Nordic Support for Progress of North Macedonia
The Swedish International Development Cooperation
Agency has
decided to fund a project “Support to progress in North Macedonia - Government reform agenda in the EU-accession process” to be implemented
by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). The objective of the
project supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
(SIDA) is to support the enhancement of the EU integration capacity of the
Republic of North Macedonia by providing technical assistance to government
institutions during the accession period.
SIDA
has allocated funding for the implementation of the project in Macedonia during
24 months.
The Overall Objective of the SIDA support is to
contribute to, and effectively communicate to the public, the implementation of
the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, accession negotiations and
government reform priorities in the Republic of North Macedonia.
Project
interventions are aimed towards communicating the benefits of the EU accession
process to the general population, as well as to involve the civil society and
media throughout the accession phases. All project activities will be
undertaken in partnership with the Government of Macedonia, in cooperation with
the national institutions, with the aim of allowing them to adopt/adapt the
legal requirements and, where relevant, EU accession criteria.
This will
ensure national ownership and support the development of national capacities.
Background
Information – relevant for the assignment
The purpose
of Result 1 “Supporting the government reform agenda in the accession
process”
is to provide support to relevant national
institutions in charge of alignment of national legal acts with the EU acquis
and to contribute to further building of capacities of the central coordination
structures and relevant national structures for successful carrying out of the
screening process (explanatory and bilateral screening). The
overall process is coordinated by the Secretariat for. European Affairs (SEA),
as main coordination body in the accession negotiation process.
The National
Programme for Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA), as key strategic and planning
document in the accession negotiation process is planned, monitored and updated
on regular basis. The NPAA is prepared and monitored by established 33 working
groups, for each chapter of the acquis.
The NPAA
comprises a comprehensive analysis of the EU Acquis, listing the short- and
medium-term priorities in the planning reforms, policies and strategies, plan
and schedule for harmonization of national legislation with the Acquis,
administrative structures for implementation of legislation in terms of
capacity building, establishment new/or restructuring the existing, human
resource development and training needs, as well as financial resources. The
NPAA is revised every year, taking into account the European Commission
Progress Reports and possible updates of the EU acquis. The NPAA is good base
for the preparation of the administration for the screening process and
preparation of negotiation positions in the negotiation process.
The Ministry
on Environment and Physical Planning (MoEPP) is responsible for the national
environmental and climate policy and it is leading the approximation process
for the Chapter 27 Environment. The NPAA, (revision 2019 - 2021), reflected in
the Legal Agenda of the Government for 2019, envisages finalization and
adoption of several laws in the areas of: Waste Management; and Industrial
Pollution control and risk management.
Industrial Pollution control and risk management: Draft version on the Law on Industrial Emissions has been prepared.
In the law transposition of the EU Directive on Industrial Emissions 2010/75/EU
is envisaged as well the EU Directive
2015/2193 on Medium Combustion Plants. The Law is
planned to be adopted in the last quarter of 2019. Draft Law need to be
reviewed in terms of legal compliance with the Directive on Industrial Emission
Directive and with other environmental legislation (water, waste, air, nature);
normo-technically text to be improved; and the Directive 2015/2193 on medium
combustion plants needs to be transposed.