14/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - If Turkey continues to refuse to apply the additional protocol to the EU/Turkey association agreement, this will have “serious” consequences for continued accession negotiations, according to the committee on international trade (INTRA) of the European Parliament in the report by Bulgaria's Metin Kazak (ALDE), which was adopted on 14 July, The additional protocol aims to extend the EU/Turkey customs union to the new member states which joined in 2004 and 2007. Ankara is refusing to implement this text in the case of Cyprus (Turkish ports and airports therefore remain closed to Cypriot businesses) until the EU adopts the regulation establishing direct commercial relations with the northern part of Cyprus. This proposal, however, is being blocked in the Council by Cyprus. In the Kazak report, which will be voted on in plenary in September, the members of the INTRA committee call on the Turkish government to apply the protocol “without delay” and “recall that failure to do so may further seriously affect the negotiating process”. (H.B./trans.fl)