Agreement EU/Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia FYROM: negotiations for a stabilisation and association agreement

The European Parliament adopted the resolution by Mr. Johannes Swoboda (PES, A) approving the agreement with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. There are a number of amendments one of which takes the view that aid should not be tied. The European Parliament recommends that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement should take the form of a joint agreement based on Article 310 of the EC Treaty. It recommends that, in view of the fact that the question of the legal personality of the EU has not yet been clarified, the use of Articles 24 and 38 of the EU Treaty be ruled out as a legal basis for the Stabilisation and Association Agreement in conjunction with any other provision of the Treaty establishing the European Communities. In addition, the EP stresses: - the exemplary character which the agreement with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has for the other countries of the region and supports the agreement's approach towards regional co-operation; - that in view of the unequal development and specific features of the countries in question (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, FYROM and Albania), each country needs to be considered on its own merits and no country must become the hostage of its neighbours where the process of approximation to EU structures is concerned. Furthermore, the European Parliament advocates active EU regional aid under the Stability Pact to support, for example, regional infrastructure projects such as the expansion of European corridors eight and ten, cross-border energy, environment and water projects, joint improvement of the management of borders and customs or joint multilateral police training. It also advocates the continuation of the multi-beneficiary, cross-border programmes under PHARE beyond the year 2000 so that the process of regional co-operation can actually be implemented. The EP takes the view that the stabilisation and association process should also receive appropriate financial from the EU in the form of appropriate aid programmes. Moreover, it takes the view that implementation of the stabilisation and association agreement should be accompanied by a White Paper to serve as a precise guide for the country in its efforts to appropriate to the acquis communautaire. More importantly, the European Parliament takes the view that implementation of the programmes should be decentralised and shifted from Brussels to Skopje. Due attention must be paid to enhanced co-ordination between programming, management, implementation and follow-up, with as short-term priorities improving the civil service, customs and frontier management and promoting SMEs.�