Following hours of discussions and the rejection of several compromises, the General Affairs Council agreed on the “possible” opening of accession negotiations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania in June 2019, according to a diplomatic source.
However, the member states placed conditions on the move. For instance, one diplomatic source said that it will not take effect for FYROM unless it continues progress in the implementation of the agreement on its name and urgent reform priorities, on the basis of the progress report of the Commission and a Council decision. The same principle applies to Albania, which must also continue its reforms. An intergovernmental conference - which would mark the formal launch of negotiations - could then take place for both countries before the end of 2019.
The compromise text on FYROM, of which EUROPE has had sight, states more specifically that the Council agrees to respond positively to the progress made by FYROM and is tracing the path towards the opening of accession negotiations in June 2019. It states that the decision to open negotiations with Skopje will be conditional on the completion of national parliamentary procedures and approval by the European Council and will be quickly followed by the first inter-governmental conference before the end of 2019, depending on progress made. In particular, the Council highlights the need for judicial reforms, the reform of security and intelligence services and the reform of the public administration. The Council takes note of the Commission's intention of starting the necessary preparatory work, the text adds.
According to a European source, an agreement of this kind, which was particularly hard fought, was possible only thanks to the negotiation abilities of the Luxembourg minister, Jean Asselborn, who effectively acted as chair. “He worked for the compromise, to make the debate dispassionate”, the source added.
The need for a new Council decision and the continuation of progress is satisfactory to France, the Netherlands and Denmark, which were the most circumspect. For instance, upon his arrival at the Council, Stef Blok said that the progress made by Skopje and Tirana was still unsatisfactory. “I hope that negotiations may start, but it is important that we have stamina in the improvement of the rule of law and the fight against corruption. We have seen progress, but not enough, we want to take stock”, he warned.
Earlier that day, an initial attempt at a compromise, formally deciding to open negotiations in summer 2019, was rejected by France, the Netherlands and Denmark, to the great consternation of the Greek minister, Nikos Kotzias, whose country has negotiated an historic agreement on the question of the name Macedonia. He considered that making retrograde steps would not help to defeat populism. He also dismissed the argument of the French President concerning the need to reform of the EU before enlarging it, pointing out that in the 1990s, the EU had managed to negotiate the accession of ten countries and several treaties all at once.
The Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, welcomed an agreement on the conclusions on enlargement, “especially on Albania and the future North Macedonia, after a long debate. The path towards opening accession talks in June 19 is clear. The key signal to the region that progress is rewarded and crucial for the EU's own credibility”, he stressed.
For the conclusions: https://bit.ly/2Ishgs4. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)