European Parliament 2019-2024

Committee on Foreign Affairs

2019/2174(INI)

16.11.2020

DRAFT REPORT

on the 2019-2020 Commission Reports on (2019/2174(INI))

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Rapporteur: Ilhan Kyuchyuk

PR\1198423EN.docx PE647.080v01-00

EN United in diversity EN PR_INI

CONTENTS

Page

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION...... 3

PE647.080v01-00 2/8 PR\1198423EN.docx EN MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION on the 2019-2020 Commission Reports on North Macedonia (2019/2174(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 28 June 2018, the Council conclusions of 18 June 2019 and the European Council conclusions of 17-18 October 2019, which postponed the decisions on opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and ,

– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 26 March 2020 on opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, which endorsed the Council conclusions of 25 March 2020 on the enlargement and stabilisation and association process,

– having regard to the Final Agreement for the Settlement of the Differences as described in UN Security Council resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993), the termination of the Interim Accord of 1995 and the establishment of a Strategic Partnership on 17 June 2018 between and North Macedonia, also known as the Prespa Agreement,

– having regard to the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness, and Cooperation between and the Republic of North Macedonia, signed on 1 August 2017 and ratified in January 2018,

– having regard to North Macedonia’s accession to NATO on 27 March 2020,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 February 2020 entitled ‘Enhancing the accession process – A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2020)0057),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 29 May 2019 entitled ‘2019 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy’ (COM(2019)0260), accompanied by the Commission Staff Working Document entitled ‘North Macedonia 2019 Report’ (SWD(2019)0218),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 6 October 2020 entitled ‘2020 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy’ (COM(2020)0660), accompanied by the Commission Staff Working Document entitled ‘North Macedonia 2019 Report’ (SWD(2020)0351),

– having regard to the 2020 Sofia Summit of the Berlin Process, co-chaired by Bulgaria and North Macedonia,

– having regard to the European Council’s decision of 16 December 2005 to grant North Macedonia the status of candidate for EU membership,

– having regard to the so-called ‘Pržino Agreement’ reached between the four main

PR\1198423EN.docx 3/8 PE647.080v01-00 EN political parties in Skopje on 2 June and 15 July 2015, and the four-party agreement on its implementation of 20 July and 31 August 2016,

– having regard to its resolution of [...] on strengthening media freedom: the protection of journalists in , hate speech, disinformation and the role of platforms (2020/2009(INI)),

– having regard to its resolution of 24 October 2019 on opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania1,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on the country,

– having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A9-0000/2020),

A. whereas North Macedonia has made consistent progress on its path towards the EU;

B. whereas the country is maintaining a steady pace on the and functioning of democratic institutions and procedures;

C. whereas further consistent efforts are needed on strategic EU-related reforms, requiring the joint engagement of all leaders and stakeholders;

D. whereas the European Commission submitted a draft negotiating framework on 1 July 2020;

1. Welcomes North Macedonia’s clear strategic orientation and commitment to European integration, as manifested by continued implementation of accession-related reforms;

2. Urges the authorities to sustain consensual efforts to strengthen democratic consolidation and the transformation process, fight against corruption, and restore the rule of law, while improving the climate for media and civil society;

Rule of Law

3. Stresses the paramount importance of upholding the rule of law through judicial reforms and the consistent prosecution of high-level corruption and criminal networks;

4. Commends the steady steps in following up on the ‘Urgent Reform Priorities’ and recommendations of the Commission and the Senior Experts’ Group on systemic Rule of Law issues;

5. Acknowledges the adoption of legislation on the prevention of corruption and conflicts of interest, lobbying, access to information, whistle-blower protection, the public prosecutor office, and calls for their effective implementation;

6. Considers the creation of the post of Deputy Prime Minister for Anti-Corruption and Crime, Sustainable Development and Human Resources a sign of a clear political

1 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2019)0050.

PE647.080v01-00 4/8 PR\1198423EN.docx EN commitment to addressing these issues as a matter of priority;

7. Urges the completion of measures to ensure judicial and prosecutorial professionalism, independence, integrity and accountability, including through an efficient implementation of codes of ethics and of the landmark law on the Public Prosecutor’s Office, ensuring sustainable solutions for cases related to the Special Prosecutor’s Office, and accountability for crimes stemming from the large-scale illegal wiretapping case;

8. Encourages the conclusion of institutional reforms and the restructuring of the security and intelligence sectors;

9. Calls for continued efforts to tackle organised crime and corruption through effective dissuasion, prevention, detection, financial investigation and sanctions for money laundering, financial crimes and terrorism finance, along with operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks;

Functioning of democratic institutions

10. Welcomes the positive engagement of the country’s main political forces, enabling adoption of key legislation and a smooth electoral process;

11. Commends the fact that opposition parties remained engaged in the Sobranie, the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, and supported key decisions in the common national interest;

12. Recalls the importance of Jean Monnet Dialogue (JMD) process in building confidence, strengthening democratic culture and enhancing parliamentary capacity by facilitating a political dialogue within the Sobranie; welcomes the constructive cross-party engagement in the JMD and the commitment to implementing its conclusions and convening its fourth round;

13. Underscores the need to improve the legislative process by minimising the use of fast track procedures, and by enabling proper consultations and impact assessments; recalls the need to upgrade the parliamentary rules of procedure by consensus;

14. Underlines the need to complete a timely, inclusive and comprehensive review of the Electoral Code;

15. Calls for additional measures to improve the transparency of political party financing; recalls the need to effectively implement the recommendations of the State Audit Office;

16. Insists on further improvements in the transparency and visibility of EU funding, ensuring efficient control, audit and follow up;

Fundamental rights

17. Expresses its support for the efforts to ensure inclusive policies to protect the fundamental freedoms and rights of all citizens, with special attention to women, youth, persons with disabilities, non-majority ethnic groups, LGBTQI+ persons, and the low-

PR\1198423EN.docx 5/8 PE647.080v01-00 EN skilled unemployed;

18. Welcomes the renewed adoption of anti- legislation, and urges the authorities to follow up with an inclusive and transparent process establishing an independent Anti-Discrimination Commission, ensuring protection and inclusion of all marginalised groups; encourages the Sobranie to adopt legislation which will enable a simplified, transparent and accessible procedure for legal gender recognition, and prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity;

19. Welcomes the steady improvement in ensuring meaningful and timely inclusion of civil society in the decision-making processes across different policy areas, as well as in safeguarding the financial sustainability of the non-governmental sector, and calls for further progress in these fields;

20. Urges the Sobranie to adopt a law on prevention and protection against violence against women, establishing an effective mechanism for evidence gathering and the prosecution of perpetrators, coupled with prevention measures, and the protection and support of victims of gender-based and domestic violence, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic;

21. Calls on lawmakers in Northern Macedonia to take steps to ensure an adequate representation of women in all decision-making positions, and to further address the gender imbalance and gender pay gap in the labour force;

22. Welcomes the country’s efforts in improving cooperation on managing migration and addressing the needs of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants; recalls the need to establish a viable mechanism for managing irregular migratory flows, ensuring international protection and combating people smuggling networks;

Media

23. Acknowledges that the generally favourable environment for freedom of expression and media independence must be enhanced through improved self-regulation, transparency of ownership and advertising market, while increasing financial sustainability and impartiality of public and private media outlets;

24. Encourages systemic media reforms that would reinvigorate competition, the independence of the public service broadcaster, and quality investigative journalism;

25. Commends steps enhancing media self-regulation and professional standards;

26. Urges the adoption of measures to safeguard the financial and operational independence of the public service broadcaster and the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services;

27. Calls for effective investigations into physical threats and verbal attacks against media professionals;

28. Notes the significance of ensuring quality journalism and media literacy for tackling widespread disinformation and fake news;

PE647.080v01-00 6/8 PR\1198423EN.docx EN Socio-economic reforms

29. Encourages the Government to prioritise measures aimed at mitigating economic contraction, boosting diversification, competition and digitalisation and tackling of the informal economy;

30. Calls for the stepping up of socio-economic measures to address demographic decline and brain drain through active labour market policies that reduce long-term unemployment;

31. Recalls the importance of ensuring timely, comprehensive, high-quality cross-sectoral statistical data, and urges the country to conduct a long-overdue demographic census;

Energy, transport and environment

32. Recalls that substantial efforts are still needed to meet the targets for energy efficiency, renewable energy, security of supply and emission reductions;

33. Recommends focusing public investments on sustainable growth and job-creation, and urges the country to increase the security and sustainability of its energy supply by boosting efficiency and diversification through the sustainable usage of renewables;

34. Welcomes continuous steps to ensure compliance with the obligations of the Third Energy Package, and create an integrated regional energy market;

35. Recalls the potential of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans to enhance regional connectivity through Rail Corridor VIII to Bulgaria, and gas interconnectors to Greece, and ;

36. Calls for political will to implement ambitious environmental protection and sustainable development plans;

37. Reiterates its calls to address an alarming level of urban air pollution via a transition to sustainable energy, heating and transport;

Regional cooperation and foreign policy

38. Reiterates its full support to the enhanced regional cooperation in the region, and appeals to all parties to ensure the full and continuous implementation of the Prespa agreement with Greece and the Treaty on Good Neighbourly Relations with Bulgaria;

39. Regrets that Bulgaria and North Macedonia have yet to find a compromise on issues related to history and language, trusts that they will soon be settled in order not to jeopardise the integration momentum, and looks forward to holding of the first intergovernmental conference, kick-starting the accession talks without a further delay;

40. Calls once again on all regional political leaders to take urgent steps to set up the Regional Commission (RECOM) tasked with establishing the facts about all victims of war crimes and other serious human rights violations committed on the territory of the former , building upon the significant work carried out by the Coalition for RECOM;

PR\1198423EN.docx 7/8 PE647.080v01-00 EN 41. Welcomes North Macedonia’s continued commitment to regional initiatives, and calls for the steady implementation of obligations within various regional frameworks that advance the Common Regional Market;

42. Invites North Macedonia to continue contributing to the EU crisis management operations and increasing its alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy;

°

° °

43. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the European Council, the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and to the President, Government and Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia.

PE647.080v01-00 8/8 PR\1198423EN.docx EN