On Monday 24 July, the expert group sent to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) by the European Commission called on Skopje to implement recommendations that the European Union sent it in 2015 "urgently" so as to improve the country's political situation.
"Progress in implementation, two years later, has been very poor on the vast majority of the recommendations", the European Commission stated in a press release. "This is a cause for serious concern. There is therefore an urgent need to make up lost time in addressing those recommendations as soon as possible", it added.
Although "much of the regulatory framework is in place (...) the gap between legislation and practice needs to be bridged", the expert group which visited the country from 17 to 21 July has stated. It added that sustainable reforms take time to be properly planned, on the basis of functional reviews, involving all relevant stakeholders, and that these reforms then need to be implemented in the right way.
The expert group will issue a report with recommendations addressed to the Macedonian government and key stakeholders "in due course", on the basis of its findings during its visit, the Commission announced. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)