Brussels, 29/08/2005 (Agence Europe) - In Berlin on 26 August, German MEPs Hartmut Nassauer (CDU) and Markus Ferber (CSU) unveiled a booklet entitled 'Europe and Turkey - Privileged Partnership rather than full Accession', in which several members of the EPP-ED group at the European Parliament discuss various aspects of relations between EU and Turkey in the future. Werner Langen (CDU) gives an overview, Elmar Brok (CDU) looks at the idea of a Privileged Partnership mooted by the CDU/CSU, Renate Sommer (CDU) looks at human rights, Bernd Posselt (CSU) considers the situation facing minorities, Doris Pack (CDU) and Angelika Niebler (CSU) look at the role of women, and Markus Ferber (CSU) looks at the financial implications of Turkey joining the EU.
In a press release, Markus Ferber welcomes the fact the President of the CDU, Angela Merkel, and the President of the CSU, Edmund Stoiber, took the initiative on 26 August of arguing with Christian Democrat heads of state in favour of Privileged Partnership. According to European Commission calculations, Turkey joining the EU as a full member would require an annual net transfer of up to EUR 28 billion, of which Germany would have to provide 20%, in other words nearly EUR 6 billion. In 2001, adds the Bavarian MEP, the average income per inhabitant in Turkey was only USD 2150, with the richest 20% accounting for almost half of all consumer spending, while the poorest 20% only accounted for 5.8%. This puts Turkey in the same group as some developing countries in Africa and South America, said Ferber, also highlighting the frightening level of inflation in Turkey (18.4% in 2003, far more than in Bulgaria or Romania, he explains), and the hidden unemployment level, 20%. Turkey is 96th in the Index of Human Development, on a par with Paraguay and Turkmenistan, he adds (Germany is 18th in the list).