Answering a question from Telma, the EU Delegation in Skopje has said the budget in the judiciary should ensure proper functioning of the sector.
“Determining budget funds and salaries is an independent decision of authorities. However, they should respect national legislation and enable proper functioning of the judiciary. The 2024 EC report on enlargement highlighted the need for proper resources and financial independence”, it points out.
According to initial announcements, the budget for courts and prosecutor’s offices should amount to 0.8% and 0.5% of the GDP, respectively. However, the government’s against that level of allocation of funds, citing low confidence and corruption spread among individuals in the judiciary.
When it comes to the Growth Plan, multiple laws are foreseen, while the Delegation tells Telma it encourages the government to take recommendations of international factors into consideration.
“The EU constantly underlines the importance of an independent, accountable, and adequate judiciary as a cornerstone of the rule of law, democracy, and sustainable economic development. We welcome the press-release saying six court reforms will have been adopted by the end of the year, in line with the foreseen reform agenda. We encourage authorities to take into consideration recommendations of the EU and Venice Commission within them to make sure they’re in line with relevant international standards and practices”, the EU added.
The changes should improve the functioning of the court and prosecutorial system, while, regarding necessary employments, it is proposed for the Judicial Budget Council to decide independently according to needs instead of, as has been the case so far, waiting for consent from the Finance Ministry.