Brussels, 21/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - Turkey has taken a further step in its accession negotiations with the opening of talks on the Environment chapter on Monday 21 December. In all, it has now opened 12 of the 35 chapters, though only one (science and research) has been provisionally closed. The fact that Turkey has reached all the opening benchmarks in the “complex and very demanding” area of Environment “shows that Turkey's EU train is on track and moving,” commented Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn following the accession conference which was held in Brussels. With the opening of the Environment chapter, Turkey has taken a “qualitative step forward” in its negotiations, said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who chaired the meeting. The recent decision by the Turkish Constitutional Court to ban the Kurdish DTP party (see EUROPE 10040) “concerns” the EU, “but we remain confident that Turkey will move forward on the reform path and in its accession negotiations,” Bildt said. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoðlu welcomed the opening of this crucial chapter, but regretted that it had not been possible to open others, despite the considerable efforts of the Swedish Presidency which would have liked to achieve more. Unfortunately, he said, some member states had put “political barriers” in the way to slow negotiations or block chapters.
“Negotiable” chapters becoming rare. What could be the next chapters to be opened? In truth, the options are few, given that eight chapters have been suspended since December 2006, following Turkey's refusal to implement the Ankara Protocol on extending the customs union to Cyprus, France is refusing to negotiate on five chapters directly linked to Turkey's future accession to the EU (which France opposes), Cyprus is blocking the Energy chapter because of Turkey's threatening conduct towards its energy exploration vessels in the Aegean Sea, and, on 8 December, Cyprus froze five chapters after the European Council took no action against Turkey for its failure to meet its commitments with regard to the customs union (see EUROPE 10037). In total, then, only four chapters where negotiation is possible remain on the table, a European negotiator told EUROPE on Monday: competition policy, public procurement, social policy and employment, and food safety and animal and plant health issues. In all of these chapters, Turkey has to reach the opening benchmarks which will still require some work on the part of the Turkish authorities. With a great deal of political will, everything can move very quickly and one or more of these chapters could be opened under the Spanish Presidency. However, it is equally possible that none of them will be ready in the coming months, our source said. Resolution of the Turkish issue would certainly free up a large number of chapters and make great strides in accession negotiations, the negotiator opined. On Monday, Davutoðlu said that Ankara was doing its utmost to reach an agreement on the reunification of the island. The presidential elections in the northern part of Cyprus in April 2010 will no doubt mark an important point for reunification negotiations that are currently being held under the auspices of the UN.
Visas. Foreign Minister Davutoðlu said, too, in Brussels on Monday, that Turkey did not want to be less well served than the Western Balkan countries on visa liberalisation. For the past few days, citizens of Serbia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Macedonia can enter the EU without visas. Once Turkey has met the same criteria as these three countries, “the EU can have no excuse” for not affording Turkish citizens the same treatment, Davutoðlu said. Ankara was close to meeting the first condition - the conclusion of a re-admission agreement - set by the EU for beginning the visa facilitation procedure (with a view to full removal). EU-Turkey negotiations, at a standstill since the end of 2006, are due to resume in January 2010. Davutoðlu hopes that they may even be closed within “one or two months”, but European experts feel that this timescale is unrealistic. Once the agreement is in place, visa facilitation can be considered, but for Turkey to enjoy full visa liberalisation, it will have to bring in biometric passports, tackle corruption and ensure integrated border management, Rehn noted.
Rehn's political testament. Taking advantage of his last meeting with Turkey before the end
of his term of office as Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rehn called for Turkey's accession procedure to continue and for the country to join the EU. Over the last five years, Turkey had undergone “substantial economic and political transformation”, making considerable progress in rule of law and fundamental liberties, though further progress is needed, he said. The EU has a “strategic interest” in continuing the accession process since, with the prospect of accession, “Turkey will become a more open, more democratic country” which will help stabilise the whole region and which will, therefore, be a “better partner for the EU”, he argued. (H.B./transl.rt)