EU prepares key Turkey document
22.06.2005 - 09:58 CET By Elitsa Vucheva
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – The European Commission is set to let Turkey move a step closer to the EU by approving the negotiations framework, on which it will base membership negotiations with the country, next Wednesday (29 June).
[...]
Once the draft is approved, the EU will have taken all the technical steps it has to take ahead of the launch of EU negotiations with Turkey, due on 3 October.
From the Turkish side, the six pieces of legislation requested by the EU were approved and brought into force on 1 June.
[...]
Ankara now has to sign the protocol extending a customs agreement it has with the EU to the ten new member states, including Cyprus, [...] if it does, will have done everything requested by the EU in order to start membership negotiations on time.
[...]
The commissioner urged Turkey to improve its relations with neighbouring Armenia, saying "Turkey has difficulties to tackle the historical truth", to make more progress as regards minority rights, freedom of the press, and in general to maintain the speed of reforms.
He acknowledged many shortcomings could be observed in the country, and many things were still to be improved, but insisted that as far as "no major shortcomings" in implementing the rule of law and respecting human rights could be observed, "we have to give Turkey a fair chance".
Mr Rehn expressed hope that the British presidency of the EU, to start on 1 July, would do its best to launch the negotiations on time, as the UK is one of the supporters of Turkish EU membership.
[...]
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – The European Commission is set to let Turkey move a step closer to the EU by approving the negotiations framework, on which it will base membership negotiations with the country, next Wednesday (29 June).
[...]
Once the draft is approved, the EU will have taken all the technical steps it has to take ahead of the launch of EU negotiations with Turkey, due on 3 October.
From the Turkish side, the six pieces of legislation requested by the EU were approved and brought into force on 1 June.
[...]
Ankara now has to sign the protocol extending a customs agreement it has with the EU to the ten new member states, including Cyprus, [...] if it does, will have done everything requested by the EU in order to start membership negotiations on time.
[...]
The commissioner urged Turkey to improve its relations with neighbouring Armenia, saying "Turkey has difficulties to tackle the historical truth", to make more progress as regards minority rights, freedom of the press, and in general to maintain the speed of reforms.
He acknowledged many shortcomings could be observed in the country, and many things were still to be improved, but insisted that as far as "no major shortcomings" in implementing the rule of law and respecting human rights could be observed, "we have to give Turkey a fair chance".
Mr Rehn expressed hope that the British presidency of the EU, to start on 1 July, would do its best to launch the negotiations on time, as the UK is one of the supporters of Turkish EU membership.
[...]
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 6:31 AM
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