A single amendment to the European Parliament's annual report on North Macedonia, tabled by the ESN Group on 12 June 2026, proposes inserting a reference to the negotiating framework approved by the Council on 18 July 2022. The amendment, filed to the report by rapporteur Thomas Waitz (Greens/EFA), would add the phrase “the negotiating framework for North Macedonia approved by the Council on 18 July 2022 and to” before the existing reference to Council conclusions on enlargement.
The amendment is the only change proposed to the draft report A10-0162/2026, which assesses North Macedonia's progress in 2025. By anchoring the report explicitly to the negotiating framework, the ESN Group seeks to tie the Parliament's evaluation to the detailed conditionality and benchmarks set out in that document, including the possibility of reversing the process if conditions are not met. This contrasts with the original text, which relies on broader Council conclusions from July 2022 and December 2024. Other political groups have not tabled amendments on this point, suggesting they are content with the existing references.
The negotiating framework, adopted by the Council on 18 July 2022, outlines the principles and procedures for North Macedonia's accession talks, including the requirement to implement bilateral agreements and address rule-of-law reforms. The amendment would make the Parliament's report explicitly reference this legally binding framework, potentially leading to a more stringent assessment of Skopje's compliance.
Stakeholder impact The amendment primarily affects EU institutions and North Macedonia. For the European Parliament, adopting the change would signal a more rigorous stance on conditionality, aligning the chamber more closely with the Council's detailed benchmarks. For the European Commission, which monitors progress, the report's explicit reference to the negotiating framework could reinforce the need for strict compliance. North Macedonia's government would face heightened scrutiny, as the report would tie its evaluation to specific reversibility clauses. Other EU member states, particularly those advocating for a faster enlargement process, may see the amendment as a procedural tightening that could slow progress.
Next steps The amendment will be voted on in plenary, likely as part of the final report. If adopted, the report will be forwarded to the Council and the Commission. The Parliament's position will feed into the broader enlargement debate, with the Council expected to review North Macedonia's progress later in 2026.
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