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Cyprus Observer, Cyprus
June 30 2006
Enlargement fatigue but only for Turkey
30.06.2006
Showing off to their public, the French government seeks to impose
EU's `absorption capacity' as a new condition for further EU
enlargements.
By Umut Uras
It is a regular method for EU member state governments to blame their
own failures on the European Union (EU). Actually it has become a
regular tool for governments to use the EU as a scapegoat.
For example, a government could secretly lobby for a positive
decision in the Council of Ministers through alternative methods,
whereas it could vote against it just to satisfy public opinion. Or
similarly, when a decision is certain according to qualified majority
voting, again it can vote against it only to satisfy public opinion
and increase its reputation. France's stance towards Turkey's
membership is a good example.
Absorption capacity
The 'absorption capacity' of the EU is regularly quoted by EU leaders
these days, but only for Turkey. In the last gigantic enlargement the
public did not hear much about this additional Maastricht criterion,
because the EU was willing to absorb these countries, including
Poland with a population of 40 million and 20% unemployment. In the
conclusions of the 1993 Copenhagen Summit, it was not defined
properly, an issue the EU leaders are working on after enlarging from
12 to 25 since 1993.
However, after the 2004 Central and Eastern European enlargement the
term has become very popular. The Commission quoted the 'absorption
capacity' in the new enlargement strategy publicized in December
2005. And in March 2006, the European Parliament requested a clear
definition of this criterion in its report on the Commission's
enlargement strategy.
French example of playing to public
France's stance towards Turkey on the issue of absorption capacity is
a good example how the EU governments are using the EU as a tool to
increase political reputations. It is a known fact that in some EU
countries, most significantly France, Turkey's membership is not
welcomed. However, it is also obvious that Turkey's membership of the
EU is in the interest of French businesses. Before the Foreign Direct
Investment boom in Turkey that came after the EU bid finally got
serious, for a few years French firms did the highest investment in
Turkey. Today, the trade level between the two countries is more than
10 billion euros per year. Turkey is also among the target countries
for investment according to statements made by the French Foreign
Trade Minister, Christine Lagarde. France made a huge Airbus deal
with Turkey in the past and is regularly interested in military
weapons bids.
We all saw what happened with the Armenian genocide bill that
awakened a huge reaction in Turkey. The French National Assembly
postponed debate and a controversial bill sponsored by the opposition
Socialist Party until at least October after being threatened with
trade sanctions by Turkey.
At the European Council that took place on 15-16 June, the French
suggested bringing a thorough definition to the absorption capacity
of the EU. It was only fully supported by South Cyprus for obvious
reasons. Even euro-sceptic Denmark rejected bringing an extra
condition for enlargements. As a result, France's view that the
definition of the EU's absorption capacity should cover the
democratic, institutional, political and financial ability of the EU
to absorb new members was not shared by the rest of the EU. French
President Jacques Chirac went even further and said that the
political ability of the EU is concerned with the views of the
populations, which should "be able to say if they accept or not."
This approach provides a new criterion to be a member of the EU, as
there was no public voting for Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and the
other new EU member states, as there will be for Turkey. Southeastern
Balkan states will probably also be included in the deal because of
Turkey, if and when this additional criterion is realized.
Olli Rehn's statement
Just after the enlargement discussions during the Summit in Brussels,
Olli Rehn, the EU Commissioner responsible for Enlargement, made a
call on Monday to European leaders to promote enlargement to their
public and not to make the enlargement of the EU a scapegoat for
their own policy failures like in the issues of unemployment and
globalisation. He also argued that Europeans are often "more
rational" than their governments, adding that the absorption of the
new member states has been a success story, uniting a Continent
previously divided by the Cold War.
June 30 2006
Enlargement fatigue but only for Turkey
30.06.2006
Showing off to their public, the French government seeks to impose
EU's `absorption capacity' as a new condition for further EU
enlargements.
By Umut Uras
It is a regular method for EU member state governments to blame their
own failures on the European Union (EU). Actually it has become a
regular tool for governments to use the EU as a scapegoat.
For example, a government could secretly lobby for a positive
decision in the Council of Ministers through alternative methods,
whereas it could vote against it just to satisfy public opinion. Or
similarly, when a decision is certain according to qualified majority
voting, again it can vote against it only to satisfy public opinion
and increase its reputation. France's stance towards Turkey's
membership is a good example.
Absorption capacity
The 'absorption capacity' of the EU is regularly quoted by EU leaders
these days, but only for Turkey. In the last gigantic enlargement the
public did not hear much about this additional Maastricht criterion,
because the EU was willing to absorb these countries, including
Poland with a population of 40 million and 20% unemployment. In the
conclusions of the 1993 Copenhagen Summit, it was not defined
properly, an issue the EU leaders are working on after enlarging from
12 to 25 since 1993.
However, after the 2004 Central and Eastern European enlargement the
term has become very popular. The Commission quoted the 'absorption
capacity' in the new enlargement strategy publicized in December
2005. And in March 2006, the European Parliament requested a clear
definition of this criterion in its report on the Commission's
enlargement strategy.
French example of playing to public
France's stance towards Turkey on the issue of absorption capacity is
a good example how the EU governments are using the EU as a tool to
increase political reputations. It is a known fact that in some EU
countries, most significantly France, Turkey's membership is not
welcomed. However, it is also obvious that Turkey's membership of the
EU is in the interest of French businesses. Before the Foreign Direct
Investment boom in Turkey that came after the EU bid finally got
serious, for a few years French firms did the highest investment in
Turkey. Today, the trade level between the two countries is more than
10 billion euros per year. Turkey is also among the target countries
for investment according to statements made by the French Foreign
Trade Minister, Christine Lagarde. France made a huge Airbus deal
with Turkey in the past and is regularly interested in military
weapons bids.
We all saw what happened with the Armenian genocide bill that
awakened a huge reaction in Turkey. The French National Assembly
postponed debate and a controversial bill sponsored by the opposition
Socialist Party until at least October after being threatened with
trade sanctions by Turkey.
At the European Council that took place on 15-16 June, the French
suggested bringing a thorough definition to the absorption capacity
of the EU. It was only fully supported by South Cyprus for obvious
reasons. Even euro-sceptic Denmark rejected bringing an extra
condition for enlargements. As a result, France's view that the
definition of the EU's absorption capacity should cover the
democratic, institutional, political and financial ability of the EU
to absorb new members was not shared by the rest of the EU. French
President Jacques Chirac went even further and said that the
political ability of the EU is concerned with the views of the
populations, which should "be able to say if they accept or not."
This approach provides a new criterion to be a member of the EU, as
there was no public voting for Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and the
other new EU member states, as there will be for Turkey. Southeastern
Balkan states will probably also be included in the deal because of
Turkey, if and when this additional criterion is realized.
Olli Rehn's statement
Just after the enlargement discussions during the Summit in Brussels,
Olli Rehn, the EU Commissioner responsible for Enlargement, made a
call on Monday to European leaders to promote enlargement to their
public and not to make the enlargement of the EU a scapegoat for
their own policy failures like in the issues of unemployment and
globalisation. He also argued that Europeans are often "more
rational" than their governments, adding that the absorption of the
new member states has been a success story, uniting a Continent
previously divided by the Cold War.