Brussels, 19/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - The General Affairs Council on 25 June will not take any decision on opening accession negotiations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), a European source revealed on 19 June. Stating that the European Commission has compiled its report on FYROM as requested in the conclusions of the December Council (see EUROPE 10750), “the opinion at Council level is that the time is not right to go beyond the positions already held.” “There will be no conclusions on FYROM”, this source added. “The issue could arise again at the Council in the autumn”, the source said.
The source stated that a number of events in the country have been “a source of concern”. While there have been improvements, questions on implementing the measures decided and “bilateral issues” with Greece and Bulgaria “have not enabled the Council to take positive measures”.
In its progress report on 10 October, the European Commission again recommended - for the fourth year in a row - the opening of negotiations with Skopje (see EUROPE 10707). FYROM experienced a political crisis this winter and the EU is closely following the implementation of the political agreement of 1 March (see EUROPE 10828). (CG/transl.fl)