European Union Parliament Backs Fast Track Macedonia Access

DOI 24 April 2008

EURO NEWS (LYON ECULLY CEDEX, FRANCE)—The European Parliament (EP) voted to push ahead with plans to bring the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia into the European Union (EU). An overwhelming majority of EP members backed a report urging EU leaders to consider opening membership talks with Skopje before the end of 2008. Source: http://www.euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=482635&lng=1 (Reliability: 8)

Comments: Macedonia’s early parliamentary elections will take place 1 June 2008. Macedonia's government collapsed after Greece blocked Macedonia’s recent bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during NATO’s summit in Bucharest, Romania on 3 April 2008. There is already a northern Greek region called Macedonia and Athens objects to Skopje adopting the same name for territorial and cultural reasons.