The meeting provided the opportunity to discuss the latest political developments in the country with regard to the progress towards the EU accession and the impact of the enlargement process at local level.

FYROM has made remarkable efforts in reforming the country but much remains to be done as challenges remain in the field of the rule of law including the independence of the judiciary, the fight against crime and corruption and the freedom of expression.

 

Moreover, it is crucial to strengthen the administrative capacity of LRAs to allow them to effectively manage and absorb EU money. In this respect, the committee discussed  a report on: "The possibilities and instruments available to local authorities to support the accession process".
 
The report underlines that the portion of funds for which LRAs can be direct beneficiaries is very small though they are the main target when it comes to absorbing them. It is therefore key to give LRAs the means to carry out their own projects independently, especially infrastructural ones which the country badly needs, said Mr Van Overmeire.