start of EU accession negotiations. Hence, the Government and state institutions committedly work on the fulfillment of the priorities under the 2008 Pre-Accession Partnership. It was expected that in 2009 the efforts undertaken by the Republic of Macedonia would be relevantly valorized, i.e. that the European Commission would adopt a recommendation to start accession negotiations, which will be accompanied by a relevant decision by the European Council.

Membership of the European Union is a strategic interest of the Republic of Macedonia, ever since the country's independence. As of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the EU in December 1995, the Republic of Macedonia has ascertained itself as a reliable partner and a genuine ally of the European Union, not bypassing any of the institutional stages in the rapprochement with the Union- starting with the conclusion of the Cooperation Agreement, over to the Stabilization and Association Agreement and acquiring EU membership candidate status.

Having acquired the EU membership candidate status in December 2005, the Republic of Macedonia embarked upon the key stage in the European integration process. The Decision of the European Council granting candidate status represented a political recognition of the progress the Republic of Macedonia had attained in the reform processes and in building an open democratic society.

The goal of the Republic of Macedonia is to fulfill all European standards pertaining to functional democracy and prosperous market economy capable of assuming EU membership obligations by 2010. The EU accession agenda is reflected in the National Program for the Adoption of the EU Acquis (legislative amendments and short and mid term measures for institutional strengthening), the pre-Accession Economic Program (measures for fulfillment of the economic Copenhagen criteria) and the National Development Plan (investment priorities in accomplishing the development goals of the country). The short-term goal of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia is to attain visible results in the implementation of the European reform agenda that would ensure start of European Union accession negotiations in 2008.

In 1999, the EU agreed to pursue a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Macedonia; negotiations with Macedonia were launched April 5, 2000. The SAA was signed April 2001 and came into force in April 2004. Its trade and trade-related provisions have been in force since June 2001. In December 2005, the European Council granted candidate country status to Macedonia. In March 2008, the Council provided the Government of Macedonia a list of benchmarks to guide Macedonia's preparations to open formal accession negotiations. In October 2009, the European Commission recommended that Macedonia commence EU accession negotiations. In December 2009 European Council deferred discussion of a start date for negotiations.

On 14 October 2009 the EU Commission adopted its annual strategy on EU enlargement. The communication highlights the progress the Western Balkans and Turkey made towards European integration during a difficult year of global economic crisis, and spells out the main challenges facing them in the months and years to come. In the light of the progress achieved, the Commission decided to recommend the opening of negotiations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In a major step forward for the region, visa liberalisation for the Western Balkans will progress substantially in 2010.

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has made important progress and has substantially addressed the key accession partnership priorities. The Commission considers that the country sufficiently fulfils the political criteria set by the Copenhagen European Council in 1993 and the Stabilisation and Association Process and therefore has decided to recommend the opening of accession negotiations. Presenting the enlargement package, Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said: "The enlargement strategy we present today is a demonstration of our commitment to the European future of the Western Balkans and Turkey. In these difficult times of economic crisis, the membership applications of Albania and Montenegro highlight our Union's continued power of attraction and our role in promoting stability, security and prosperity. Iceland's application adds a new dimension to our enlargement agenda."

The Progress Report on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is part of the 2013 Enlargement Package adopted by the European Commission on 16 October. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was the first country to sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU and has been a candidate country since 2005. In the package the Commission concluded that the country continues to sufficiently fulfil the political criteria for EU membership and recommended, for the fifth consecutive year, that negotiations should be opened.

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continues to sufficiently fulfil the political criteria for membership of the EU. The High Level Accession Dialogue with the Commission continues to serve as a driver for reforms and has contributed to progress in a number of key areas.

During the year 2013, a political crisis provoked by events in December 2012 exposed deep divisions among political parties, affected the functioning of Parliament and demonstrated the need for more inclusive and constructive politics. A political agreement reached on 1 March 2013 resulted in the Report of the Committee of Inquiry on the events of December 2012. These showed how constructive solutions can be found, with political will, through dialogue and compromise. The recommendations now need to be fully implemented in practice. As regards the political criteria, the country has already reached a high level of alignment, relative to where it is in the EU accession process. The Commission recommends that the priority for the coming year should be the effective implementation and enforcement of existing legal and policy frameworks. There should be a particular focus on the independence and competence of the courts, freedom of expression and relations with the media, electoral reforms, a concrete corruption track record and the implementation of the recommendations of the review of the Ohrid Framework Agreement.

A constructive approach to relations with neighbouring EU Member States remains important and, 20 years after the country's entry into the United Nations, a solution to the 'name issue', under UN auspices, should be found.

In 2012, the economic situation deteriorated mildly against the background of a challenging external economic environment. The country remains well advanced and, in some areas, has made further progress towards becoming a functioning market economy. The country should be able to cope with competitive pressures and market forces within the Union in the medium term, provided that it vigorously implements its reform programme in order to reduce significant structural weaknesses.

Some measures were taken to decrease unemployment but structural measures are needed to address the underlying reasons. Fiscal policy needs to be aligned with the country's structural reform priorities. A medium-term fiscal framework, multi-annual budgeting and strategic planning, as well as effective public financial management are required. The business environment is still affected by corruption.

The country has achieved a high level of alignment with the EU regarding legislation, policies and administrative capacity considering where it is in the accession process. The focus is now on administrative capacity and coordination mechanisms, within the national administration, to ensure effective implementation. Further efforts are needed in areas such as regional policy, environment and climate change, social policy and employment, and financial control.

Overall, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has achieved a good level of alignment with the acquis, enough to move to the next stage of the accession process. It has also continued to smoothly implement its obligations under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), on which the Commission has recommended, since 2009, to move to the second stage of the association.

Key dates

• 1999: The EU proposes the new Stabilisation and Association Process for countries of Southeast Europe
• June 2000: The European Council states that all Stabilisation and Association Process countries are potential candidates for EU membership
• April 2001: Signature of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the first in the region
• June 2003: Thessaloniki Summit: EU perspective for the Western Balkans is confirmed
• March 2004: The country applies for EU membership
• April 2004: The SAA enters into force
• December 2005: The status of candidate country is granted
• October 2009: The Commission recommends the opening of accession negotiations
• December 2009: Visa-free travel to the Schengen area for citizens of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
• March 2012: High Level Accession Dialogue with the Commission launched
• April 2013: Ad hoc Commission Report on good neighbourly relations and the implementation of EU-related reforms