Brussels, 29/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the College of Commissioners decided to put the brake on accession talks with Turkey on eight chapters and not to close any of the remaining chapters as long as Ankara fails to comply with its Customs Union obligations. Noting that Turkey has not fully implemented the additional protocol to the Ankara Agreement and that restrictions to the free movement of goods, including on means of transport, continued to exist, the Commission proposed not to reopen talks on: the free movement of goods (Chapter 1), the right of establishment and free provision of services (Chapter 3), financial services (Chapter 9), agriculture and sustainable development (Chapter 11), fisheries (Chapter 13), public transport (Chapter 4), the Customs Union (Chapter 29) and external relations (Chapter 30). These areas are related directly or indirectly to the restrictions imposed by Turkey on the Republic of Cyprus, which, under the terms of its commitments, should be lifted this year.
This recommendation was “clear and measured”, stressed Commission President José Manuel Barroso, pointing out that “These negotiations need to be credible. Turkey has undoubtedly made progress. But it has still not implemented all obligations it has agreed to. The overall progress of negotiations depends on the overall progress of the respect for the obligations agreed to”. The Commission decision is like a partial freeze, the lifting of which is directly linked to Ankara's goodwill. While no final date has been set, Turkey now knows what the situation is and has some ten days to react before foreign ministers discuss the issue at the general Affairs and External Relations Council on 11 December.
Although 6 December had been predicted, the Commission's response came quickly after the Finnish Presidency's decision to abandon efforts to find a solution that would have allowed negotiations to continue uninterrupted (see EUROPE 9315). Noting, on Monday, the failure of Finnish attempts to obtain the opening of direct trade with the northern part of Cyprus and with the issue of access of Cypriot boats and aeroplanes to Turkish ports and airports deadlocked, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn predicted a slowing in the process. Talking to press on Wednesday, he repeated that there was “no freeze, no hibernation, but, yes, it's a slowing down” in the speed of negotiations, but “the train can continue to move”.
“The EU is a community of law”, where the failure to comply with one's legal obligations “cannot remain without consequences,” said Mr Rehn, opining nonetheless that “it is in the key interest of the EU and Turkey to keep the accession process alive”. Although other chapters could be opened, some even quickly (economic and monetary policy, enterprise and industrial policy, financial control, and education and culture, said Mr Rehn), they will remain closed until the Commission feels that Turkey has fulfilled its obligations, he said. “We do not need a new political psychological drama”, so that no Council decision is needed for a review of the situation, which will be assessed by the Commission, he stressed once again.
Aware of the differing views among Member States on the scale of the sanctions proposed, Mr Rehn nonetheless felt he had “a rather good picture on where Member States stand on the matter”. This decision had been “carefully” prepared, and “I trust foreign ministers, after analysing our recommendation, will realise it is based on strong legal grounds and I expect it will receive wide support through Member States”. As indicated in the EU Declaration of September 2005, the opening of accession negotiations on pertinent chapters depended on Turkey's respect for its contractual obligations, the Commission pointed out. “Turkey still has time and can still score a golden goal before the foreign ministers' meeting,” Mr Rehn stressed finally.
On the day before his visit to the Turkish capital, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said in a press release that he felt that this recommendation provided a solid basis for discussion in the Council, and that the decision adopted on 11 December should reflect the feelings of the EU, which expects candidate countries to meet their obligations. In Riga, where he is attending the NATO Summit, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the decision was “unacceptable”, according to Turkish television channel NTV. The leader of the Socialist group in the EP, Martin Schulz, felt it was “the inevitable consequence”. “The most reasonable solution”, which the Council would do well to follow, said Greens/EFA MEP Cem Özdemir. The Commission decision did not, however, go far enough for their EPP-ED compatriot Elmar Brok. Markus Ferber and Werner Langen (EPP-ED, Germany) felt the recommendations were “unenthusiastic and insufficient”, while for German Liberal Alexander Graf Lambsdorff they sounded like rapid and unconvincing fire. (ab)