site.btaSkopje to Start Accession Talks Immediately after Constitutional Changes, EP Rapporteur Says

Skopje can start accession talks with the European Union immediately after the passing of the necessary constitutional changes, the rapporteur of the European Parliament for the Republic of North Macedonia Thomas Waitz stated on Tuesday. The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs discussed the report on North Macedonia prepared by Waitz, which takes into consideration the last two annual reports of the European Commission.

The European Parliament report mentions the decisions that need to be taken by the parliament and government in Skopje connected to the constitutional changes. We are talking about the inclusion of several minorities in the constitution, Waitz declared. This is a requirement that Skopje has to fulfil and is part of the conditions for accession to the EU, he explained.

Waitz said that accession negotiations will start as soon as constitutional changes are adopted. In his words, the growing public support in the Republic of North Macedonia for accession to the EU is being taken into consideration.

Austrian MEP Thomas Waitz replaced Bulgarian MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk, who held the post for nearly five years, as the rapporteur of the European Parliament for the Republic of North Macedonia.