The EC report states that Macedonia has not taken concrete steps to fulfill its obligations on its path to the EU, especially to include Bulgarians in the Constitution, as foreseen by the Good Neighborhood Agreement. It also mentions the implementation of the Prespa Agreement with Greece, but emphasizes that goodwill is required from all parties.
“North Macedonia has not taken decisive steps to advance the accession negotiations in the past year and has not yet adopted the constitutional amendments, including the addition to the Constitution of citizens who are part of other nations, such as Bulgarians, according to the conclusions of July 2022. Bilateral agreements with neighboring countries, including the Prespa Agreement with Greece and the Good Neighborhood Agreement with Bulgaria, require trust from all parties,” the European Commission report states.
Although European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas had previously stressed that Macedonia had not yet made the constitutional changes, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, briefly mentioning the country along with Bosnia and Kosovo, said that no progress had been made.
“Progress has not been recorded over the last year in Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, and the reasons for this are different. The Commission will continue to support them in their efforts towards the European Union,” declared Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement.