Brussels, 24/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - At the end of the EU/Turkey Joint consultative Committee (JCC) on 12 July in Erzurum between Turkish Minister of State, Mr Nejat Arseven, Co-Chairmen of the meeting, Kennether Walker (member of the Employers Group at the European Economic and Social Committee) and Bayram Meral (President of the Turkish trade union), a joint and substantially comprehensive declaration was made. In the declaration, the JCC: 1) Expressed its worries about the lack of social dialogue in Turkey and the economic crisis; 2) Requests the application of the law on the setting up of an economic and social council in Turkey, as well as the implementation of the action plan on the ban on child labour; 3) Requests the Commission to allocate Turkey additional pre-accession aid and arrange for the country to participate in the Ispa programmes (structural policy pre-accession instrument) and Sapard (investments in agriculture); 3) Calls on the Commission and the Turkish government to jointly assess the Turkish employment strategy; 4) Welcomes the interest demonstrated by Turkish civil society organisations in the future of Europe; 5) Requests the system for awarding visas and asylum to be simplified and calls on the EU to ensure that Turkey participates in a suitable way in the process of comparison, co-operation and exchange of best practice. The EESC outlines that the two parties must make an effort to co-operate effectively in the fight against human trafficking and illegal immigration.
The next JCC meeting will be on 28-29 November in Brussels and focus on agriculture and regional disparities in Turkey.