Brussels, 20/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 20 November, the Portuguese foreign affairs minister and current president of the Council, Luis Amado, announced that the Portuguese presidency of the EU wanted progress in accession negotiations with Turkey and the opening up of at least two new chapters before the end of this year. Amado informed the press in Brussels at the end of the EU Troika ministerial meeting with the Turkish minister of foreign affairs, Ali Babacan, that “we are determined to create the conditions needed to open two new chapters, health/consumer protection and trans-European networks in the negotiations”. The next negotiating meeting with Turkey will very probably take place on 18 December.
The EU considers that any decision in the enlargement process (including the opening up of new chapters) requires the unanimity of the 27 member states. We know that France said a “committee of the wise” on the future of Europe (Nicolas Sarkozy's idea) was a preliminary condition for continued negotiations. The Portuguese presidency is aware of this: Mr Amado explained that due to the unanimity rule “we cannot ignore” the French demand, expected to be met during the European Council of 14 December, a few days before the negotiations with the Turks. In an implicit reference to France, Ali Babacan said that accession negotiations were expected to progress “each time chapters are technically prepared”, without having to depend on the “political choices of certain countries”. (H.B.)