Brussels, 29/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the Council of Ministers formally approved the regulation (without debate) on which agreement had already been reached in Coreper on Wednesday, to facilitate the movement of goods and persons across the line of demarcation ("green line") between the Greek and Turkish parts. The Commission spokesperson welcomed this, describing this as the "first step" towards the rapprochement of the two Cypriot communities and the end of the international isolation of the Turkish part of the island. In the coming weeks, the Commission will make a global proposal to promote the island's economic development, based on the 259 million EUR pledged by the Council on Monday (see Europe of 27 April). Commission sources explained that this money will mainly be used to support projects in the field of regional development, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, environmental protection and boosting the administrative capacities of the Turkish part of Cyprus. "We feel that working in these fields is the best way of preparing the Turkish section for accession to the Union one day", these sources added.
Under the terms of the new regulation, which will enter into force on 1 May, goods produced processed authentically and "economically justifiably" in the north of Cyprus can be transferred to the south of the island (Republic of Cyprus) without customs duties. Initially, as of 1 May, the list of products will still be restricted (it covers just agricultural products- mainly citrus fruit and vegetables- fisheries products and mining products), but there are plans to extend the list to practically all products made or processed in the Turkish part of Cyprus. "However, this processing must be substantial. It is not enough to stick a label on it for it to become a locally-produced good. These goods must be genuinely produced or processed in the Turkish part", said a diplomatic source. In this regulation, the Commission was tasked with submitting technical proposals to the Council within two months, on the practical implementation of this extended list of products; to be defined (in agreement with the Republic of Cyprus) are all the technical rules, those on controls, quantification and phytosanitary or veterinary criteria, for the products in question. The Commission has also been tasked with making specific proposals, again within two months, to allow the export of products made or processed in the Turkish part of Cyprus to the whole of the internal market of the enlarged EU, as long as these products observe European standards, especially sanitary and phytosanitary ones.
On the free movement of persons between both parts of the island, the regime currently in force permits only those with legal residency in the Turkish part to cross the "green line". Under this new Community regulation, as of 1 May, all citizens of Cyprus and of the enlarged EU will have the right to free movement on the whole of the territory of the island. Passing from one to the other will, however, take place at official crossing points, and the Greek Cypriot authorities will obviously be given the means to carry out the necessary controls to stop any form of illegal immigration or threat to public order. For EU citizens, an ID card will be enough to go from one side to the other; citizens of third countries (non-EU) must either have legal residency in Cyprus or be in possession of a valid passport (and, depending on their country of origin, a visa for the Republic of Cyprus).