Skopje, 21 July 2022 (MIA) – We began negotiations the way we promised – with a protected Macedonian language and identity. Everything that is being done is so that we, our citizens and our children have a better life and live like all other European people, said Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj on Thursday. “The process began two days ago, on July 19, de jure and de facto, when the first Intergovernmental Conference was held which marks the last stage of our EU membership path,” Deputy PM Marichikj told a press conference. He underlined this has been the country’s strategic goal ever since its independence, and it is finally becoming a reality, 21 years after the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and 17 years after the country became an EU candidate member. Marichikj said 45 percent of the country’s legislation is already aligned with the European law and added that the capacities for translation into Macedonian are constantly being increased. “The screening process consists of two phases. Explanatory screening in which the European Commission presents the key legal acts for each chapter to the candidate country; and bilateral screening in which the candidate country presents the level of alignment of the national legislation in accordance with the EU acts presented in the previous phase, but also the institutional capacities and the enforcement of laws,” said Marichikj. He clarified that even though the screening is seen as a technical operation, it should be seen as an essential element of the accession talks, because it paints a clear picture of what needs to be done in the coming years in order to carry out the EU reform agenda and to open, make progress and close the chapters and clusters. According to Marichikj, the screening by clusters and chapters will officially begin in September and will be carried out simultaneously for North Macedonia and Albania. He presented the six clusters of the negotiating chapters/topics and explained the country’s obligations and their implementation. Cluster 1. Fundamentals 23 - Judiciary and fundamental rights 24 - Justice, Freedom and Security Economic criteria Functioning of democratic institutions Public administration reform 5 - Public procurement 18 – Statistics 32 - Financial control Cluster 2. Internal Market 1 - Free movement of goods 2 - Freedom of movement for workers 3 - Right of establishment and freedom to provide services 4 - Free movement of capital 6 - Company law 7 - Intellectual property law 8 - Competition policy 9 - Financial services 28 - Consumer and health protection Cluster 3. Competitiveness and inclusive growth 10 - Information society and media 16 – Taxation 17 - Economic and monetary policy 19 - Social policy and employment 20 - Enterprise and industrial policy 25 - Science and research 26 - Education and culture 29 - Customs union Cluster 4. Green agenda and sustainable connectivity 14 - Transport policy 15 – Energy 21 - Trans-European networks 27 - Environment and climate change Cluster 5. Resources, agriculture and cohesion 11 - Agriculture and rural development 12 - Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy 13 – Fisheries 22 - Regional policy & coordination of structural instruments 33 - Financial & budgetary provisions Cluster 6. External relations 30 - External relations 31 - Foreign, security & defence policy ad/ik/