European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi told the European Parliament on Thursday that the negotiating frameworks for Albania and Macedonia will be put forward to EU member states this week, MIA’s Brussels correspondent reported.
Várhelyi addressed a plenary session of the European Parliament on the Western Balkans report. He noted that the European Commission has returned the region back to the heart of Europe in the first six months of this year and that it translated words in action.
“The European Commission has been tasked with drafting negotiating frameworks for Macedonia and Albania that will be ready as early as this week, along with summary of reform progress,” Várhelyi said.
Negotiating frameworks are to come in June, while annual package and economic and investment plan are due in autumn.
Várhelyi said that it was delivered on promises made to the EU member states in regard to the revised negotiation methodology, that gave green light to Skopje and Tirana to start negotiations in March this year, after several months of blockade by France.
The enlargement process is merit-based process, to advance on the path to the EU, Western Balkan countries need to continue to deliver reforms, especially in the areas of rule of law, the fight against corruption and organized crime, fundamental values and human rights, Várhelyi said, adding the faster a country progresses in reforms, the closer it gets to EU membership.
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