Thursday, 27 October 2011
4TH MEETING OF THE NATIONAL EUROPEAN INTEGRATION COUNCIL
TheNational European Integration Council, held its 4th meeting and reviewed the Draft-conclusionsof the National European Integration Council on the 2011 Progress Report on theRepublic of Macedonia.
Ms. Silvana Boneva, Deputy Chair of the Council, Mr. Antonio Miloshoski,Mr. Gordan Georgiev, Mr. Talat Xhaferi and Mr. Kenan Hasipi, MPs and Members ofthe Council, as well as Mr. Zivko Mitrevski from the Union of Syndicates ofMacedonia participated in the debate.
Mr. Andrej Kalinovski, from the Embassy of the Republic of Poland andMs. Marina Kurte, Council on European Integration and Legislative Issues of theDelegation of the European Union to the Republic of Macedonia attended theMeeting.
The National EuropeanIntegration Council adopted the following conclusions:
1. The National European Integration Council welcomes the reaffirmed recommendation of the European Commission on opening accession negotiations with the Republic of Macedonia and underlines that the recommendations from the Enlargement Strategy and main challenges 2011-2012, provide strong impetus for integration in the European Union, as well as continuation of the political and economic reforms in the Republic of Macedonia and the countries from the Region.
2. The Council considers that the evaluations and comments contained in the Report are a reflection of the present conditions in the Republic of Macedonia for the achieved results in 2011 in its process of integration in the European Union, for the adopted decisions, implemented measures the adopted legislative acts.
3. The Council calls the authorized institutions, responsibly and with criticism to review the remarks in the Report and to make all the efforts for surpassing the weaknesses, especially those mentioned in the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Enlargement Strategy and the Main Challenges 2011-2012 aiming to take over the responsibilities from the accession negotiations.
In this context, the Council proposes the Government of the Republic of Macedonia to promptly draft a plan for realization of the recommendations contained in the 2011 Progress Report on the Republic of Macedonia, including bearers and deadlines for realization.
4. The National European Integration Council welcomes the fact that most of the Assembly working bodies reviewed the 2011 Progress Report on the Republic of Macedonia and adopted conclusions after the debates. The working bodies of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia are obliged to follow the Action Plan for Realization of the Recommendations of the Progress Report for 2011 as well as the National Program for Adoption of the Acquis.
5. Considering the strategic and consensual determination for accession in the European Union, the Council underlines the need for continuous support and cooperation in the process of integration, strengthened mobility and inclusion of the overall society, increasing the promotion of European integration on local level, through all institutions and entities in direction of taking over the responsibilities from the accession negotiations.
6. The advancement of the accession process for the Republic of Macedonia in the next phase of the European Integration will benefit the reform momentum, the inter-ethic climate and has positive effect on the Region.
7. In the period until the Session of the Council of EU in December 2011, the National European Integration Council underlines the need for active inclusion of the overall potential of the state to receive a date on opening accession negotiations, effective preparations for realization of all the activities which will follow the date on opening negotiations.
8. The Council calls on the EU Member Sates, pursuant to the reaffirmed proposal of the European Commission, to approve, without further delay, transfer in the second phase of association of the Agreement on Stabilization and Association between the European Communities and their member states on one side and the Republic of Macedonia on the other.
9. The Council regretfully noted the absence of the adjective “Macedonian” in the EC Progress Report.
The Council calls the European Commission, pursuant to the principle of respect of the European diversity to examine, without delay, the exclusion of the adjective “Macedonian” in the context of the linguistic and cultural characteristics of the Republic of Macedonia, in accordance with the official terminology of the United Nations.
10. The Council underlies that the maintenance of good neighborly relations, including the negotiated and mutually acceptable solution for the name issue, under the auspices of the UN, remains key issue in the following phase of the Europe Integration process.
The National European Integration Council underlines the need for maintaining the Greek- Macedonian dialogue and for making additional efforts to find a compromise solution. The Council underlines that the bilateral issues are not part of the Copenhagen Criteria.
In this context, the National European Integration Council, as a body which represents the overall consensus for membership in the European Union, remains at disposal for consultations on the possible solution.
11. The Council underlies the need for maintaining and intensifying the regional cooperation of the Republic of Macedonia, the cooperation with the EU Member States that support our integration, as well as for promoting the political dialogue with the structures of the European Union.
The Council underlines the importance of the strengthened participation of the Republic of Macedonia in the regional activates and projects initiated by the Regional Cooperation Council and future projects in the framework of the new financial perspective of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
12. The Council underlies that the fulfillment of the tasks requires permanent positive promotion of the Republic of Macedonia as a future member State of the European Union.
13. The Council will remain engaged as a forum which contributes for the further development and maintenance of the political dialogue and the social consensus in the European Integration processes of the Republic of Macedonia.
14. The Conclusion of the National European Integration Council on the Progress Report shall be submitted to the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, the Government of the Republic of Macedonia and the Delegation of the European Union in the Republic of Macedonia
15. The Conclusions of the Council shall be published on the web-site of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia and will be accessible to the general public.