Politico: EU offers gradual single-market integration to candidate countries — ahead of von der Leyen’s visit to Skopje

The European Commission is preparing a draft proposal for the “gradual integration” of candidate countries into the single market, with barrier-free trade and access to research programs while their membership applications continue — according to a report by Alfa.mk citing the document obtained by Politico.

According to Politico, the condition for benefiting from this integration is that candidate countries stand alongside the bloc against hostile states and industrial rivals. “The single market is the first priority for economic convergence,” the draft states.

The document, as Politico writes, is overseen by the chief adviser to the President of the European Commission, Alexandre Adam, a former aide to French President Emmanuel Macron. As part of the package, Ukraine, Moldova, Albania and Montenegro will be offered “roadmaps” to accelerate membership, while North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Turkey face delays in the process.

The news comes on the eve of the visit of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who arrives in Skopje on Friday, October 2. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said the Government stands by the position of continuing the European integration process through talks and finding a solution to the problem with Bulgaria, stressing that the conditions North Macedonia faces today were accepted by the previous government; he declined to comment on the opposition’s criticism.

The Government wants a complete turnaround in the negotiation format — the presence of Brussels, representatives of the European Commission or of NATO, in the dialogue with Bulgaria, instead of closed-door meetings.