North Macedonia

Implementation processes in North Macedonia

General information about the policy process
North Macedonia is one of the 5 candidates for accession to the Europian Union. The obligation for harmonization of the legislation of the Republic of Macedonia with the EU acquis has been incorporated in Article 68 of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. The new Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, in its Article 135 stipulate that the draft laws harmonizing our legislation with the EU acquis should contain information relating to the original acts of the European Union with their full title, number, and date along with a statement on the harmonization status. Once these laws enter parliamentary procedures, they are given European flag indication distinguishing them from the other acts.

With a view to ensuring successful approximation process and consistency, coordination, and clear picture and monitoring of the legal approximation, a Methodology was adopted in 2000 for harmonization of laws and technical regulations of the Republic of Macedonia with those of the European Union.

Pursuant to the Methodology, the harmonization process is divided into four stages.

1.      Preparatory stage - the establishment of the necessary institutions for the realization of the process, and a series of technical activities including distribution and presentation of the European legal acts in particular areas and presentation of the harmonization principles in general.

2.      Analytical stage - translation of the necessary European legal acts in Macedonian language and their incorporation in the National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis Communautaire in line with the previously defined priorities;

3.      Transposition - operational elaboration of the new legislation in line with the previously defined plan. At this stage, the actual approximation of the Macedonian legislation with the EU acquis is achieved. At this stage, namely, national and EU experts have to prepare new draft laws or propose amendments to the existing laws and by-laws, in order to attain compatibility between the legal order in the Republic of Macedonia and the EU acquis, and

4.      Implementation - not only adoption of the new laws or amendments of the existing laws in the Assembly, but also their adequate implementation in practice and management of their effect over the existing institutional infrastructure.

Main national actors
The Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia
 * adopts and alters the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia;

In order to exercise the duties within its sphere of competence, the Assembly adopts decisions, declarations, resolutions, recommendations, and conclusions.
 * adopts laws and gives authentic interpretations of laws;
 * determines the public procurements;
 * adopts the Republic budget and the budget annual accounts;
 * adopts the spatial plan of the Republic;
 * ratifies international agreements;
 * decides on war and peace;
 * makes decisions concerning any changes of borders in the Republic;
 * makes decisions on acceding to or resigning from a union or community with other states;
 * issues a notice for a referendum;
 * makes decisions concerning the reserves of the Republic;
 * sets up councils;
 * elects the Government of the Republic of Macedonia;
 * elects judges to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Macedonia;
 * elects,, appoints and dismisses other holders of public and other offices determined by the Constitution and law;
 * exercises political control and supervision over the Government and other holders of public office responsible to the Assembly;
 * proclaims amnesties and
 * exercises other activities stipulated by the Constitution.