References to language and identity in the EP's annual report on North Macedonia were deleted, BTA reported.
The European Parliament's (EP) annual report on the progress of the Republic of North Macedonia on its path to the EU was adopted with 461 votes "for", 121 votes "against" and 107 "abstentions" out of 689 votes cast in the 720-seat parliament at a plenary session today in Strasbourg. Andrzej Halicki (EPP), Kathleen Van Brempt (SiD) and Dan Barna (Renew Europe) submitted written amendments to delete references to language and identity in the report.
One of the amendments they submitted - amendment 21, which was voted on first, was adopted with 458 votes in favour, 109 against and 118 abstentions. According to it, the part "with full respect for the Macedonian language and identity" is deleted from paragraph 3.
This is the first report on the progress of the Republic of North Macedonia on its European path in the last three years.
The draft report on the country's progress on its path to the EU has caused tension in Bulgaria because of the wording "Macedonian language and identity" in it. It was approved by the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs on 24 June this year with 40 votes in favour, 19 against and 10 abstentions.
The committee then prevented the European People's Party (EPP) group from submitting an oral amendment to the text before the words "Macedonian language and identity" were replaced by the definition "modern".
The EPP, Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe and Greens groups announced that they would submit the same amendment in writing before the vote on the report in plenary in Strasbourg in July. The Republic of North Macedonia applied for membership in March 2004 and was granted member state status in December 2005.