The
Republic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country in the central Balkan peninsula in southeastern 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 UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
since 2005. It submitted its membership application in 2004, thirteen years after its independence from former
YugoslaviaYugoslavia is a term that describes three political entities that existed successively on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century.The first country to be known by this...
. As of 2009, it is one of three remaining candidate countries, together with
CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a country in southeast Europe, at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is Zagreb...
and
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
, after the latest round of enlargement that brought membership to
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
and
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
. Among current obstacles to full membership is the ongoing
dispute with GreeceThe Macedonia naming dispute refers to the disagreement over the use of the name Macedonia between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia. Greece opposes the post-1991 constitutional name of its northern neighbour, citing the lack of disambiguation between it and the adjacent Greek region of Macedonia...
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".
The
Republic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country in the central Balkan peninsula in southeastern 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 UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
since 2005. It submitted its membership application in 2004, thirteen years after its independence from former
YugoslaviaYugoslavia is a term that describes three political entities that existed successively on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century.The first country to be known by this...
. As of 2009, it is one of three remaining candidate countries, together with
CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a country in southeast Europe, at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is Zagreb...
and
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
, after the latest round of enlargement that brought membership to
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
and
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
. Among current obstacles to full membership is the ongoing
dispute with GreeceThe Macedonia naming dispute refers to the disagreement over the use of the name Macedonia between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia. Greece opposes the post-1991 constitutional name of its northern neighbour, citing the lack of disambiguation between it and the adjacent Greek region of Macedonia...
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 MacedoniaThe 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 amongst 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 ProcessIn talks with countries who have expressed the 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 a 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
LuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a small, landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany...
. 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
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
,
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
, 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 CommissionThe European Commission acts as an executive 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.The Commission operates in the method of cabinet government, with 27...
regarding its performance in preparation for membership in accordance with the
Copenhagen criteriaThe Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a country is eligible to join the European Union. The criteria require that a state have the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights, have a functioning market economy, and accept the obligations and intent of the EU...
, a process that was finished by 31 January 2005. The
European CouncilThe European Council is the highest political body of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the Union's member states along with the President of the European Commission...
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 GreeceThe Macedonia naming dispute refers to the disagreement over the use of the name Macedonia between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia. Greece opposes the post-1991 constitutional name of its northern neighbour, citing the lack of disambiguation between it and the adjacent Greek region of Macedonia...
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 NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
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 GruevskiNikola Gruevski has been the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia since 27 August 2006. He has also been the leader of VMRO-DPMNE since May 2003. He was Minister of Finance in the VMRO-DPMNE government led by Ljubčo Georgievski until September 2002.- Personal life :Gruevski completed...
for its policies against its
Albanian minorityAlbanians are the largest ethnic minority in the Republic of Macedonia. The Albanian minority inhabit mainly the north-western part of the country. The largest Albanian communities are in the areas of Tetovo , Gostivar , Debar , Struga , Kičevo , Kumanovo and Skopje...
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
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
, 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 KalfinIvaylo Georgiev Kalfin is a Bulgarian politician, a three-term deputy and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and Deputy Prime Minister from 2005 to 2009...
and president
Georgi ParvanovGeorgi Sedefchov Parvanov has been president of Bulgaria since 22 January 2002. Parvanov became president after defeating his predecessor, Petar Stoyanov, in the second round of the November 2001 presidential election...
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 , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium...
, 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 is also the name of a proposed skyscraper in Paris.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.Originally created in 1989...
Programme (PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is 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 HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
: 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 — first political talks on ministerial level are held in 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 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has been...
, 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 — first meeting of a mutual Cooperation Council in Skopje;
- 5 March 1999 – second 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 first round of negotiations on the SAA,
- June 2000 – adoption of a Perspective (regulation) on Potential Membership by the European Council in iera]
- 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 six meetings of the Cooperaton 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 — first 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 — first 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
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union , it forms the bicameral legislative branch of the Union's institutions and 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 principleThe 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 AirportSkopje Airport , or Skopje "Alexander the Great" Airport is the largest and busiest international airport 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 vetoA veto, Latin for "I forbid", is used to denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a piece of legislation. In practice, the veto can be absolute A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is used to denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a piece of legislation....
remains intact). EuroMPThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union , it forms the bicameral legislative branch of the Union's institutions and 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 PASOKThe Panhellenic Socialist Movement, better known as PASOK , is a Greek centre-left political party. In 1981 PASOK formed the first socialist government in Greece's history, and subsequently governed the country for most of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s...
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.
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
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 Petar Gošev, since May 21st, 2004.The NBRM performs the following functions:...
and the President of the Macedonian Academy of Science and Arts 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