Danielsson: Today marks the start of the most intensive engagement in our long relationship


Director-General for EU Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Christian Danielsson officially launched Thursday the preparations for Macedonia’s EU accession talks.

Danielsson told Macedonia and Albania’s negotiating teams that today “marks the start of the most intensive engagement in our long relationship.”

“Our experts will elaborate the length and depth of the European Acquis Communautaire, i.e. EU’s regulations,” said Danielsson.

Over the course of the coming two days, the Macedonian and Albanian negotiating teams will listen to European Commission experts elaborating the Acquis and best practices in the field of justice and fundamental rights. Thirty-two such meetings for each chapter of the negotiating process will take place in the coming year, involving 160,000 pages of European laws and regulations that will require harmonization with the domestic legislation.

“We must have a common understanding of what EU rules mean in order to prepare for future membership,” added Danielsson.

According to him, the meeting on Chapter 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights is significant, because reforms related to these sectors are conditions set by the Council for the efficient start of the EU accession negotiations in June 2019.