As expected, Member States’ European affairs ministers failed to reach a consensus on the negotiating frameworks for the accession of Albania and North Macedonia to the EU on Tuesday, 17 November (see EUROPE 12602/6).
However, European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič explained after the EU Council met, “We are not far from an agreement on both frameworks”. According to German Minister of State Michael Roth, “all delegations expressed their support for a swift and successful conclusion with regard to the negotiating frameworks, with the exception of Bulgaria”.
These last few weeks, the German Presidency of the Council of the EU has worked to reconcile Sofia and Skopje, and while progress has been made, it has not been enough to overcome Bulgarian reluctance. Mr Šefčovič explained that it was necessary to redouble the efforts being made and to resolve the issues between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, since that is, according to him, “what is keeping us from reaching an agreement”.
With regard to Albania, Mr Roth reiterated that the country still had two criteria to fulfil before it could have its first intergovernmental conference. These are the procedural capacity of the Supreme Court and the full implementation of the new electoral law. “Albania is on the right track”, judged the minister of state.
He reiterated that Germany wished to have the first intergovernmental conferences with North Macedonia and Albania under its rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Agathe Cherki)