Library Briefing Library of the European Parliament 08/03/2012

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: Reactions to the 2011 Progress Report Analysts concurred with the European in order to pressure the country into a Commission that the former Yugoslav concession in the name dispute with Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) is making Greece. Gruevski pledged to address progress but challenges remain. Reactions weaknesses identified in the report but within the country centred on the name warned that undue pressure could prove dispute with Greece which continues to block counter-productive. Opposition leaders the start of accession talks. dismissed Gruevski's objections, saying that the Commission report was fair. The Commission's report FYROM's parliament also said the report On 12 October 2011, the Commission reflected the real situation in the country, issued its annual report on FYROM's and urged the government to implement the progress towards EU accession. The Commission's suggestions for reform. Commission reiterated its recommendation, first made in 2009, that the Council launch As in previous years, domestic commentary accession negotiations with FYROM. Once focused on the report's avoidance of the again, the Council did not follow suit adjective "Macedonian", prompting because of Greek objections to Skopje's President Gjorge Ivanov to raise doubts use of the name "Macedonia". Concerning about the sincerity of the EU's intentions. the name dispute, the report calls for a Reactions elsewhere negotiated solution under UN auspices, and External analysts largely concur with the cautions against provocative actions and report's findings. The Economist Intelligence statements. Unit (EIU) credited FYROM's exchange rate The report welcomes improvement in the and monetary policies for continued macro- conduct of elections, and renewed impetus economic stability, despite the global crisis. in preparations for accession. However, the In addition, the World Bank's annual Doing Commission also details FYROM's Business Report praised the country for challenges in fighting corruption and improving business regulation. reforming the judiciary and administration. International Crisis Group noted FYROM's Moreover, media freedom appears under success in integrating minorities into threat after the closure, on charges of tax political life, but warned that a controversial evasion, of a television channel and three urban renewal project in Skopje undermined newspapers that had criticised the the country's fragile ethnic stability. EIU also government. These and other challenges describes the political situation as volatile. A will be the focus of a "high level accession case in point is the decision to abandon the dialogue " due to begin on 15 March 2012. 2011 census, amid accusations that ethnic Intended to encourage progress, this Albanians were artificially inflating their dialogue is not a substitute for accession numbers. negotiations. A December 2011 ruling in favour of Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle FYROM by the International Court of Justice warned Skopje in October 2011 that slow has not contributed to a resolution of the reform may lead the Commission to name dispute. According to Oxford reconsider its recommendation to start Analytica , such a resolution would require accession talks. international pressure on both Skopje and Reactions within FYROM Athens. In response, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski European Parliament accused the Commission and others of a The EP has repeatedly called for immediate strategy to exaggerate FYROM's problems opening of accession negotiations with

Author: Kalin Ivanov 120272REV1 E-mail : [email protected] Tel: 48676 Disclaimer and Copyright: This briefing is a summary of published information and does not necessarily represent the views of the author or the European Parliament. The document is exclusively addressed to the Members and staff of the European Parliament for their parliamentary work. Links to information sources within this document may be inaccessible from locations outside the European Parliament network. © European Union, 2012. All rights reserved. http://www.library.ep.ec

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FYROM, arguing that the absence of a tangible EU prospect risks breeding an "isolationist" mentality in Skopje.

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