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ENLARGEMENT : TURKISH ACCESSION TALKS TO RECEIVE CONDITIONAL GO-AHEAD
European Report
June 10, 2008
France says that it does not want to block Turkey's accession talks
during its EU Presidency. "Negotiations will go on," French officials
confirm, indicating that two or three chapters could be opened in
the second half of the year. However, they immediately add that only
those negotiating areas which are not "directly related to accession"
will receive a green light under the six-month French Presidency.
If Paris succeeds, five new chapters, covering financial and
institutional matters, could be officially added to the list of areas
which are currently blocked due to Ankara's failure to fully comply
with certain obligations towards Cyprus. One of these five areas has
already been frozen due to the French veto. Last year, Paris said that
talks on economic and monetary policy should commence only after the
EU defines its future borders.
Ankara strongly protests, underlining more vocally than ever
its significant and still growing "contribution to Europe's
stability". Speaking recently in front of the Foreign Affairs Committee
in the European Parliament, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan
emphasised his country's strong involvement in the Middle East peace
process (mediatory role in talks between Syria and Israel), in the
dialogue with Iran and Lebanon, as well as its active engagement in
the stabilisation process of Afghanistan and Iraq. He also underlined
Turkey's strong involvement in the EU ESDP missions and its willingness
to become a member of the European Defence Agency.
Paris, however, seems to remain unconvinced by Ankara's
arguments. According to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Turkey -
a predominantly Muslim country - is not eligible for full membership
of the EU, as a majority of its territory is located in Asia rather
than in Europe. An enhanced or so called privileged' partnership is
therefore suggested by the Elysee Palace as the best form of future
relations between Turkey and the EU. Ankara clearly says, however,
that nothing less than full membership is acceptable.
To soften Paris' stance, Turkey is trying to play the Union for
the Mediterranean card. Without Ankara, which is perceived as a
key element of Sarkozy's proposal, the initiative is bound to lose
its political weight and structural consistency. Turkey is aware of
this and is trying to use the situation to its own benefit. It has
not yet given Paris a clear answer on whether it would take part at
all in the project, saying it is still "assessing" the contents of
the proposal. Some possible retaliatory economic moves, like keeping
Gaz de France out of the consortium of the Nabucco pipeline project
designed to bring Caspian gas to Europe, have also been taken by Turkey
against France. On top of this, Ankara is creating some difficulties
about the use of Turkish air space for French warplanes on mission in
Afghanistan. In the meantime, deteriorating military relations with
Turkey, a member of NATO, pose a threat to Paris' plans to reinforce
relations between the alliance and the EU.
To counterbalance France's opposition and to win over other member
states, Ankara has recently made some positive moves towards Cyprus
and Armenia. It gave the green light for the relaunch of talks between
the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on reunification and has
said it "is ready for a dialogue with Armenia".
FAST PROGRESS ON CROATIA
Unlike Slovenia, which held the reins of the EU in the first half
of the year, France is not involved in any bilateral disputes with
Croatia. It is expected therefore that accession talks will go
according to plan. "We will try to proceed as fast as possible,"
a French diplomat told Europolitics. "We do not foresee any problems
with regard to Croatia," she added. Both Paris and Zagreb are facing,
however, a challenging task, since by the end of the year Croatia
has to open negotiations on all remaining chapters to be able to join
the EU in the first half of 2011. Otherwise, accession will be delayed.
European Report
June 10, 2008
France says that it does not want to block Turkey's accession talks
during its EU Presidency. "Negotiations will go on," French officials
confirm, indicating that two or three chapters could be opened in
the second half of the year. However, they immediately add that only
those negotiating areas which are not "directly related to accession"
will receive a green light under the six-month French Presidency.
If Paris succeeds, five new chapters, covering financial and
institutional matters, could be officially added to the list of areas
which are currently blocked due to Ankara's failure to fully comply
with certain obligations towards Cyprus. One of these five areas has
already been frozen due to the French veto. Last year, Paris said that
talks on economic and monetary policy should commence only after the
EU defines its future borders.
Ankara strongly protests, underlining more vocally than ever
its significant and still growing "contribution to Europe's
stability". Speaking recently in front of the Foreign Affairs Committee
in the European Parliament, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan
emphasised his country's strong involvement in the Middle East peace
process (mediatory role in talks between Syria and Israel), in the
dialogue with Iran and Lebanon, as well as its active engagement in
the stabilisation process of Afghanistan and Iraq. He also underlined
Turkey's strong involvement in the EU ESDP missions and its willingness
to become a member of the European Defence Agency.
Paris, however, seems to remain unconvinced by Ankara's
arguments. According to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Turkey -
a predominantly Muslim country - is not eligible for full membership
of the EU, as a majority of its territory is located in Asia rather
than in Europe. An enhanced or so called privileged' partnership is
therefore suggested by the Elysee Palace as the best form of future
relations between Turkey and the EU. Ankara clearly says, however,
that nothing less than full membership is acceptable.
To soften Paris' stance, Turkey is trying to play the Union for
the Mediterranean card. Without Ankara, which is perceived as a
key element of Sarkozy's proposal, the initiative is bound to lose
its political weight and structural consistency. Turkey is aware of
this and is trying to use the situation to its own benefit. It has
not yet given Paris a clear answer on whether it would take part at
all in the project, saying it is still "assessing" the contents of
the proposal. Some possible retaliatory economic moves, like keeping
Gaz de France out of the consortium of the Nabucco pipeline project
designed to bring Caspian gas to Europe, have also been taken by Turkey
against France. On top of this, Ankara is creating some difficulties
about the use of Turkish air space for French warplanes on mission in
Afghanistan. In the meantime, deteriorating military relations with
Turkey, a member of NATO, pose a threat to Paris' plans to reinforce
relations between the alliance and the EU.
To counterbalance France's opposition and to win over other member
states, Ankara has recently made some positive moves towards Cyprus
and Armenia. It gave the green light for the relaunch of talks between
the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on reunification and has
said it "is ready for a dialogue with Armenia".
FAST PROGRESS ON CROATIA
Unlike Slovenia, which held the reins of the EU in the first half
of the year, France is not involved in any bilateral disputes with
Croatia. It is expected therefore that accession talks will go
according to plan. "We will try to proceed as fast as possible,"
a French diplomat told Europolitics. "We do not foresee any problems
with regard to Croatia," she added. Both Paris and Zagreb are facing,
however, a challenging task, since by the end of the year Croatia
has to open negotiations on all remaining chapters to be able to join
the EU in the first half of 2011. Otherwise, accession will be delayed.