European Commission and North Macedonia hold 7th IPA Monitoring Committee

The European Commission and the Government of North Macedonia held the annual meeting of the Monitoring Committee for the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) on 22 March 2022.  The meeting was chaired by Mr. Bojan Marichikj, National IPA Coordinator, for North Macedonia and by Ms. Michela Matuella, Acting Director, Western Balkans, for the European Commission.

The Commission reiterated its commitment to accompany North Macedonia on its EU path, including through EU financial assistance, and prepare for the official opening of accession negotiations as soon as possible.

The Commission and North Macedonia reviewed the overall progress in the ongoing EU programmes across all sectors, including the COVID-19 support to the country. The €40 million “EU for Social and Economic Resilience” programme was successfully completed. More than 4,400 companies and over 7,000 women and men in risk of unemployment received support during the COVID-19 pandemic. The programme has created an incentive for investment and growth, providing businesses with the opportunity to become sustainable and relevant in the European economic context.

They also reviewed the national authorities’ capacity to manage EU funds. National authorities need to strengthen its staff capacity in terms of numbers and quality to overcome delays in the implementation and to get the most benefit from the EU assistance. This is key for the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans and future EU funds, and in preparation for the future successful management of the European Structural Funds.