Fuele Responds to Push for Skopje Accession Talks

However, Fuele says that this decision is not in the hands of the European Commission and that the European Council has the final say.

In his letter Fuele indicates that UN-led name negotiations between Athens and Skopje “remain essential for successful continuation of the European integration of the country”.

Kacin, a Slovenian member of the European Parliament, sent an official letter to Fuele on March 23 after the announcement that Iceland would receive a date for EU accession talks shortly. Reykjavik hopes the start of talks in the near future will lead to EU membership by 2012. Kacin suggested that a date be given to Macedonia simultaneously.

In the autumn of 2009 the EC recommended the start of accession talks with Macedonia based on its evaluation that all requirements on the part of Skopje had been fulfilled.

But the recommendation was not sufficient; in December Greece blocked the European Council from extending the start date to Skopje, citing the unresolved bilateral name dispute.

Athens insists that Skopje change its official name, Republic of Macedonia, before it is invited to join NATO and the EU. Athens says that Skopje’s name implies territorial claims against its own northern province, also called Macedonia.

Currently both sides are under increasing international pressure to reach a settlement to the long lasting dispute. EU representatives have expressed their hope that an agreement will be found during the Spanish EU Presidency, which ends in July.

One possible name that is often cited as the most likely compromise is the name “Republic of Northern Macedonia”.