The European Parliament has reaffirmed that North Macedonia must continue implementing the Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighbourliness and Cooperation with Bulgaria, as well as the Prespa Agreement with Greece, in line with the EU’s Negotiating Framework.

MEPs stressed that EU enlargement should remain a merit-based and reversible process, with progress determined by the real implementation of EU values and criteria. They emphasized that no candidate country should be treated as part of a package and that there can be no shortcuts when it comes to the fundamental principles of the Union.

The parliament also highlighted the importance of opening and publishing historical communist archives to promote truth, reconciliation, and stronger democratic governance. Law enforcement and judicial obligations must be fully respected, including international court rulings on war crimes and missing persons, while glorification of war criminals and historical revisionism should be opposed.

MEPs underlined that failure to uphold EU core values could lead to frozen or reversed accession negotiations, with progress required before talks can resume. Democratic setbacks in candidate countries must be met with consequences to maintain the credibility of the merit-based enlargement process. At the same time, the EU should continue actively supporting democratic institutions in candidate countries to bolster stability and reform efforts.

The strategy frames EU enlargement as a strategic tool to address shifting geopolitical conditions and as a long-term investment in the Union’s security and stability. Report author MEP Petras Auštrevičius stressed the need to improve European integration mechanisms to better reflect both the Union’s and candidate countries’ interests. He called for reforms to the EU’s internal decision-making, including wider use of qualified majority voting, to be completed before leading candidate countries meet membership criteria.

The report notes that Montenegro and Albania aim to conclude membership negotiations by the end of 2026 and 2027 respectively, and the EU should encourage these efforts where backed by genuine reforms. At the same time, concerns remain over countries where democratic standards are in retreat or negotiations have stalled, such as Serbia, Georgia, and Turkey, particularly in relation to coherence with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.

In June 2022, North Macedonia adopted the “French proposal” approved by all EU member states. According to the negotiating framework, EU accession talks can only advance once Bulgarians are included in North Macedonia’s constitution preamble. Skopje has so far refused to implement this. Compliance is also required with the 2017 Treaty of Friendship with Bulgaria, including its two protocols.