After the European Commission’s October 14 2009 enlargement report said that EU membership negotiations should be opened with Macedonia, prime minister Nikola Gruevski hailed it as a historic day and people cheered on the streets of Skopje.
But in the ensuing hours, it appeared clear that any euphoria may be premature.
The EC report said that Macedonia had achieved "convincing progress" in areas like police reform, corruption and human rights.
But the report also urged Skopje to work harder on achieving a solution to its long-standing dispute with Athens about the use of the name Macedonia.
It was now much more important and urgent than ever to find a solution of the dispute, which was standing in the way of Macedonia’s progress, according to European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.
"I trust that the government in Skopje will take this as a very strong encouragement to finally settle the name issue," Rehn said
On October 14, Macedonian daily Vreme – as quoted by Bulgarian news agency Focus – said that Athens would not accept the recommendation by the EC about starting negotiations on EU membership for Macedonia, which has been a candidate country since December 2005.
Vreme quoted unnamed Greek sources as saying that the EC should pay special attention to the name dispute because, they said, it was that certain that if this was not done, the start of the accession negotiations would be vetoed.
There was a real possibility that Greece would veto the start of such talks.
Previously, the name dispute prompted Greece to block an invitation being given to Macedonia to join Nato. At the time, it said that unless the name dispute was resolved, it would also stand in the way of Skopje’s EU hopes.
Speaking to Greek media on October 13, Greek deputy foreign minister Dimitris Droutsas said: "the European path of Macedonia passes through Greece".
Greece had set a "strict and clear red line," Droutsas said. He emphasised that EU membership talks for Skopje could not go ahead unless the name dispute was resolved.
A report in leading Greek daily Kathimerini on October 15 said that it had emerged that Stavros Dimas, the Greek European Environment Commissioner, had expressed his opposition to the move in a letter sent to Brussels.
Kathimerini said that, perhaps in response to this letter, Rehn had added that he viewed the launch of talks with Skopje as "a very strong encouragement to settle the name issue and thus remove this from the agenda, and I trust that the government in Skopje gets this message as well."
Reacting to Rehn’s comments, Macedonian prime minister Gruevski said, "We are aware of the importance of this report and... will actively and constructively negotiate and seek a solution with Greece under the United Nations auspices."
The European Commission (EC) published its annual progress report on the Western Balkans and Turkey on Wednesday.

Brussels, headquarters of the European Commission 
In the report, the EC said that Croatia could wrap up its membership talks in 2010, but the other Balkan countries have more work to do. The report provides no entry date for Croatia.


"Croatia will need to pursue its reform efforts, in particular on the judiciary and public administration, the fight against and organised crime, and minority rights. If Croatia meets all outstanding benchmarks in time, the accession negotiations could be concluded next year," the report read.

Brussels criticised the EU-hopefuls over widespread corruption and shortcomings in the judiciary in the document. The commission urged Turkey to step up political and economic reforms, to improve the rights of minorities, women and trade unions, as well as to normalise relations with Cyprus.

The report notes that Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo are making uneven progress, and Serbia has a strong administrative capacity to implement the necessary reforms.

The EC recommended that the 27-nation bloc start accession talks with Macedonia, as the country has made "convincing progress", EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said in Brussels while presenting the report. In a separate document, the EC proposed that the EU step up its ties with Kosovo by offering visa-free travel to its citizens when the conditions are met.