On Thursday 19 May, MEPs called for the opening of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, adopting the report by Isabel Santos (S&D, Portugal) on Albania (519 votes in favour, 52 against and 28 abstentions) and the one by Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew Europe, Bulgaria) on North Macedonia (508 votes in favour, 56 against and 35 abstentions).
According to MEPs, it is necessary to formally start accession negotiations with these two countries, “especially in the geostrategic context of relations with Russia and the Russian aggression against Ukraine, as both countries have fulfilled the necessary conditions and achieved sustainable results, including in the fundamental areas”.
MEPs are also calling on Bulgaria and North Macedonia to quickly find an agreement that resolves bilateral problems in order to “avoid further delays and obstacles to accession progress”.
The European Parliament further calls on Albania to maintain and intensify its efforts to strengthen the functioning of the judicial system and democratic institutions, democracy, the Rule of law and the economy. In addition, the country should strengthen the fight against corruption and organised crime, ensure media freedom and guarantee the protection of minority rights.
MEPs also call on North Macedonia to continue its efforts to strengthen the Rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the rights of minorities, the fight against corruption and organised crime, the reform of public administration and the consolidation of media freedom, and to improve the business climate.
For both North Macedonia and Albania, the Parliament calls for more political dialogue between the political parties.
It also welcomes the alignment of both countries with the EU’s foreign policy.
See the report on Albania: https://aeur.eu/f/1ql
See the one on North Macedonia: https://aeur.eu/f/1qk (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)