Macedonia to be set tasks to ensure opening EU negotiations
By Honor Mahony
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is later this week to be told by the European Commission to undertake a series of tasks in order to guarantee that it can open membership negotiations with the EU later this year.
In a draft paper on the western Balkans, due to be published by the commission on Wednesday (5 March), Macedonia is to be told that the "pace of reforms has, on the whole, been slow during the past two years, [but] there have recently been signs of reforms gaining momentum."
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The Brussels paper, which may yet be altered, calls on the small Balkan country, an EU membership candidate since December 2005, to carry out further reforms and points to a list of priorities adopted by EU member states last month.
"These cover the commitments undertaken under the SAA [the stabilisation and association agreement], dialogue between political parties, implementation of the law on police and anti-corruption legislation, reform of the judiciary and public administration, as well as measures in employment policy and for enhancing the business environment."
The paper says that when these priorities are met, Macedonia will have demonstrated "its readiness to undertake accession negotiations" - something Brussels believes can happen in 2008 with "sufficient political will and cross-party cooperation."
In its annual progress Western Balkans report late last year, the commission did not give the green light for starting accession talks as Macedonia had hoped, citing political shortcomings for the delay.
Meanwhile, of all the countries in the region lining up to join - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and recently Kosovo - Croatia is the most advanced in terms of developments.
The commission says that in order for 2008 to be a "decisive year" for the country, which is hoping to join the EU by 2011, it needs to make further progress with judicial reforms, fighting corruption, minority rights, return of refugees and the restructuring of heavy industries.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has already initialled an SAA agreement, which is seen as the first step to EU membership. The country is encouraged in the paper to adopt state-level legislation on police, with Brussels saying that the key agreement may be signed "in the next few months", provided there is enough political will.
Both Albania and Montenegro are told to strengthen the rule of law, especially in the fight against corruption and organised crime, and to properly implement the SAA.
Serbia, whose relations with the EU have cooled in the run-up to and since the declaration of Kosovo's independence last month, is told that it has "a crucial role to play in ensuring stability, good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation in the western Balkans."
The Netherlands recently blocked Serbia's attempt to sign the SAA agreement with the EU saying it must cooperate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
But an interim political deal was subsequently blocked by Belgrade's nationalist prime minister, Vojislav Kostunica, earlier this month. He argued it was being offered by Brussels as a trade-off for the independence of former Serb province Kosovo.
As regards Kosovo itself, where the EU has recently deployed a civilian mission, the paper says it has a "clear and concrete EU perspective."
It warns the fledgling state that major challenges include fighting organised crime and corruption, supporting economic development, improving conditions for the return of refugees and enhancing dialogue and reconciliation between communities.
The EU is expected to spend over €1 billion between 2007 and 2010 supporting Kosovo's political and economic development.