Strasbourg, 15/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - After a debate that was at times somewhat stormy, the European Parliament, which voted on the Eurlings report on Wednesday, voted by 407 in favour, 262 against and 29 abstentions (a secret vote that caused considerable polemic) for open-ended accession negotiations to be opened with Turkey. Only at point 60 of its resolution did the European Council call for negotiations to be opened without "undue delay". The resolution of the Dutch Christian Democrat, Camiel Eurlings, (that we shall be publishing in full), also recalls that this is a lengthy process which "remains open and does not necessarily lead automatically to accession" although "the aim of talks is accession to the European Union". With 259 in favour and 415 against, the EP rejected (another secret vote) the alternative of "privileged partnership" proposed by Jacques Toubon (EPP-ED, France). The Parliament clearly "entirely rejected Plan B", President Josep Borrell told the press.
In its resolution, the Parliament considers negotiations can be opened as long as priority is given to full implementation of political critical and as long as the mechanisms envisaged by the Commission are implemented for ensuring close surveillance, intensive political dialogue and the possibility of suspending talks where necessary. Regarding the "six texts of law" that the EP had asked Turkey to adopt as a pre-condition for negotiations, President Borrell declared that the president of the Turkish Parliament had promised him this would be done by 17 December. The last of these texts was adopted on 13 December.
The Parliament also notes that the budgetary impact of Turkey's EU membership can only be fully defined once the parameters of the financial negotiations with Turkey have been defined, in the context of the financial perspectives after 2004. It also calls on the Turkish authorities to recognise the Republic of Cyprus (without specifying when, although more demanding amendments on this issue have been rejected).
The Parliament refused an amendment by Werner Langen (CDU) rejecting "full EU membership for Turkey". On the other hand, it approved amendments (by elected UMP member Jacques Toubon and the GUE/NGL Group) calling on Turkey to acknowledge the Armenian genocide as well as the opening of Turkey's borders with Armenia. By accepting the amendments of the Greens/EFA (and also of GUE/NGL), it calls, moreover, for the rights of the Kurdish people to be fully recognised. Finally, it adopts amendments on minorities and religious communities (Giorgios Dimitrakopoulos and the members of the EPP-ED) as well as on women's rights and trade unions (PES).
At the beginning of the session, several MEPs challenged the request for a secret vote presented by 147 MEPs (especially EPP-ED). Graham Watson (ALDE) denounced the "ramshackle coalition of cowards and autocrats", who requested such a vote. There are people that he holds in great respect and who are in favour of Turkey's membership, others whom he holds in great respect but who are against, but, Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Greens/EFA) said, he does not respect those who do not have the courage of their opinions. Martin Schulz (PES) was more in favour of a nominal vote, so that they might know how each person voted. Francis Wurtz (GUE/NGL) said the plenary should be allowed to give its view. But President Borrell felt one should accept this procedure. Article 162 paragraph 2 of the rules of procedure provides for a vote to be held by secret ballot if one fifth of the MEPs request such a ballot before the opening of the vote, which was done, Mr Borrell recalled. As to knowing whether the wording "any vote can be held by secret ballot" must be interpreted as "can" or "must", he recalled that, in June 2002, President Pat Cox had been in favour of making secret voting "automatic" and that, from October 2001, the Court of First Instance had expressed itself along the same lines.