(BRUSSELS) - The European Union's enlargement commissioner on Thursday called on Macedonia to enact "substantial" new reform efforts before talks could start on joining the EU.

Commissioner Olli Rehn said not enough progress had been made on eight political benchmarks for starting membership negotiations, and he underlined shortfalls in violence-plagued June 1 elections.

"Substantial further efforts are still needed before we can tick all the boxes of these eight benchmarks," he told reporters, after talks in Brussels with Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Bocevski.

The benchmarks cover areas like political dialogue, implementation of police laws, the fight against corruption, judiciary and public administration reform, and measures to boost employment and business.

"These are essential conditions in creating a truly European society," Rehn said.

Macedonia became an official EU candidate in 2005 but membership negotiations never started. The commission, the EU's executive arm, has the job of recommending to the 27 member nations when the talks should begin.

The commission will publish a new progress report on Macedonia in November, and Skopje had hoped that would lead to full negotiations.

Rehn also pointed to a "ninth benchmark": the conduct of elections.

In the four years that he has been commissioner, Rehn said, "unfortunately, in every election we have had certain shortcomings."

However no mention was made to perhaps the key stumbling block for Macedonia's membership -- a more than 15-year dispute with Greece over its right to the name "Macedonia," which is shared by a northern Greek region.

A veto by Athens over the name dispute led to Macedonia walking out of a NATO summit in Bucharest in April after it was refused membership of the alliance.

After the collapse of the old Yugoslav federation, Macedonia was recognised by the United Nations in 1993 as the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (FYROM).

An opinion poll last month showed that more than 87 percent of Macedonians want their country to become an EU member, with less than five percent opposed.

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