Brussels, 01/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 30 June, the EU27 opened a new chapter in the negotiations over Turkey's future membership of the EU, chapter 16 (taxation). This means that eleven out of the 35 chapters are now open and one has been provisionally concluded. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout welcomed it as an important step in Turkey's path to the EU, reminding Turkey that it must apply the additional protocol to the Ankara Agreement on Customs Union (Turkey's refusal to do so has led to the blocking of eight negotiating chapters). Kohout said there were various issues that had to be respected before chapter 16 could be concluded, including the full and non-discriminatory application of the additional protocol to the Ankara Agreement and progress in aligning Turkey's VAT legislation with EU rules.
Turkish foreign minister Egemen Bagis said that he hoped further chapters could be opened during the Swedish Presidency, including chapters that are technically ready (referring to chapters which are only blocked because they are directly related to Turkey's membership of the EU - which France is opposing). Bagis said Turkey's main demand was the opening of negotiations on chapters for which Turkey is ready but which have been left hanging for a long time for non-technical reasons. He said Turkey was determined to respect the rules but when the rules of the game are changed and new rules added mid-game, that would be reacted against. Progress is expected on environment, competition policy, social policy and employment, energy and education and culture chapters during the Swedish Presidency, explained Michael Leigh, Director General for Enlargement at the European Commission. Bagis said all the chapters could be opened, and was hoping to see chapter 17 on economic and monetary policy opened in the second half of 2009. (A.B./transl.fl)