Maria Eleni Koppa, Member of the European Parliament from the Greek PASOK, has recently voiced an appeal that is not typically heard from Greek MEPs: bilateral issues should not be obstacles to the process of European integration of candidate member states. She elaborates her appeal in the draft strategy on EU enlargement 2012-2025 that she provided to the European Parliament. Her demand is all the more surprising in view of the fact that a month ago, when the Resolution on Macedonia’s progress was discussed at the European Parliament, Koppa said that an absolute prerequisite for continuing Macedonia’s European integration is resolving the name issue, Dnevnik reports.

Asked by Dnevnik whether she believes Athens should let Macedonia open membership negotiations with the EU, considering that in the proposed document she argues that bilateral issues should not impede the Union’s enlargement, Koppa replied: “My position has always been clear – bilateral disputes should not be an obstacle to integration and should therefore be resolved previously. The EU should use its role as mediator and help resolve these issues. So the answer to your question is clear – Athens and Skopje should resolve the name issue as soon as possible so it does not hinder the negotiations.”

The draft report on EU enlargement was discussed two days ago at the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee and once amendments are submitted it will be tabled in Parliament too.

The document that Koppa proposed says that enlargement has to remain a credible process and therefore it is important that the EU keeps its promises to the candidate member states or the potential candidate member states.