The National Programme for Adoption of the Acquis Communautaire (NPAA) is a comprehensive long-term document that defines the dynamic of the adoption of the Acquis Communautaire, strategic guidelines, policies, reforms, structures, resources and deadlines to be realised by the Republic of Macedonia to fulfil the requirements for European Union membership.
The National Programme for Adoption of the Acquis Communautaire:
- establishes detailed plan and timescale for approximation of the national legislation with the EU Acquis communautaire and determines the competent institutions and authorities for preparation and implementation thereof;
- gives particular emphasis to the administrative structures for implementation of the legislation aiming at establishing new and reforming the existing institutions as well as for provision of adequately trained staff;
- encompasses the budget resources and funds for foreign assistance necessary for implementation of the anticipated tasks as grounds for further strategic planning and planning of the Budget of Republic of Macedonia; and
- determines clearly the timescale for adoption of the EU Acquis.
NPAA follows the structure of Copenhagen and Madrid criteria, i.e. it covers: political criteria, economic criteria, and abilities to assume the obligations of the membership, administrative capacity, and preparation of the National Version of the Acquis Communautaire and public information and communication.
Moreover, NPAA is an important source of information on the business and economic sectors in the planning of future activities and ensures that the public becomes informed and monitors the integration process of the Republic of Macedonia in the European Union. NPAA is therefore an important instrument for the transparency in the work of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia.
NPAA is a result of the mutual cooperation among all competent authorities in the Republic of Macedonia in the process coordinated by the Secretariat for European Affairs and it will serve for formulating the negotiation positions of the Republic of Macedonia upon commencing the negotiations for European Union membership. This Programme, first adopted in 2006, is reviewed and updated annually with the activities arising from the regular communications by the European Commission on the progress made by the Republic of Macedonia as well as from the short-term and medium-term priorities of the Accession Partnership.