Gender Mainstreaming in the EU Accession Process - Towards Inclusive EU Accession:

The general “enlargement fatigue” resulted in an atmosphere of disenchantment with the withering prospect of EU membership on the side of the candidates and frustra- tions over the lack of reform momentum in the region on the side of the EU. [...] Despite repeated recommendations from the European Commission to the Council to start the negotiations with both coun- tries, a positive decision was adopted by the EU leaders only after a revision of the enlargement methodology in 20204 and the signing of the Prespa Agreement in the case of North Macedonia. [...] Countries aspiring to join the European Union have to comply with several fundamen- tal conditions outlined in the EU treaties9, in the conclusions of the European Council meeting in Copenhagen in 199310 and in the case of Western Balkans also under the Stabilization and Association Process.11 The Treaty on the EU stipulates that a country wishing to join the EU can apply if it respects the EU’s v. [...] The extent of consultation of the WCSOs by the EUD/O in the development of the CLIPs in most countries reached a significant extent, with the most extensive consultations in Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia. [...] The scope of the assignment is to develop a comprehensive methodology to monitor and reporting of the following areas relevant to the EU accession process from a gen- der perspective: IPA programming and the work of the NIPACs; gender mainstream- ing in the work of the state statistical offices and gender statistics; the work of the government bodies mandated to lead the process of negotiation for.