By Martin Banks - 13th October 2011
I hope we in parliament will join with commissioner Fule in offering criticisms in constructive fashion
Stefan Fule
British S&D member Richard Howitt says the next 12 months will be "crucial" for Skopje to demonstrate "renewed impetus" in reforms designed to prepare the country for EU accession.
His comments come after the EU unveiled its latest update on the progress made by those countries seeking to join the EU.
The commission has recommended Serbia for EU candidate status but said talks could only start after it normalised ties with Kosovo.
Belgrade refuses to recognise the territory's self-declared independence and tension involving Kosovo's ethnic Serbs sparked violence this summer.
The commission also recommended opening accession talks with Montenegro.
Appearing before parliament, EU enlargement commissioner Stefan Fule was critical of the lack of progress by some accession states, but Howitt said that "proper recognition should be given to achievements as well as criticisms".
Howitt is parliament's rapporteur on Macedonia's EU accession bid and he says the country "must not be forgotten" as steps towards EU accession are made across the whole of the Western Balkans.
Howitt told parliament's foreign affairs committee the EU "should recognise how far the country has come, as well as how far it still has to go".
He added, "I hope we in parliament will join with commissioner Fule in offering criticisms in constructive fashion but at the same time give just recognition of progress achieved which equally is part of the essential encouragement needed for further reform to take place."
Howitt highlighted specific areas in putting direct questions to Fule, saying, "First, I commend the honesty that the positive recommendation of the commission should not be taken for granted".
"Will he agree today that the next twelve months will be particularly important for the country to bring impetus to its reforms?"
He also asked, "Given the welcome progress made despite all the difficulties in relation to Serbia and Kosovo, and in relation to Montenegro, does the commissioner accept that we must send a strong message for continued progress across the whole of the Western Balkans?"
"And given events surrounding the country's census yesterday, that this must explicitly continue to demonstrate progress on further implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement itself?
"Second, I agree with him that freedom of media is a critical issue. Will he agree with me that the commitment of the deputy prime minister to work to implement the recommendations of the OSCE representative on freedom of the media is an important response, which should be supported in the country as well as by ourselves in the European Union?
"And third, given the welcome progress made despite all the difficulties in relation to Serbia and Kosovo, and in relation to Montenegro, does the commissioner accept that we must send a strong message for continued progress across the whole of the Western Balkans and - just as all of the region's ministers of European integration are being convened in Skopje next week - the country in which they are meeting must not itself be forgotten in the process?"
