Brussels, 24/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 23 July, the European Union called on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to continue its reforms, calling in particular for progress on the freedom of expression and the media, and for progress on justice. “The EU noted the new media laws and expressed concern about the overall climate and media culture, and encouraged work towards a more positive atmosphere”, state the conclusions from the 11th Stabilisation and Association Council between FYROM and the EU. The Council noted improvement in the efficiency of the law courts, but stressed that greater emphasis is needed on the independence and quality of the justice system. While it welcomed the progress made in compiling track records on corruption and organised crime, the Council underlined “the need for policy improvements and more effective enforcement in order to obtain concrete results”.
The EU expressed concern about the assessment of biased media coverage and the lack of separation between state and party activities during the elections. It called on the national authorities to take account of the election observers' concerns “in order to improve the electoral process”.
While the Council noted the intentions of the FYROM government to engage with the opposition and to continue to improve inter-ethnic relations, the EU nevertheless underlined its concern about inter-community relations, and called for more pro-active long-term confidence-building measures. The Italian under-secretary of state, Benedetto Della Vedova, recalled the importance of “building bridges” with civil society and the media, and of taking account of the diversity of the groups and minorities in the country.
The Council also stressed “the importance of constructive dialogue across the political spectrum”, and it encouraged work on the independence of the public administration. The EU also continued to stress the need for a more proactive approach on the part of the authorities to promote and protect fundamental rights and human rights.
Europeans and Macedonians recalled that regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations were an essential part of the EU accession process, although the issue of the name “Macedonia” between FYROM and Greece is still preventing the opening of FYROM's accession negotiations.
The Macedonian minister for foreign affairs underlined the “determination of his country to continue the reforms”. His colleague in European affairs, Fatmir Besimi, mentioned reform of the judicial system, trust of citizens, fundamental rights, implementation of legislative acts, political dialogue and interethnic relations as priorities. (CG)