Membership of the European Union is a strategic interest of the Republic of Macedonia, ever since the country’s independence. As of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the EU in December 1995, the Republic of Macedonia has ascertained itself as a reliable partner and a genuine ally of the European Union, not bypassing any of the institutional stages in the rapprochement with the Union- starting with the conclusion of the Cooperation Agreement, over to the Stabilization and Association Agreement and acquiring EU membership candidate status.

Having acquired the EU membership candidate status in December 2005, the Republic of Macedonia embarked upon the key stage in the European integration process. The Decision of the European Council granting candidate status represented a political recognition of the progress the Republic of Macedonia had attained in the reform processes and in building an open democratic society.

The goal of the Republic of Macedonia is to fulfill all European standards pertaining to functional democracy and prosperous market economy capable of assuming EU membership obligations by 2010. The EU accession agenda is reflected in the National Program for the Adoption of the EU Acquis (legislative amendments and short and mid term measures for institutional strengthening), the pre-Accession Economic Program (measures for fulfillment of the economic Copenhagen criteria) and the National Development Plan (investment priorities in accomplishing the development goals of the country). The short-term goal of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia is to attain visible results in the implementation of the European reform agenda that would ensure start of European Union accession negotiations in 2008.