EU/FYROM: MACEDONIA APPLIES TO JOIN THE EUROPEAN UNION

摘要

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) has formally applied to join the European Union. Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski presented the application to Irish counterpart and EU Council President Bertie Ahern at a ceremony in Dublin on March 22. The application was originally planned for February 26 but had to be postponed at the last minute due to the death the same day of Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski. Judging by Croatia's application to join the EU, submitted in February 2003, it will take the European Commission at least a year to produce an Opinion on FYROM's membership bid. So far, there is no indication of precisely when FYROM would like to or is aiming to join.