Turkey Considering Revisions to Its Custom Union Treaty with EU

Turkey is considering revisions to its Customs Union treaty with the European Union, Turkey’s chief EU negotiator told a meeting of Turkish trade counselors Tuesday.

“Can we once more bring the Customs Union agreement to the [negotiating] table? On which issues we can give concessions? On which issues we can get concessions? We are making significant efforts on these [questions],” said State Minister Egemen Bağış.

Highlighting Turkey’s economic progress, Bağış said the country represented a sign of hope for the European Union, which is facing economic problems. Some EU states are uncomfortable with this situation, he said, blaming those states failing to realize how critical Turkey is for the European bloc.

“If Turkey can stand firm to the impositions, it is because Turkey’s economy and trade are powerful,” he said.

The Customs Union makes significant contributions to the Turkish economy but has problematic aspects, including a lack of Turkish involvement in decision-making processes, that Ankara is working to resolve, Bağış said. “Turkey also demands the EU resolve problems we have faced in agreements that the EU signs with third parties, and quotas on trucks. We have brought up these issues at the recent [Turkey-EU] Association Council meeting,” he said.

The council, which met in Brussels in mid-April, is the highest decision-making organ connecting Turkey and the European bloc.

Turkey had learned lessons from the mistakes it made while signing the Customs Union agreement, Bağış said, adding that Ankara would therefore now be more careful about the readmission agreement.

“Turkey will not launch the adoption process for the readmission agreement unless the European Commission authorizes visa-free travel for Turkish citizens,” he said.

The Customs Union between the European Union and Turkey came into effect in 1996.

April 26, 2011
SOURCE: Hürriyet Daily News