THE BRITISH Foreign Secretary and EU Council president is expected to refer to the need for Turkey to implement the Protocol extending its customs union to all 25 member states during the start of accession talks on October 3.
The draft of the opening statement to be read by Jack Straw at the official start of the negotiations, the so-called ‘inter-governmental conference’ (IGC), sources told the Mail, underlines that the EU will monitor Turkey to see it acts on its commitments. Particular attention, it adds, will be paid to the implementation of the Protocol, on which the EU’s position was set out in its declaration of September 20.
The ambassadors in Brussels were struggling to agree on the EU’s declaration since the beginning of this month, after it was decided the Union had to respond to Turkey’s announcement that the signing of the Protocol did not mean it recognised Cyprus.
The reference in the opening statement is just a reminder of the counter-declaration, a source said.
Diplomatic sources described the presidency opening statement as “limited in size and context”. It is only two pages and carefully written so that there is nothing that may be considered as provocative to Turkey in this crucial period.
Two other interesting references for Cyprus are the clarification that Turkey’s negotiations will be held in an IGC with the participation of all member states, including Cyprus, and a call for good neighbourly relations. The latter is of particular importance to Greece.
The draft opening statement gives emphasis to the fact that Turkey will be monitored closely and it refers to the need for the timely and effective implementation of the EU rules and regulations. The need for the judiciary’s independence is mentioned a couple of times, while it concludes by noting it is up to the member states to decide whether the conditions are right for the conclusion of the negotiations.
This statement is expected to be discussed by the Permanent Representatives (COREPER) on Thursday as it is normal practice that all agree to the content of such declarations.
On Thursday, the member states’ representatives are also expected to discuss the Framework of Negotiations, the second document that must be agreed for Turkey to being talks as scheduled.
Bilateral meetings between Austria and the British presidency are taking place on the Framework, as Vienna insists there is a reference to a possible “privileged partnership” being offered to Turkey instead of full membership.
Another diplomat told the Mail that at this point it is difficult to judge whether Vienna will insist on its position. He noted, however, that it is 24 countries to one, as all the rest, including Cyprus, Greece and France, have agreed to the changes London proposed to the Commission’s draft proposal.
If Austria insists and no agreement is reached by the ambassadors on Thursday, the Foreign Ministers may have to hold an extraordinary meeting over the weekend, before the formal Council and the IGC begin.
Cyprus agreed to the Framework after it managed to include a reference to the fact that Turkey’s negotiations will be held in an IGC with all 25 member states present, as well as an indirect call on Turkey to stop vetoing its participation in international bodies. There were already references to the need for normalisation of relations and the implementation of the protocol.
France also approved the Framework after it agreed with Britain that a reference to the EU’s capacity to absorb new member states be spelled out clearly right from the first paragraph.
However, it appears two countries did not agree with this reference as they believe it goes too far and the EU is being too strict on Ankara. They expressed opposition, without this meaning they did not give their “green light”.
