Brussels, 04/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - The representatives of European social partners welcomed the opening of membership talks with Turkey on Monday night in Luxembourg, although opinions were somewhat mitigated.
Thus, while welcoming the fact that talks could now start, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) warned: “Accession must not be at any price: Turkey must comply with social, trade union and associative rights”. In social matters, ETUC states, progress is still insufficient especially when it concerns labour law, fighting against discrimination, gender equality, health and safety at work, development of the role of the social partners in social, interprofessional, sectoral and corporate dialogue, and the promotion of employment.
In a UNICE press release, the European employers' association restates its position of December 2004 which is that it is up to the Council to decide whether the Copenhagen criteria have been fulfilled and, if they are, whether UNICE supports opening accession negotiations with Turkey according to the conditions recommended by the European Commission. UNICE also stresses its commitment to closely follow, with its Turkish members, negotiations that will no doubt prove “long and complicated”. Its president, Ernest-Antoine Seillière, comments: “Turkey is an important economic partner of the EU and both sides would benefit from further economic integration”.