North Macedonia and the European Union held talks in Brussels on 30 October covering trade, taxation, customs and industrial policy under their Stabilisation and Association Agreement.
The meeting — the 22nd of its kind — was co-chaired for the EU by Frederick Swinnen from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood, while North Macedonia was represented by Jumni Ademi, state secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Labour, the European External Action Service (EEAS) informed on Tuesday.
On taxation, the European Commission welcomed North Macedonia’s adoption of a national law implementing the EU’s “Pillar II” directive, which sets a minimum effective tax rate for large multinational groups.
The Commission also encouraged further work on taxation-related IT systems and noted updates on energy measures affecting VAT and excise duties.
The Commission reiterated the importance of starting the automatic exchange of financial account information with other tax authorities in line with the OECD’s Common Reporting Standard — an international framework for sharing information to help tackle tax evasion.
Trade ties and customs reforms
The EU remained North Macedonia’s biggest trade partner, accounting for about 76% of the country’s exports and 50.1% of its imports, figures shared during the meeting showed.
On customs, the Commission noted improvements in the implementation of customs procedures and facilitation, and said the SEED+ system was contributing to more efficient risk management and faster customs clearance.
It also welcomed North Macedonia’s implementation of the revised Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Rules of Origin, which determine when goods qualify for preferential tariffs under regional trade agreements, it said.
The Commission encouraged North Macedonia to adopt a Customs Code law, along with secondary legislation needed for implementation.
On trade-related issues, the Commission welcomed North Macedonia’s continued alignment with EU sanctions against Russia following Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.
North Macedonia also confirmed its participation in CEFTA — the Central European Free Trade Agreement — and its commitment to implement the Common Regional Market Action Plan.
The Commission invited North Macedonia to provide ongoing information on planned “dual-use” export control legislation, covering goods that can have both civilian and military applications, as well as a new foreign direct investment screening mechanism and how it will align with EU rules.
