Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule briefed members of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) on the Union's Enlargement Package.
Here are the main points:
Turkey: Progress, notable in judicial affairs and with the start of a peace process with the Kurds, has been made in negotiations with this strategic partner in terms of their economic size. But "the protests in May/June and the excessive use of force by police and the overall absence of dialogue have raised serious concerns," Fule said.
He also underlined the importance of Progress in the normalisation of relations between Turkey and all European Union Member States, including the Republic of Cyprus. "It is now urgent that Turkey fulfils its obligation of fully implementing the Additional Protocol," Fule added.
Montenegro: "Freedom of expression needs to be strengthened," Fule said.
Serbia: Its relations with the EU entered a new phase in June when the Council decided to open accession negotiations. "Serbia has actively and constructively worked towards improvement of relations with Kosovo," according to the Commissioner and the first Intergovernmental conference on the country's accession is to be held by next January at the latest.
FYROM: The Commission is recommending the opening of accession talks for the fifth time - the previous attempts were shot down by the Council.
"In the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the political crisis demonstrated the excessive polarisation of politics in the country and the lack of normal political discourse.Equally importantly it distracted from grasping the opportunity which last year's package and Council Conclusions had opened," Fule said even though he noted that more generally reforms have continued and the European Union agenda remains the country’s strategic priority.
"Failure to act [on opening accession talks risks damaging both reforms in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the credibility of our enlargement policy," Fule warned and added that the Commission remains ready to present a proposal for a negotiating framework without delay, "taking into account the need to solve the name issue at an early stage of accession negotiations. "
FYROM is not recognised by Greece as it wants to be name the Republic of Macedonia. The quarrel has now been going on for two decades despite UN efforts at mediation.
Albania: "The Commission recommends that the Council should grant Albania the status of a candidate country on the understanding that Albania continues to take action in the fight against organised crime and corruption," Fule said.
The country must address five key priorities - public administration reform, judiciary reforms, the fight against corruption and organised crime and the adoption of measures to reinforce human rights protection.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: "The European integration process is at a standstill," Fule said. POlitical divisions along ethnic lines and the issue of providing citizens who do not belong to any of the main three ethnicities the right to stand for election are the main issues affecting Bosnia's EU course.
Kosovo: The Commission aims to complete negotiations for an Association Agreement in spring 2014 as Pristina has made progress with the issue of the normalisation of its relations with Serbia.
"Kosovo needs to actively support EULEX in implementing its mandate," Fule said.
Finally Fule said that with the decision of the new Government of Iceland to put accession negotiations on hold, the accession process has come to a standstill but added that "Iceland remains an important partner for the European Union …Whenever, and if ever, Iceland wishes to do so, the Commission would be ready to resume work on negotiations."
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