The EU has developed a policy to support the gradual integration of the Western Balkan countries with the Union. The EU aims to promote peace, stability and economic development in the region&nbsp;and open up the prospect of EU integration.

In order to apply for EU membership a country has to be European and respect the EU’s democratic values. It also needs stable institutions guaranteeing democracy and the rule of law; a functioning market economy; and the ability to take on and carry out the obligations of EU membership.

Parliament is fully involved in the Stabilisation and Association Process &nbsp;and must also consent to any new accession to the EU. In addition, through its budgetary powers, it has direct influence over the amounts allocated to the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance. Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs appoints standing rapporteurs for all candidate and potential candidate countries. Parliament expresses its positions on enlargement in the form of annual resolutions responding to the Commission’s latest annual country reports.

On 1&nbsp;July&nbsp;2013, Croatia became the first of the seven countries to join, and Montenegro, Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania are official candidates. Accession negotiations and chapters have been opened with Montenegro and Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are potential candidate countries.

EU Enlargement - Western Balkans

The country was the first Western Balkan nation to sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, which entered into force in April 2004.

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was granted candidate country status for EU membership in December 2005. In February 2008, the EU adopted the Accession Partnership for the country, which updated the previous European Partnership agreement of January 2006. Citizens of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia were granted visa-free travel to the Schengen area in December 2009.

In June 2018, Macedonia and Greece resolved the conflict with an agreement that the country should rename itself Republic of North Macedonia. This renaming came into effect in February 2019.

EU - North Macedonia (2019-2020)

North Macedonia submitted its membership application in 2004 and became a candidate for accession to the EU in 2005. The Council decided to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia on 25 March 2020, following the Commission's proposals on a revised enlargement methodology.

North Macedonia is currently on its way to becoming the 30th member of NATO and hopes for a swift ratification of the NATO Accession Protocol by all partners; it reiterates its belief in the positive impact that the accession of North Macedonia to NATO will have for peace and stability in the region; underlines that the accession of North Macedonia to NATO is an encouraging sign of improved climate in the region.

EU - North Macedonia

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Afrim GASHI, Speaker of the Parliament of North Macedonia

Delegation to the EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee Constitutive meeting

22nd  EU-North Macedonia joint Parliamentary Committee

2nd European Political Community Summit in Chisinau, Moldova - Meeting with Dimitar KOVACHEVSKI, Prime Minister of North Macedonia

AFET - Exchange of views with Bujar OSMANI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia

20th EU - North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee

EP Plenary session - 2021 Report on North Macedonia

Ilhan KYUCHYUK meets with Bujar OSMANI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia

EP President, Roberta METSOLA, participates to the EU-Western Balkans Summit. Before her address to the Council, she speaks to the press. One year after the 2022 summit in Tirana, EU and Western Balkans leaders met in Brussels for their fourth annual summit. The summit is an opportunity to reaffirm the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkans and also the need for partners’ sustained and irreversible reform achievements, underpinned by EU values and principles.

EU-Western Balkans Summit: Doorstep by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

Signing ceremony on E-evidence Directive and E-evidence Regulation, Waste batteries regulation and on the decision providing macro-financial assistance to the Republic of North Macedonia by Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, and Pascual Navarro Rios, State Secretary for the European Union, on behalf of the Spanish Presidency of the Council.

Signature of COD texts in presence of Roberta METSOLA, EP President and Pascual NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union on behalf of the Spanish Presidency of the Council

Closing statements of the MEPs debate on the official start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last July and to call on the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo. They are also likely to urge Serbia to align with the EU’s restrictive measures and policy towards Russia. Opening statements by Oliver VARHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement.

EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package: closing statement by Oliver VARHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement

MEPs debate on the official start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last July and to call on the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo. They are also likely to urge Serbia to align with the EU’s restrictive measures and policy towards Russia.

EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package: MEPs debate (part 2)

MEPs debate on the official start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last July and to call on the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo. They are also likely to urge Serbia to align with the EU’s restrictive measures and policy towards Russia. first part of the debate.

EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package: MEPs debate (part 1)

MEPs debate on the official start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last July and to call on the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo. They are also likely to urge Serbia to align with the EU’s restrictive measures and policy towards Russia. opening statements by Oliver VARHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement.

EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package: opening statement by Oliver VARHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement

On the 14th September 2022, Ursula von der LEYEN, EC President, delivers her State of the European Union (SOTEU) speech in the European Parliament. This infoclip illustrates one of the main stake of the coming year: the future of the Europea Union. Following the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoe) which took place from May 2021 to May 2022, EU citizens have asked for a revision of the treaties and a reconstruction of the EU. Furthermore, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia have been granted the candidate status to join the EU, while discussions to enlarge the European Union to Western Balkans countries are ongoing.

Infoclip: Future of the European Union

&lt;p>EU and Western Balkan leaders meet in Brussels ahead of the June European Council meeting. Leaders discuss progress on EU integration and the challenges stemming from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.&lt;/p>

EU - North Macedonia (T)

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