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General Information
The membership of the Republic of Macedonia in the European Union is the highest strategic interest and priority for the Republic of Macedonia, shared by an overwhelming majority of its citizens and all the relevant political agents. The motto of Macedonia in its path towards the EU is: "The Sun, too is a star!"
On 22 March 2004, in Dublin , Republic of Ireland , the Republic of Macedonia made a huge step forward and submitted the application for EU membership. Six months later, the Republic of Macedonia started the procedure of answering the Questionnaire -a tool of the European Commission that scans thoroughly the performances of the applicant country for membership in the European Union.
By 31 January 2005, in less than 4 months, the Macedonian institutions have prepared the answers, realistically presenting the situation, and also the plans for advancement in each of the particular sectors in society.
After reviewing the answers, the European Commission prepared an opinion (avis) which was recommending granting status of candidate country for membership in the EU.
The European Council on 17 of December decided to grant Republic of Macedonia candidate status for membership of EU. The Heads of States and Governments of EU Member States thus recognised the progress that Macedonia has made in meeting the Copenhagen criteria.
Republic of Macedonia is the first country in the region to have signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Communities and their Member States on 9 April 2001 in Luxemburg. The Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia ratified the Agreement on 12 April 2001. This Agreement, signed between Republic of Macedonia and the European Union, was the first to be ratified from all the Member States and entered into force on 1 April 2004.
The membership of the Republic of Macedonia in the EU is only a matter of time. Macedonia at the moment is part of the stabilisation and association process – a process which leads to Union membership. The President of the European Commission Romano Prodi before the European Parliament stated – “On top of this success (meaning the success from the recent EU enlargement) we should make Europe complete opening the doors for the Balkans.” The Macedonian Government already applied for accession and it moves on with firm determination towards the target.
As part of the activities for EU approximation, on 6 September 2004 the Government of the Republic of Macedonia adopted the National Strategy for European Integration. It is especially important that this Strategy was supported also by the Assembly of Republic of Macedonia through the Commission for European Issues, thus confirming the general political consensus on European integration.
Chronology of the relations with the European Union
• October 1992, the Republic of Macedonia appointed its representative in Brussels;
• 22 December 1995, the Republic of Macedonia and the EU established diplomatic relations when the EU opened negotiations with the Republic of Macedonia in direction of signing the Agreement with a wide scope of co-operation in the fields of trade, financial operations and transport; • February 1996, the Republic of Macedonia raised the status of its permanent Mission in Brussels to an ambassadorial level;
• 10 March 1996, the Republic of Macedonia became a full partner in the PHARE Programme (Poland and Hungary: Assistance for Reconstruction of their Economies);
• 20 March 1996, began negotiations for the Co-operation Agreement between Republic of Macedonia and the European Communities as well as Transport Agreement;
• 20 June 1996, in Brussels, the Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the European Communities and the Transport Agreement were concluded. Both were signed on 29 April in Luxemburg;
• November 1997, the Transport Agreement entered into force, and Co-operation Agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the European Communities entered into force on 1 January 1998;
• February 1998, in Ohrid, in accordance with the Co-operation Agreement, the first political dialogue at ministerial level was held;
• 11 March 1998, Trade and Textile Agreement was signed (although it entered into force on 1 August 1997). The Agreement was valid until 31 December 1998. Nevertheless, as of 1 January 2000, renewed Trade and Textile Agreement is in force;
• 21 and 22 March 1998, in Skopje , the first meeting of the mutual Co-operation Council was held. The Council is established aiming to follow-up the implementation of Co-operation Agreement, achievements and development of the structural reforms, as well as to give suggestions and directions in relation to certain specific issues;
• 5 March 1999, in Brussels, the second meeting of the Co-operation Council was held;
• June 1999, the Report on the Possibility to Start the Negotiations for the new SAA was adopted;
• 24 January 2000, the European Commission's directives proposed by the EU Council were adopted, concerning the raising the co-operation level between Republic of Macedonia and the EU, as well as the official start of the negotiations for a potential EU membership;
• March 2000,with the opening of the EU Delegation in Republic of Macedonia and the appointment of the first Chief of the Delegation, the relations between Republic of Macedonia and the EU were raised to an ambassadorial level;
• 5 April 2000, pursuant to the Lisbon Decision of the European Commission, the first round of the negotiations between the Republic of Macedonia and the EU on the SAA officially began. The negotiations were realized in a very short period of time (April-November 2000) through 3 rounds of official negotiations and 5 meetings at an expert level, particularly technical negotiations;
• June 2000, in the course or the session of the European Council in Fiera, the perspective (regulation) on potential membership was adopted;
• 24 November 2000, at the margins of the Zagreb Summit, the SAA was initialled;
• December 2000, the Council Regulation on Introducing Exceptional Trade Measures entered into force, as well as the inclusion of the Republic of Macedonia in the Regional CARDS Programme 2002-2006;
• 16 February 2001, Interim Agreement on SAA Trade Provisions signed;
• 9 April 2001, in Luxemburg, the SAA was signed. At the same time, the Interim Agreement on Trade and Trade Issues between Republic of Macedonia and the EU was signed. The Agreement entered 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 visited the Republic of Macedonia and repeated the EU position on the Republic of Macedonia's perspective for EU membership;
• 25 July 2003 , the last (sixth) meetign of the Cooperaton Council between EU and Republic of Macedonia held in Brussels;
• February 2004, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia adopted the “Declaration on the Application for EU membership”;
• 22 March 2004 at a ceremony in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, the Government of Republic of Macedonia submitted the application for membership in the European Union;
• 1 April 2004, The Stabilisation and Association Agreement entered into force following the ratifications by all the EU Member States;
• 3 June 2004, first meeting of the Stabilisation and Association Committee between the Republic of Macedonia and the European Community held in Skopje
• 6 September 2004, the Government of the Republic of Macedonia adopted the National Strategy for European Integration;
• 14 September 2004, first meeting of the Stabilisation and Association Council between EU and the Republic of Macedonia, Brussels
• 1 October 2004, the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi submitted the Questionnaire to the Government of Republic of Macedonia.
• 31 January 2005, the Government of the Republic of Macedonia finalised the preparation of the Answers to the Questionnaire for the preparation of the European Commission’s Opinion on the application of the Republic of Macedonia for membership of the European Union.
• On 31 st January 2005 the Government of the Republic of Macedonia finalized the answers to the Questionnaire for the preparation of the European Commission's Opinion on the application of the Republic of Macedonia for EU membership
• A delegation of the Republic of Macedonia on 14 February 2005 in Brussels , submitted the Answers to the Questionnaire of the European Commission to the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso
• Additional Questions to the Questionnaire of the European Commission that were received on 22 April 2005 , are answered, accepted by the Government of Republic of Macedonia and sent to Brussels on 10 th May 16, 2005
• 9 November 2005, The European Commission issued the opinion on the candidacy of the Republic of Macedonia for EU membership. The opinion recommends granting candidate status for membership in the EU.
• 17 December 2005, The European Council in Brussels decided to grant Republic of Macedonia candidate status for membership of the EU .
Organisation of the bodies dealing with the European Integration
With the adoption of "The strategic bases of the Republic of Macedonia on achieving the membership of the European Union" in September 1997, the Government set up the foundations of the management infrastructure for the European Integration process. In the following period, in order to achieve greater effectiveness and efficiency, based on the foreign experiences, as well as greater commitments to EU, and taking into account the greater commitment to EU, made corrections and upgrading of the management and coordination system with the European integration process. So today, it has the following structure:
Committee for Euro-Atlantic Integration - has the central role in the decision-making of the country policy 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 Macedonia and the President of the Macedonian Academy of Science and Arts are members of the Committee. Working Committee for European Integration of the Government of Republic of Macedonia - 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.
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 Republic of Macedonia.
Sector for European Integration within the Government of the Republic of Macedonia – is given the task to organise, coordinate and synchronise the EU integration process. It is organized in 7 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 .
Ministry of Foreign Affairs - EU domain - responsible for communications with the EU structures through the Mission of 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 Assembly of Republic of Macedonia 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