EP Commissie Buitenlandse Zaken bespreekt Macedonië en Kosovo (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Europees Parlement (EP) i, gepubliceerd op dinsdag 24 januari 2012, 16:31.

A date should be set for the start of accession talks with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the five EU Member States that have yet to recognise Kosovo's independence should now do so, said the Foreign Affairs Committee in two separate resolutions voted on Tuesday. Both resolutions are to be put to a plenary vote in March.

The resolution on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia stresses the need to press ahead with its integration into Europe and in particular to begin pre-screening its legislation for conformity with that of the EU. The EU and its Member States must never take for granted the European perspective of any applicant country, say MEPs.

MEPs are deeply concerned that media ownership remains highly concentrated in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and also about the independence and impartiality of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. The resolution also points out that children of different ethnic groups are segregated within the education system.

Name issue

MEPs reiterate their regret that the dispute over the name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continues to block both its road to EU membership and the wider EU enlargement process. They underline that good neighbourly relations are a key criterion for the EU enlargement process and stress the need to avoid taking controversial actions.

Kosovo's status

MEPs recommend that the five EU Member States that have yet to recognise Kosovo's independence should do so, noting that 85 countries have already done likewise. The resolution also "reiterates how important it is for the EU to engage with Kosovo and considers this commitment vital for preserving stability and security in the EU's immediate neighbourhood".

Among remaining challenges for Kosovo, MEPs list return of refugees and internally displaced people, corruption and the unstable and tense situation in the north.

Next steps

The two resolutions, one on the progress report of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the other on the European integration process of Kosovo, will be tabled for a vote by Parliament as a whole at the March I and March II sessions respectively.

In the chair: Fiorello Provera  (EFD, IT)