Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-04-06-Speech-3-621-000"
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"en.20110406.36.3-621-000"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow, you will adopt the resolution on the 2010 progress report on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. As you know, in its conclusions of 14 December 2010, the Council reaffirmed its unanimous commitment to the European Union perspective of the Western Balkan countries. The ultimate goal of this perspective is the membership of these countries in the European Union.
I congratulate you on the balanced findings of the draft resolution. The text objectively reflects the situation at hand, and formulates valuable recommendations. It is unfortunate that, despite the results and progress, FYROM has so far not been allowed to commence accession negotiations. I believe that this is a loss, not only for the candidate, but also for the EU. I am pleased that the core message of Parliament’s draft resolution corresponds to one of the basic principles of the Presidency. Individual performance must always be acknowledged by the EU.
As regards the specifics, we welcome the fact that the country has made significant achievements in such key areas of reform as the operation of the police, and the judicial system. The implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement continues to constitute a fundamental element of democracy and the rule of law in the country. There is some success to report in this respect as well, for example, in the implementation of the Act on languages. Nevertheless, it is essential that the country produce further achievements as soon as possible in areas such as dialogue between political actors, the reform of the justice system and public administration, the fight against corruption, freedom of expression and improving the business environment. The areas concerned are also covered in detail by the resolution you will be adopting, and these must also continue to have priority among the plans of the Skopje Government.
The Council acknowledged that the Commission repeated its recommendation for accession negotiations to be started with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In its conclusions of December 2010, the Council stated that it was ready to come back to this issue during the term of the Hungarian Presidency, but unfortunately, in the absence of any new relevant developments, the Presidency has been unable to initiate this step as yet.
At this point, I must stress that good neighbourly relations continue to be of the essence. It must be treated as a fact that progress in general, and especially steps taken towards European integration, can only be successful if there is political commitment at all levels of society. Nevertheless, the political actors in a democratic society have a special, exceptional responsibility, for example, in resolving differences of opinion through democratic means, namely, dialogue and compromise. We therefore call upon the political actors of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to resume their dialogue, not only in order to accelerate the pace of the reform processes, but also to ensure the maturity of the democratic institutions of their country.
The perspective of the early elections requires special attention. The stability of the current coalition is remarkable despite the difficulties. It would be grounds for concern if the next elections created fault lines in the political palette. In order to reduce this risk, it would be important to announce the early elections based on the wide agreement that has been established in Parliament. While, on the one hand, I would like to encourage the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, its political leadership and institutions, to step up their efforts and endeavour to meet the expectations formed by their citizens, on the other hand, I would like to urge the Commission and the European Parliament to continue to pay appropriate attention to the candidate and the region. No other incentive for ensuring the stability and prosperity of the Balkans available to us is as effective as a European perspective and the promotion of the accession process. I trust that, during the Hungarian Presidency, there will be a tangible sign to prove to the Balkans that the enlargement process is being kept alive, and this sign could be the decisive event in Croatia’s accession, that is, the conclusion of its accession negotiations. I am convinced that this would act as a magnet to all countries in the Balkans, including the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia."@en1
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