Macedonia, which has the status of EU membership candidate but has not yet begun accession talks, is the first Western Balkan country with which the Commission has proposed to enter into negotiations on a visa facilitation agreement, the Commission said in a statement.
Commission Vice-President Franco Frattini will present the proposal at a ministerial conference, which is taking place in Vienna on Thursday and Friday.
Progress in implementing important reforms, such as strengthening the rule of law, combating organised crime, corruption and illegal migration, and increasing border control and document security, will be crucial for concluding the agreement, the statement said.