I've spent months working in Macedonia over the past several years. This is outstanding news and well-deserved!
SKOPJE (AFP) – Macedonia can finally win European Commission backing within two months to start EU accession talks if it pushes through a last batch of political reforms, the bloc's enlargement chief said Thursday
An official European Union candidate since 2005, Macedonia proved it could carry out reforms when the commission recently gave it the best marks out of five Balkan states for visa-free travel in Europe, said OlliRehn.
"The reforms conducted in the context of visa liberalisation... show that there is the political will and also ability to conduct such reforms that are needed for recommendation in the coming autumn," Rehn said.
"Therefore, there is a real and realistic chance to meet the benchmarks and to get the recommendation," the EU commissioner told a joint media conference with Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.
"But it really depends on the results delivered in the coming two months and it will be a busy period for the prime minister and for this government and for the civil servants of the country."
Among the reforms the EC required of Macedonia to be given a date to begin EU accession talks were the adoption of laws on its parliament, civil service and political party financing, said Rehn.
"The commission recommendation on the start of negotiations will depend only on the results delivered. We will not shift the goal posts, it will be fair play," the commissioner said.
Rehn said an 18-year dispute between Macedonia and its southern neighbour Greece over the former's official name was not an obstacle for the country's EU adhesion process.
"However, you all know that the actual opening of the accession negotiations will require a unanimity in the EU Council, unanimity of all 27 EU member states" including Greece.
Greece used its status as a NATO member to block Macedonia's entry to the military alliance last year and is threatening to do the same over the country's EU membership.
Skopje and Athens have been at loggerheads over the right to the name Macedonia since the former Yugoslav republic proclaimed independence in 1991. A northern Greek province has the same name.
Rehn visited Macedonia as part of a four-nation tour of the Balkans that also took him to Serbia and Montenegro on Wednesday. He next travels to Bosnia.
[From Macedonia's long wait for EU talks almost over: Rehn (AFP)]
