Brussels, 29/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - During his visit to Paris, Turkey's Minister for European Affairs Volkan Bozkir said he wanted France to lift its unilateral block on Chapter 17 of the negotiations for Turkey's accession to the European Union - a chapter covering economic and monetary policy.
“I propose that Chapter 17 - economic and monetary policy - be opened. If you can decide on this it could be opened by the end of the year”, Bozkir told the European affairs committee at the French Parliament. “It would be a very good gesture to open Chapter 17 or at least withdraw France's block on Chapter 17”, he added. Stating that Turkey would welcome such an announcement, Bozkir believed that it would be “a very good sign of progress in this process” and that it “would show that France is doing its best to advance the negotiations” (our translation).
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Paris on 31 October and is expected to address this issue with his French counterpart.
France is unilaterally blocking four negotiating chapters. In February 2013 it lifted its block on the chapter on regional policy (Chapter 22), which opened in October that year (see EUROPE 10948). France's Minister for Foreign Affairs Laurent Fabius announced on 10 October that France was ready to open two negotiating chapters (Chapter 23 on the judicial apparatus and fundamental rights, and Chapter 24 on freedom, security and justice), which are nevertheless still being blocked by the Republic of Cyprus. Even if France lifts its block on Chapter 17, there is little chance of it being opened by the end of the year because Cyprus has announced that it will oppose the opening of any new chapter for as long as Turkey breaches the sovereign rights of Cyprus in the Cypriot exclusive economic zone (see EUROPE 11184).
Turkey opened its accession negotiations on 3 October 2005. Chapter 22 is the 14th chapter opened out of 35 and one chapter has been provisionally closed. Eight chapters are being blocked by the Council. In addition to the four chapters being blocked by France, the Republic of Cyprus is blocking six. Only three chapters can be opened - the chapters on public procurement (5), competition (8) and social policy and employment (19). (CG)