Brussels, 27/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Friday, the Commission adopted a financing decision for a total of €38.1 million to promote the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community. This first financial assistance is part of the overall €259 million allocated in the context of the mechanism approved by the Council in February (EUROPE 9140). The rest of the sum will be attributed by the end of the year. Six projects will be financed with this first part of the financing: solid waste sector programme for the Turkish Cypriot community; feasibility study for the rehabilitation of the Lefke/Lefka mining area, upgrading and management of the energy sector, upgrading of urban and local infrastructure, supporting private sector development within the Turkish Cypriot community, and information on the European Union political and legal order. Implementation of the financial assistance will be ensured by a team set in place by the Commission in Brussels and in Cyprus, with an office, open since mid-September, in the northern part of the island to facilitate contacts with local populations. In a press release, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn welcomed the funding of “concrete projects”, which represents “another step by the EU towards putting an end to the isolation of this community and thus facilitating the reunification of Cyprus”. He went on to encourage Member Sates to adopt the 2004 proposal “on direct trade between the EU and the Turkish Cypriot community”.
In an interview with the Greek daily Imerisia published on Friday, Mr Rehn recalls, moreover, that Turkey's obligations under the Ankara protocol are not linked to the opening of direct trade links between the EU and the northern part of the island. “Turkey signed the memorandum of understanding as a pre-condition to beginning accession talks”, the Commissioner stressed, saying: “the EU has kept its commitments and we expect Turkey to do likewise”. Negotiations on the Finnish proposal - aimed at resolving the question of Turkish Cypriot isolation so that Turkey implements the Ankara protocol on extending customs union to Cyprus and to the other new EU Member States - have in fact still not resulted in anything (EUROPE 9290). (ab)