Brussels, 09/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - Albania is not yet ready to receive “candidate country” status and still less to begin membership negotiations. Montenegro is sufficiently advanced in reform to be declared a “candidate” but not to begin talks on accession. Croatia is well on the way to finalising negotiation in 2011. Turkey, with its constitutional reforms, has made a step in the right direction but the reform process remains slow. Iceland is well prepared for conducting accession talks in the near future. Serbia has adopted a constructive attitude in the region (Bosnia, Kosovo) and is making good headway in reforms but much still remains to be accomplished. FYROM is technically ready to begin membership negotiations but before this happens it must resolve its political problem with Greece over the use of the name Macedonia. Bosnia-Herzegovina will not be able to move along the road to European integration until its political leaders finally agree on what the country's European future should be. Kosovo is moving along the right lines but reform must be speeded up.
These are the main conclusions and recommendations reached by the European Commission on Tuesday 9 November in its two “opinions” on the requests for membership made by Albania and Montenegro, and in its annual reports on progress made by the different candidate and potential candidate countries. The documents are available at: ec.europa.eu/enlargement/press_corner/key-documents/reports_nov_2010_en.htm.
Presenting reports to the press, Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle underlined that membership talks with Montenegro and Albania will only open once both countries have satisfactorily met accession policy criteria, especially that on the stability of the institutions that are to ensure respect of democracy and rule of law. This aspect will be analysed in the next progress reports in 2011, Füle said. On the subject of Turkey, the Commission calls on Ankara to keep its commitments and to put the protocol on extending customs union to Cyprus into application. If Ankara were to continue in its refusal to open its ports and airports to Cypriots, then the Commission would recommend that member states maintain suspension of eight chapters that have been deadlocked since December 2006, Füle said.
Main conclusions of 2010 progress reports country by country
Croatia. The country still meets the political criteria for accession but further effort is required for reforming justice, protecting minorities, combating corruption and crime, ensuring press freedom (publishers and journalists continue to be under “political pressure”), and ensuring the return of refugees and prosecution for former war crimes. “The problem of impunity remains, especially for crimes committed against ethnic Serbs, many of which have not been properly investigated”, the report reads. The Commission welcomes Zagreb's cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) but calls on the government to continue its work to locate or determine the fate of missing artillery documents requested by the ICTY prosecutor. On the economic front, Croatia continues to be a “functioning market economy”. The country has also “improved its ability to take on the obligations of membership”. The country has still to “adopt restructuring plans in line with the state aid acquis for the shipyards in difficulty”, the report states, and the national programme for restructuring of the steel industry must also be adapted to bring it into line with EU regulations.
Turkey. The country “sufficiently” meets political criteria. The Commission welcomes the recent constitutional reforms (approved by the referendum on 12 September), which are a “step in the right direction” and which have “created the conditions for progress in a number of areas, such as the judiciary and fundamental rights”. Reforms now have to be implemented in line with European standards. “Democratic opening”, especially towards the Kurd minority, has nonetheless “not yet met the expectations”. The Commission also deplores the fact that review of the constitution has not been preceded by a consultation process involving all political parties and civil society as a whole. In the field of fundamental rights, much remains to be done, especially with regard to freedom of the press. On human rights and the protection of minorities “some progress has been made” especially on the freedom of association, women's and children's rights and cultural rights, but “significant effort is still needed in particular concerning freedom of expression and freedom of religion”. At the international relations level, the Commission criticises the fact that Turkey has still not implemented the protocol on extending EU/Turkey customs union and that its ports and airports are still closed to Cyprus (Ed.: leading to the suspension of several chapters in membership talks). The Commission also criticises the fact that Ankara has made “no progress” towards restoring normal bilateral relations with Cyprus. Links with Greece, on the other hand, have improved. Turkey is making a “substantial” contribution to European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) although it has still not come into line with EU foreign policy (the Commission above all cites the case of sanctions voted at the UN against Iran). On the economic front, Turkey continues to be a functioning market economy.
Iceland. The country opened membership negotiations in July this year. The progress report confirms the Commission's positive opinion on Iceland's candidacy to the EU, namely that Iceland complies with political criteria set and that it has a functioning market economy able to face up to the pressures of the EU internal market “provided that it continues to address current structural weaknesses through appropriate macro-economic policies and structural reforms”. Due to its membership of the EEA, Iceland is already well prepared for taking on board and implementing the EU body of law, the Commission notes. On the question of the Icesave affair, the Commission backs the EFTA surveillance authority which felt that Iceland acted in breach of the deposit guarantee scheme directive. On fishing, which is one of the trickiest sectors to cover in membership talks, the Commission underlines that Iceland should abide by acquis communautaire on freedom of establishment, the provision of services and the free movement of capital. Restrictions currently in place in Iceland are not in line with acquis, the Commission notes.
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). The country continues, “sufficiently”, to meet the political criteria for accession but further effort is required, especially with regard to justice, reform of the administration, freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Political dialogue must also be strengthened. Corruption, too, remains a “serious problem”. On the subject of the conflict with Greece over using the name “Macedonia”, the Commission calls on both parties to refrain from any “actions or statements that could negatively impact on good neighbourly relations”. “Maintaining good neighbourly relations, including a negotiated and mutually acceptable solution to the name issue, under the auspices of the UN, remains essential”, the Commission stresses. At the economic level, FYROM is “well advanced” on its way towards a market economy.
Serbia. The country has “made progress towards meeting the political criteria”, the Commission notes. However, there are still problems when it comes to the judiciary in particular (appointment of judges), corruption which continues to be a “serious problem”, freedom of the press, the protection of women's and children's rights and the return of refugees. On international policy, the Commission welcomes Belgrade's “constructive approach” towards development in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It also notes that “despite the active on-going cooperation of Serbia with the ICTY, the two remaining ICTY fugitives are still at large”.
“Full cooperation” with the ICTY remains an “essential condition” for membership of the EU, the Commission states. Serbia has also made considerable progress in its bilateral relations with its neighbours, particularly Croatia and Bosnia. An acceptable, lasting solution should be found as swiftly as possible to allow Serbia and Kosovo to take part in regional fora, the Commission says. Economically, Serbia has made only “limited progress” towards a functioning market economy. It must do more to restructure its economy if it wants one day to join the EU internal market.
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Only “limited progress” has been made on meeting the political criteria in such areas as, for example, the rule of law, border management, migration policy and cooperation and regional reconciliation. However, practical implementation of the reforms is inadequate and the political climate remains extremely tense, with a great deal of “nationalistic rhetoric”. “The lack of a shared vision by political leaders on the direction of the country is blocking key EU-related reforms and impeding further progress towards the EU,” the Commission regrets. Corruption is still a “serious problem”. Economically, there has been “little further progress towards a functioning market economy”.
Kosovo. Progress has been made on the political criteria for accession, the Commission notes. The government “has strengthened its commitment to the European agenda and political reform” and has created a ministry for European Integration. Dialogue with the EU on the Stabilisation and Association Process has been successfully conducted by the government. “The authorities now need to step up the pace of reform,” the Commission says. Administrative capacity remains weak and the judiciary is not functioning effectively. The rule of law remains a “serious concern”. Anti-corruption measures will have to be taken and operations carried out to tackle organised crime, drug trafficking and money laundering. Freedom of expression is still not guaranteed in practice. The progress made by Kosovo towards a market economy has only been “limited”. (H.B./transl.jl/rt)