The European Commission on Tuesday will present the 2020 Enlargement Package and the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans and MIA has an exclusive first look at parts of the North Macedonia report.

MIA singles out several parts from the report on North Macedonia’s progress on its EU path, where progress in an array of areas has been noted, however it has been pointed out that there are areas where more work is needed, including media and anti-discrimination legislation, MIA’s Brussels correspondent reports.

Concerning political criteria, the EU underscores the fact that opposition parties  remained engaged in the Parliament and supported key issues of common national interest, such as EU-related reforms and the NATO integration process.

The report, seen by MIA welcomes the political parties deciding in common agreement to hold early parliamentary elections on 12 April 2020 and to form caretaker government as well as to postpone the elections after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Citing findings of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation report, the EU says that the July elections were generally well run and the campaign was genuinely competitive, but ‘legal stability was undermined by substantial revisions of the legal framework and subsequent government decrees’, of the technical government adopted after a state of emergency was declared due to the COVID crisis.

However, the report notes, the significant increase of the use of fast track procedures raises concerns and should be limited.

Furthermore, efforts aimed at strengthening inter-ethnic relations and implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement are welcomed.

As regards the ongoing reform of the intelligence services, the Union says it resulted in the setting up in September 2019 of the National Security Agency, designed as an independent state body without police powers, unlike its predecessor the Bureau for Security and Counterintelligence (UBK). “This is in line with recommendations of the Senior Experts’ Group on systemic rule of law issues. The Operational Technical Agency continued to function. Further efforts are needed to ensure that it has access to all necessary tools to fulfil its mandate. The capacity for parliamentary oversight over the intelligence services needs to be strengthened,” says the report.

North Macedonia’s public administration reforms remains a weak point, according to the report, saying the country is ‘moderately prepared’. with the reform of its public administration. Ensuring respect for the principles of transparency, merit and equitable representation remains essential, it is noted all the while the work of the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption is welcomed.

The judicial system – being a fundamental part of the EU integration process of North Macedonia – is ‘moderately prepared.’ There was good progress in the implementation of the judicial reform strategy, it notes.

According to the EC report, efforts are still needed to ensure systematic implementation of the updated action plan of the judicial reform strategy. The Judicial Council is welcomed for performing its duties in a pro-active manner. “As a result of its reform efforts in recent years, North Macedonia has established mechanisms to ensure judicial independence and accountability, such as rules on merit-based appointments, checking assets and conflicts of interest and disciplinary procedures,” reads the report.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office as well as the consequences from the cancelation of the Special Public Prosecution Office and the verdict against its former head, Katica Janeva, are mentioned.

Among other thing, the Public Prosecutor’s Office Law should ensure a sustainable solution for the cases of the Special Prosecutor’s Office and establish accountability for the crimes arising from and surrounding the illegal wiretaps.

North Macedonia is also ‘moderately prepared’ in the fight against corruption, which is also pinpointed as a fundamental segment of the integration process. The EC in the reports says good progress was made through consolidating its track record on investigating, prosecuting and trying high level corruption cases all the while commending the anti-corruption commission for its pro-active role. “Corruption is prevalent in many areas and a more proactive approach from all actors engaged in preventing and fighting corruption needs to be ensured,” says the reports.

Even though North Macedonia has adopted a legal framework in line with EU standards on the protection of fundamental rights, it it stressed that the country lacks a comprehensive anti-discrimination law after it was repealed by the Constitutional Court on procedural grounds. “This serious gap needs to be addressed by the new legislature,” says the report.

The documents noted that North Macedonia needs to do more to implement legislation on the prevention of hate speech.

Moreover, the country is called out for the absence of genuinely independent investigators may impede the work of the unit to effectively address police impunity. “The country should take urgent measures to further improve the situation in prisons and to support alternatives to detention,” it says.

As regards media freedom, the Commission says North Macedonia is ‘moderately prepared,’ noting that there have been some increased tensions during the COVID-19 crisis and in the context of the elections. “Self-regulation efforts need to be intensified to support advancement in professional standards and the quality of journalism.”

The EU calls on the country to ensure greater transparency of media advertising by state institutions, political parties and public enterprises. Sustainable solutions to ensure the public service broadcaster’s independence, professional standards and financial sustainability are also needed.

“It is essential to continue supporting media pluralism, promoting professionalism, unbiased reporting and investigative journalism, and building resilience to effectively combat disinformation. The financial sustainability of independent media and working conditions of journalists remain a challenge,” reads the report.

Considering regional cooperation, the Commission says North Macedonia should continue fostering good neighborly relations with Greece and Bulgaria and implementing the two bilateral agreements, MIA reports from Brussels.

Also, it has been reported that the European Commission when presenting the enlargement reports this year for the first time ever will provide interpretation in all local languages in the region, including Macedonian.

Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi will present the enlargement package at 16:30 CET.