Macedonia: Mixed Progress on EU Pathway

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Skopje, Macedonia - A new report from the European Commission highlights both progress and challenges faced by Macedonia in its journey towards European Union accession.

Democratic Institutions and Public Administration

Macedonia has made significant strides in strengthening its democratic institutions and public administration. However, there is still much work to be done to address key issues such as:

• Roma inclusion: The country’s treatment of the Roma population remains a pressing concern.
• Freedom of expression: Macedonia needs to improve its protection of freedom of expression and media pluralism.
• Regional cooperation: While the country has maintained good relations with other enlargement countries, there is still much work to be done to address regional conflicts.

Economic Progress

Macedonia’s economy has shown signs of development, but key weaknesses remain:

• Informal economy: A large informal economy continues to undermine the country’s economic stability.
• Business environment: Shortcomings in the business environment hinder investment and innovation.
• Innovation rates: Macedonia needs to address its low innovation rates and investment gaps, particularly in public infrastructure.

Regional Cooperation

Macedonia has maintained good relations with other enlargement countries and actively participates in regional initiatives. Notable progress includes:

• Entry into force of a bilateral treaty with Bulgaria
• Intensified talks on the “name issue” under UN auspices

However, this progress is hampered by ongoing tensions surrounding the name issue.

Migration and Refugee Crisis

Macedonia has made some progress in addressing the effects of the migration and refugee crisis:

• Improved asylum system: Efforts have been made to improve the country’s asylum system.
• Migration management: The country needs to continue strengthening its migration management capabilities.

However, more work is needed to fully address these issues.

Political Criteria

Macedonia has overcome a deep political crisis following revelations of widespread illegal interception of communications. While substantial progress has been made in implementing urgent reforms:

• Remaining challenges: Public broadcaster reform and other key areas remain outstanding.

The report urges Macedonia to continue prioritizing key reforms and strengthening democratic institutions if it is to continue its path towards EU membership.

Recommendations

• Continue efforts to improve alignment with EU declarations and Council decisions on Common Foreign and Security Policy.
• Implement a return mechanism for irregular migrants.

Overall, while Macedonia has made some progress, there is still much work to be done to meet EU accession criteria.