The EU aspirations of Croatia, Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia will be debated by the European Parliament Wednesday afternoon.

The EU aspirations of Croatia, Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia will be debated by the European Parliament Wednesday afternoon. Reports from the Foreign Affairs Committee are hopeful accessions negotiations with Zagreb will end this year, express concern about the slowdown of reform in Ankara and ask the Council of Ministers to open negotiations with FYROM.
The reports identify a number of areas of concern for each country which will be debate by MEPs around 1500 today with representatives of the Council and the Commission.
 
Croatia - organised crime, corruption worrying
 
For Croatia - the country most likely to be the “next” member - organised crime and corruption remain a concern. The report drafted by Austrian Socialist Hannes Swoboda regrets that negotiations have been blocked by bi-lateral issues - notably its land and sea border dispute with EU member Slovenia.
 
Turkey - concern over slowdown of reform
 
For Turkey and its 71 million people the main concern is the slowdown in reform for the third successive year. The report drafted by Dutch EPP-ED member Ria Oomen-Ruijten calls on Turkey to prove its political will for the reform process.
 
FYROM - debate could press for opening of negotiations
 
For the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia the report by Dutch Member Erik Meijer of GUE/NGL group calls on the Council to open negotiations with the country this year and regrets that they have not already started. In addition it calls on FYROM to resolve outstanding issues with its neighbours, notably over the use of the name Macedonia, which Greece opposes because there is a Greek province of the same name.
 
Membership rules
 
Any European country that fulfils the EU's democratic, political and economic criteria can apply for EU membership.
 
To be accepted an applicant country's legal code must take on board EU law. Membership negotiations are handled by the European Commission. All current members and the European Parliament must give their assent before any new member can join. There have been five enlargements of the EU to date - the largest in 2004 when 10 mainly Central and Eastern European countries joined.