turkey in the accession negotiations nilgün arisan eralp secretariat general for the eu affairs 28...

TURKEY IN THE ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONSTURKEY IN THE ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS

Nilgün ARISAN ERALPNilgün ARISAN ERALPSecretariat General for the EU Affairs Secretariat General for the EU Affairs

28 April 2006 28 April 2006

NegotiationsNegotiations

Against all odds, accession negotiatons between EU and Turkey were initiated on 3rd of October , around 23.00 hrs GMT.

Key Questions?

How long they are going to last ?

What will be the final outcome ?


Negotiations constitute a new reality :

“ there are still years of negotiations and plenty of pitfalls ahead, but if Turkey ever joins the European Union, people will look back on this summit as a decisive moment ” Chris Morris, BBC Europe correspondent .

“now EU has become a stakeholder in the continuation of the political, economic and social transformation of the country ” Olli REHN, Enlargement Commisioner

Negotiation FrameworkNegotiation Framework

- definitely a vigorous and strict one ;

- signals a tough time ahead: challenges and difficulties;

- contains grey areas.


outcome of the following factors:

- Turkey’s differences (size, population, geographical location etc.)

- Negative experiences of the 5th enlargement ;

- Enlargement fatigue/ “temporary indigestion” caused by the 5th enlargement/enlargement fear;

- Certain level of mistrust towards Turkey.


Our attention should focus on :

“the shared objective of the negotiations is accession”

For the moment we should try to omit the fact that:

“politics not technicalities will finally decide Turkey’s fate”

We have to concentrate on another fact :

“the pace of the negotiatons is closely related to Turkey’s performance in fulfilling the membership criteria”


What we expect :

‘a strict (negotiation framework) but fair approach ’ on the basis of merit

Membership CriteriaMembership Criteria

Political CriteriaPolitical Criteria

Economic CriteriaEconomic Criteria

““Acquis Criteria” : adopting and efficiently Acquis Criteria” : adopting and efficiently implementing the body of EU legislationimplementing the body of EU legislation


Key importance in the negotiation process:

Closely monitored by the European Commission;

Failure in this area might result in the suspension of the talks .


European Commission : “Turkey has sufficiently fulfilled the political criteria”.

Ambitious transformation especially since summer 2002:

abolishing the death penalty;

Kurdish language learning;

broadcasting in Kurdish language;

scrapping state security courts;

revising the penal code;

tightening the civil control over the army.


Still much to do to establish the EU norms in the country

keywords :

implementation;

monitoring (reform monitoring group);

minimising road accidents;

putting the emphasis on training (law enforcement bodies and judiciary).

Economic Criteria Economic Criteria

Not the subject of negotiations per se.

The process of fulfilling the economic criteria will be closely monitored and the failure of doing so might be a benchmark for opening aup negotiations in some chapters related with the economy :

Free movement of Capital;

Competititon;

Economic and Monetary Policy;

Enterprise and Industrial Policy.


EU demands:

“ disinflation and fiscal sustainability” and necessary reforms necessary to attain these

Turkey’s main priority :

To ensure a sustainable growth environment reducing inflationary pressures and bringing public sector deficit and debt ratios to EU averages.

Economic Criteria: Key Instruments Economic Criteria: Key Instruments

Particular emphasis :

privatisation and structural reforms

and

lowering regional differences

Economic Criteria: Key Instruments Economic Criteria: Key Instruments

Main Structural Reforms :

-completing the reform of the financial sector and modernising public finances;

-modernising public administration;

-reforming agricultural sector.

Economic Criteria: AccomplishmentsEconomic Criteria: Accomplishments

institutional and legal infrastructure of a free market economy has almost been completed;

significant improvement in key macroeconomic indicators like growth (2004 : 9.9, 2005: 5.3 %), inflation rate (2004 : 9.3, 2005: 7.6 %), ratio of budget deficit to national income (2004 : -7.1%, 2005: - 6.1 %), ratio of public debt to national income (2001 : 90.5 %, 2005: 70 % ), etc. ;

economic stability and predictability has significantly improved;

there is broad consensus on essentials of economic policy ;

privatisation process has accelerated;

Economic Criteria: AccomplishmentsEconomic Criteria: Accomplishments

structural reforms seem to be in the right track in general;

major shift in development policy : National Development Plan;

a new policy : Rural Development


Main Challenges :

Unemployment (10 %) ;

Agricultural employment (35.2 % of workforce in agriculture);

Regional disparities;

Existence of informal sector;

Lack of a coherent education policy geared towards the needs of the labour market.

Economic Criteria: What Remains to be DoneEconomic Criteria: What Remains to be Done

Major concerns of the EU :

sustainability of macroeconomic stability and fiscal discipline (are they still fragile?) and predictability ;

state intervention in the economy : three state banks still control 30-40 % of the banking sector;

unfavorable investment climate.

Adopting the AcquisAdopting the Acquis 1-Free Movement of Goods

2-Free Movement of Workers

3-Right of Establishment and Freedom to Provide Services

4-Free Movement of Capital

5- Public Procurement

6-Company Law

7- Intellectual Property Law

8-Competition Policy (State Aids)

9- Financial Services

10- Information Society and Media

Adopting the AcquisAdopting the Acquis

11-Agriculture and Rural Development

12- Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Policy

13 -Fisheries

14-Transport Policy

15-Energy

16-Taxation

17- Economic and Monetary Policy

18- Statistics

19- Social Policy and Employment

Adopting the Acquis Adopting the Acquis

20- Enterprise and Industrial Policy

21- Trans-European Networks

22-Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments

23- Judiciary and Fundamental Rights

24- Justice, Freedom and Security

25- Science and Research

26- Education and Culture

27- Environment

Adopting the Acquis Adopting the Acquis

28- Consumer Protection

29- Customs Union

30- External Relations

31-Common Foreign and Security Policy

32- Financial Control

33- Financial and Budgetary Affairs

Values and Principles of the EUValues and Principles of the EU Acquis Acquis: : GovernabilityGovernability

The governability principles are embedded in the EU acquis (body of EU legislation) :

-transparency;

-accountability;

- participation with a special emphasis on “social dialogue”;

-change in the role of state : producer state regulatory state/ monitoring state/coordinator state

Olli REHN : “Good governance is the key to make full use of Turkey’s potential ”

TURKEY’S ACCESSION PROCESS TURKEY’S ACCESSION PROCESS

Acquis : the principles and valuesTransparency and accountability

the Law on the right to have access to information ;

Public Financial Management Law;

new simplified budgetary system;

strengthening of the Public Procurement Authority .

Participation

change in the working procedure of the Economic and Social Council;

strengthening of social dialogue especially in the labour market ;

preparing the National Development Plan with a participatory method;

TURKEY’S ACCESSION PROCESS TURKEY’S ACCESSION PROCESS

Acquis : the principles and valuesPublic sector reform programme aims to enhance the participation principle in the state-citizen relations by increasing the number of consultation mechanisms in the policy-making.

introduces “regulatory impact analysis” method to the drafting stage of the legislative process in Turkey

Change in the role of state

Network industries and natural monopolies have been introduced to market competition. State: regulator in these sectors.

THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE OF TURKEY’S THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE OF TURKEY’S CURRENT NEGOTIATION PROCESSCURRENT NEGOTIATION PROCESS

“ at the core of integration of any form, lies the need to establish credible commitments ” (Phedon Nicolaides)

Turkey currently concentrates all its efforts to make its commitments credible.

New Negotiation Structure

Ministries : main actors

Coordination : Prime Ministry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Secretariat General for the EU Affairs, State Planning Organisation, Turkey’s Permanent Representation in the EU.

THE SCREENING PROCESS OF TURKEYTHE SCREENING PROCESS OF TURKEY

CHAPTERCHAPTER EXPLANATORYEXPLANATORY

SCREENINGSCREENING

BILATERALBILATERAL

SCREENINGSCREENING

1.SCIENCE AND RESEARCH1.SCIENCE AND RESEARCH 20 OCTOBER 200520 OCTOBER 2005 14 NOVEMBER 200514 NOVEMBER 2005

2.EDUCATION AND CULTURE2.EDUCATION AND CULTURE 26 OCTOBER 200526 OCTOBER 2005 16 NOVEMBER 200516 NOVEMBER 2005

3. PUBLIC PROCUREMENT3. PUBLIC PROCUREMENT 7 NOVEMBER 20057 NOVEMBER 2005 28 NOVEMBER 200528 NOVEMBER 2005

4. COMPETITON POLICY4. COMPETITON POLICY 8-9 NOVEMBER 20058-9 NOVEMBER 2005 1-2 DECEMBER 20051-2 DECEMBER 2005

5. RIGHT OF SETTLEMENT AND FREE 5. RIGHT OF SETTLEMENT AND FREE MOVEMENT OF SERVICESMOVEMENT OF SERVICES

21-22 NOVEMBER 200521-22 NOVEMBER 2005 19-20 DECEMBER 200519-20 DECEMBER 2005

6. FREE MOVEMENT OF CAPITAL6. FREE MOVEMENT OF CAPITAL 25 NOVEMBER 200525 NOVEMBER 2005 22 DECEMBER 200522 DECEMBER 2005

7. AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEV.7. AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEV. 5-8 DECEMBER 20055-8 DECEMBER 2005 23-26 JANUARY 200623-26 JANUARY 2006

8.JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND SECURITY8.JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND SECURITY 23-25 JANUARY 200623-25 JANUARY 2006 13-15 FEBRUARY 200613-15 FEBRUARY 2006

9. FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS9. FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS 16-20 JANUARY 200616-20 JANUARY 2006 20-24 FEBRUARY 200620-24 FEBRUARY 2006

10.CUSTOMS UNION10.CUSTOMS UNION 31 JANUARY-1 31 JANUARY-1 FEBRUARY 2006FEBRUARY 2006

13-14 MARCH 200613-14 MARCH 2006

11. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW11. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW 6-7 FEBRUARY 20066-7 FEBRUARY 2006 2-3 MARCH 20062-3 MARCH 2006

12.SOCIAL POLICY AND EMPLOYMENT12.SOCIAL POLICY AND EMPLOYMENT 8-10 FEBRUARY 20068-10 FEBRUARY 2006 20-22 MARCH 200620-22 MARCH 2006

13.ECONOMIC AND MONETARY POLCIY13.ECONOMIC AND MONETARY POLCIY 17 FEBRUARY 200617 FEBRUARY 2006 23 MARCH 200623 MARCH 2006

14.FISHERIES14.FISHERIES 24 FEBRUARY 200624 FEBRUARY 2006 31 MARCH 200631 MARCH 2006

15. 15. FOOD SAFETY, VETERFOOD SAFETY, VETERIINARY AND NARY AND PHYTOSANPHYTOSANIITARY POLTARY POLIICYCY

9-15 MARCH 20069-15 MARCH 2006 24 APRIL-3 MAY 200624 APRIL-3 MAY 2006

THE SCREENING PROCESS OF TURKEYTHE SCREENING PROCESS OF TURKEY

CHAPTERCHAPTER EXPLANATORYEXPLANATORY

SCREENINGSCREENING

BILATERALBILATERAL

SCREENINGSCREENING

16. ENTERPRISE AND INDUSTRIAL POLICY16. ENTERPRISE AND INDUSTRIAL POLICY 27-28 MARCH27-28 MARCH 4-5 MAY 20064-5 MAY 2006

17. FINANCIAL SERVICES17. FINANCIAL SERVICES 29-30 MARCH29-30 MARCH 2-3 MAY 20062-3 MAY 2006

18. ENVIRONMENT18. ENVIRONMENT 3-11 APRIL3-11 APRIL 29 MAY -2 JUNE 200629 MAY -2 JUNE 2006

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

A significant synergy has already been created in A significant synergy has already been created in various important fields; various important fields;

A real sense of direction has been built and a A real sense of direction has been built and a significant momentum has been attained.significant momentum has been attained.

This momentum will be strengthened with the This momentum will be strengthened with the negotiation process. negotiation process.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

However :

Vision and political courage is required on both sides for the period ahead of us to be succesful and these should be translated into policies as :

“vision without implemantation is hallucination” (Bertrand Russel)

turkey in the accession negotiations nilgün arisan eralp secretariat general for the eu affairs 28...

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