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21st Subcommittee on Transport, Environment, Energy, and Regional Development

14.11.2025 Press and information team of the EU Delegation to the Republic of North Macedonia

The 21st EU–North Macedonia Subcommittee on Transport, Environment, Energy, and Regional Development was held on 12 November 2025, through online connection. On the EU side the meeting was co-chaired by Andrew Williams Team Leader, Permanent Secretary of the Subcommittee, in the Albania and North Macedonia Unit of the Directorate General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood and, for North Macedonia, by Lindita Sakiri, Head of the Department for European Integration, Ministry of the Environment and Physical Planning.

At the opening of the meeting, the importance of North Macedonia’s reform agenda implementation was underlined. The Commission also welcomed the recent agreement between North Macedonia and Bulgaria on Corridor VIII expected to be now operationalized.

In environment, North Macedonia made only limited progress in aligning with the EU environmental acquis. The Commission stressed the need for stronger political commitment, adequate staffing, and improved enforcement. Key legislative gaps remain, including pending amendments to the Law on Environment and delays in nature protection laws. Weak coordination, insufficient data, and modest progress in air quality and waste management persist. The Commission urged accelerated alignment, stronger institutions, and greater public participation to ensure effective implementation

On Civil Protection, North Macedonia achieved moderate progress. Key challenges included overlapping authorities, limited response capacity, insufficient coordination, and lack of connection to CECIS. Following the Kočani incident, dialogue began to draft a unified civil protection law, improve inter-agency cooperation, and strengthen technical and operational capacities. The Commission urges faster reforms, enhanced governance, and improved disaster preparedness and response

Regarding climate action, North Macedonia is experiencing significant delays in all areas, notably the adoption of the Climate Action Law and the implementation of monitoring, reporting, verification, and accreditation (MRVA) as preparation for the introduction of carbon pricing. Urgent progress is required across the board in order to advance on the alignment with all EU climate acquis and prepare for accession. The Commission strongly urges MK to establish the two organisational units foreseen to work on climate policy without further delay. The Commission emphasizes the need for prompt and comprehensive measures to meet the required timelines

Concerning Regional Policy, North Macedonia reported limited progress in preparing cohesion policy and its core partnership, multi-level governance, place-based approach. Cohesion policy is a long-term tool to provide equal opportunities to citizens and give ‘the right to stay’, and this essential dimension is so far not sufficiently considered in the current preparatory work. Challenges persist in administrative capacity for managing EU funds, with staffing shortages. The Commission highlighted the need for better inter-institutional coordination and stronger local governance to enhance the impact of regional policies. It urged North Macedonia to strengthen urban policy and territorial development and ensure appropriate resources and political commitment to its current role as presidency of the EU Strategy of the Adriatic and Ionian Region. 

On Transport, limited progress was noted on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) development and transport policy reforms. Substantial efforts are still required to ensure alignment with applicable EU legislation, maintain infrastructure, address alternative fuel needs, and improve road and rail safety. The Commission emphasised the importance of accelerating rail Corridor VIII development and Corridor X upgrade to position North Macedonia as a regional transport hub. Opening the rail market and aligning with EU interoperability standards remain critical issues, as does further development of multimodal transport and Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP), in particular for Skopje. 

Finally on Energy, the Commission welcomed North Macedonia’s new Energy Law as a key step toward electricity market integration and EU alignment. Progress was noted in gas reforms, renewable energy, and the Guarantees of Origin system, while authorities were urged to simplify permitting, operationalise the Energy Efficiency Fund, and adopt the updated National Energy and Climate Plan with a clear coal phase-out timeline. The Commission stressed the need to fully implement the Just Transition Roadmap, the National Energy Action Plan, and sustain reforms to ensure a greener, more resilient energy system.  

In conclusion, the Commission called on North Macedonia to demonstrate stronger political commitment, reinforce institutional capacities, and advance the necessary reforms to fully align with EU standards in these sectors