There will be a start for negotiations with the European Union in June 2019 if Macedonia maintains the reform progress, especially in the area of urgent reform priorities, the Ministers from EU Council decided after a lengthy debate for enlargement, where it was reviewed the recommendations for negotiations for Macedonia and Albania.
The Council of Ministers expects the European Commission next year to issue a report focusing on public administration reform, the fight against corruption, judicial reform and reform in intelligence service.
In June 2019, if the reform process continues in Macedonia, very soon the intergovernmental conference will be convened, and then the negotiations will begin..
In the meantime, the European Commission has expressed a good will to begin preparations for negotiations, and that is what the Council of the EU accepts.
France and the Netherlands refused any date for negotiations concerning Macedonia. They believe that the reform progress is too new and has not yet given lasting results. After hard discussions with the other member states, a compromise was made, however, that a date should be entered, but under the aforementioned conditions.
Albania received a similar condition, and could also start negotiations before the end of 2019.
