New joint project launched by Secretariat for European Affairs andUNDP to maximize the benefits of EU accession

Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bujar Osmani and UNDP Resident Representative Narine Sahakyan announced the start of a new joint project to assist the Government in devising policies to ensure that the process of EU integration leads to sustainable and inclusive growth.

"UNDP is a long-time partner and supporter of the policies of the Republic of North Macedonia, and the study which will be prepared is only a continuation of the cooperation in the direction of creating a favourable environment for a better connection of the national economy with the economies of the EU member states", stated Deputy Prime Minister Osmani after signing the agreement, thus pointing out that the study will contain possible scenarios for the dynamics of the EU accession and its impact on citizens` well- being, using the experiences of the countries that have recently become EU members, and it will also offer evidence of the  potentially increased costs for public administration and the business community due to the necessary adjustment in order to meet the EU standards. 

 “UNDP remains committed to continue supporting the country on its path towards EU integration.We have a long track record of providing advice on EU accession across the region, including by sharing peer-to-peer expertise from new member states.We are very much looking forward to further reinforcing our strategic partnership with the Government to advance both the EU and the 2030 Agenda to ‘leave no one behind’”, stated UNDP Resident Representative Narine Sahakyan. 

The new 7 month project titled ‘The European Pathway of the Republic of North Macedonia – Achieving Faster, more Inclusive and Sustainable Growth’, funded by UNDP will involve analysis and broad consultations. with public institutions, the business communities and civil society.

The consultation process will result in a study, developed with the support of national and international experts, aimed at assisting the policy makers, economic agents and the society at large in developing a strong analytical base for understanding the impact of the EU accession process on the country’s aspirations for achieving accelerated, inclusive and sustainable growth. The analytical evidence will be used as a platform for mobilizing broad-based dialogue with the business sector, the civil society and public at large, and for the development of a roadmap of social and economic action-oriented policy measures that will enable the country to act now to maximize the benefits from the EU accession. 

The study will provide a set of recommended policies, by: 1)  outlining the likely scenarios of the pace of EU accession and their impact on the development pathway and citizens well-being; 2) drawing on the experience of countries that have recently joined the EU; and 3)  equipping policy makers with solid analytical tools or quantification of the costs and benefits from choosing different policy actions or accession scenarios.