Historie

History of the Delegation to the EU-North Macedonia JPC (D-MK)

In 1981, two years after the first direct elections to the European Parliament were held, the legislature inaugurated a "Delegation for relations with the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia".

This delegation had a series of successors, each refocused and renamed in response to political changes in the region: the original delegation became the "Delegation for relations with the republics of former Yugoslavia", before being re-baptised the "Delegation for South-East Europe" in 1994.

Separate relations, new structure (1996-2004)

In 1996, the parliament began to meet separately with parliamentarians from the Republic of North Macedonia, then called the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Nine interparliamentary meetings were convened between November 1996 and January 2001.

All these relations were "informal" - which is to say that there was no set, inter-parliamentary structure, such as a Parliamentary Committee, to bring together legislators at regular intervals.

Once the EU and the country signed a "Stabilisation and Association Agreement", in 2001, this would change. The agreement, which entered into force in 2004, specified:

"A [...] Parliamentary Committee is hereby established. It shall be a forum for Members of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonian Parliament and the European Parliament to meet and exchange views. It shall meet at intervals that it shall itself determine."

A dedicated delegation (2004-present)

Once the Stabilisation and Association Agreement entered into force, the European Parliament formed a separate delegation to the Parliamentary Committee created by the agreement.

Since then, the Delegation to the EU- Republic of North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee (D-MK) has met its local counterpart once or twice every year.

Each of these sessions has led to a formal "declaration and recommendations", treating themes including:
  • relations between the EU and North Macedonia,
  • electoral reform,
  • freedom of the media,
  • the migration crisis.

Chairs overseeing relations with North Macedonia
  • 2019- : Mr Andreas Schieder (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats), Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Republic of North Macedonia (D-MK) Joint Parliamentary Committee
  • 2014-2019: Mr Alojz Peterle (European People's Party), Chair of the D-MK Delegation
  • 2009-2014: Mr Jorgo Chatzimarkakis (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe), Chair of the D-MK Delegation (then known as the Delegation to the EU-former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee)
  • 2007-2009: Mr Antonios Trakatellis (European People's Party), Chair of the D-MK Delegation
  • 2004-2006: Mr Georgios Papastamkos (European People's Party), Chair of the D-MK Delegation