FYROM gets EU name prod
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) is not ready to start accession talks with the European Union, according to a European Commission report which calls on Skopje to be more cooperative in its name talks with Greece. The conclusions of the EU executive’s report, to be released officially next week, came as no surprise as EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn had warned Skopje that it had not carried out enough reforms to become a candidate member state. The report also indirectly refers to the name dispute, sources revealed yesterday. It calls on authorities in Skopje to «avoid actions that could have a negative influence on good-neighborly relations» – a clear reference to the country’s intransigent stance in United Nations-mediated negotiations with Greece. However the report clarifies that the name spat is not the reason for the postponement of Skopje’s bid to join the EU. Inadequate implementation of EU-oriented reforms is cited as the chief problem.
