After seven years of holding the status of a candidate member state and four consecutive recommendations from the European Commission, Macedonia will not be set a date for opening membership negotiations at the summit of the European Council  later this month.

The Irish Presidency of the European Union dispelled all hopes that the Union will eventually prove to be broad-minded setting Macedonia a date for opening membership negotiations following five positive reports with recommendations from the European Commission, MIA’s Brussels-based correspondent reports.

After two days of meetings by the COREPER group made up of the ambassadors of the EU member states, the Irish Presidency said that at the summit of the European Council on 27 and 28 June, only setting Serbia a date for talks would be discussed.