THE EUROPEAN Parliament’s Legal Service is due to deliver its opinion on the legal basis of the hugely political and controversial Direct Trade Regulation (DTR) tomorrow in Brussels.
The opinion will be discussed at the Legal Committee tomorrow afternoon, though a vote on the issue will likely be postponed due to the absence of the German rapporteur, MEP Kurt Lechner, from Brussels this week.
The question under debate is whether the European Parliament (EP) has a say in the regulation allowing for direct trade between northern Cyprus and the rest of the EU under the new terms of the Treaty of Lisbon. The European Commission argues that the EP’s International Trade Committee is the competent body to decide whether to pass the DTR or not.
The Cyprus Republic counter-argues that the issue is not a matter of international trade since the north is still considered a part of the Republic under the Treaty of Accession.
DISY’s MEP Ioannis Kasoulides yesterday predicted that the Legal Committee would likely give an ambiguous response to the direct trade question, giving the Conference of Presidents (heads of EP political groups) enough room to proceed politically on this issue if they so wished.
At the end of the day, he argued, the decision would likely be judged by the European Court of Justice when the time comes.
The vice-president of the European People’s Party noted that when he is given the argument that the EU made a promise to the Turkish Cypriots on direct trade, he replies: “The obligation is from the UN, approved by the UN Security Council, for the opening of Varosha.”
Direct trade can occur under legal conditions, “from legal entry and exit points of the Cyprus Republic only if they agree this trade will take place from Famagusta port once the town of Famagusta is returned to its lawful inhabitants,” he added.
AKEL MEP Takis Hadjigeorgiou said the heads of the political parties in the EP were basically waiting to see what will happen in the talks before deciding on direct trade.
“One way or another, the focus is on the talks. If things move towards the way we want, towards a solution, then this issue will be solved. If not, no one can predict the developments,” he said.
Hadjigeorgiou questioned how Turkey could say it wanted a solution by the end of the year, and yet still seek to implement direct trade, which would need years to take effect.
“Even if we approved and gave our signature, which will not happen, it will take two years to implement,” he said.
