[autom.vertaling] Het rapport van de Commissie over Cyprus lijkt positief (en)
The Cypriot Chief Negotiator to the EU, George Vassiliou is confident that the Commission will be presenting a positive report on Cyprus, in its annual progress reports for the candidate countries. Mr Vassiliou has held the first discussion with the Commission on the progress report, due to be published on 16 October.
"It is clear that the Commission, on the basis of the work that we have done, has prepared a positive report; positive in the sense that Cyprus will be one of the countries that in the Copenhagen summit will be proposed to be accepted in the next EU enlargement," Mr Vassiliou told EUobserver in an interview.
"The report is certainly not final, but it is very close to becoming final," he said. The 12 candidate countries will only be able to continue providing information for the report to the Commission up to the 15 September. These Commission reports will be crucial since they will outline which countries will be offered EU membership in 2004. Meetings between Chief Negotiators from the candidate countries and the Commission on the progress reports are expected in the following weeks.
Cyprus has also arranged to have an extraordinary session of the Cypriot parliament on 12 September in order to pass a great number of laws and regulations that have been submitted during the summer, bringing the number of laws that Cyprus will have harmonised to nearly 500.
No significant progress in talks on division of the island
Amongst the discussions that George Vassiliou held with enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen while in Brussels, was the issue of the talks aimed at solving the division of the island.
"Unfortunately I cannot report any significant progress. The position that the Turkish Cypriot side is continuing to support is a position that does not fit with the European Union. They still talk about two independent states. The EU wants one Cyprus, one voice with the ability to speak and ability to implement EU laws in the whole territory of Cyprus. Up till now there has been no willingness from the Turkish side to accept this very basic fact," Mr Vassiliou said.
The UN-led talks between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides have been going on since 16 January. Whilst the Turkish Cypriots want a confederation of two sovereign states, the Greek Cypriots want a unitary federation and a "reinstitution of property rights." The Turkish Cypriots, however, refuse to accept the "right to return" for Greek Cypriot refugees. Moreover, the Greek Cypriots want the UN force to stay permanently on the island and oversee the implementation of the settlement accord while Turkish Cypriots only want a temporary mandate for the UN force after a settlement is reached on Cyprus.
Annan to give Cypriot leaders an ultimatum
The two Cypriot leaders will be meeting the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Friday 6 September in Paris, where Mr Annan is expected to call on both sides to intensify the efforts. Kofi Annan, however, has postponed his intention of submitting a "non-paper" outline for a Cyprus settlement, the Turkish Daily News reported. The new UN "set of ideas" was to be presented to Mr Denktas and Mr Clerides during the meeting, but taking into consideration the forthcoming elections in Turkey, Annan appears to have opted to postpone the presentation of this "non-paper" until December.
According to the Turkish Daily News, Mr Annan's "set of ideas" will offer a basis for a solution and will be presented in the form of an ultimatum: "Take it or leave it." If the Greek side accepts the UN proposal, even if the Turks do not, the path will be clear for Greek Cypriots to join the EU, sources close to the paper said.
Turkey not ready to accept Greek Cypriot EU membership
The EU has repeatedly said that a Cyprus settlement on the island is not a precondition for enlargement, if no agreement is reached before the Copenhagen summit in December, it could mean that only the Greek Cypriot part will accede to the EU. "It is not something that we desire, but it is something that we have to see as a possibility, George Vassiliou told the EUobserver. "Efforts will continue also after December. I am positive that an agreement will be reached, but I cannot say when this will be reached."
Ankara, however, had declared earlier this summer that it would not accept such a unilateral EU accession by Greek Cypriots and could annex northern Cyprus in retaliation. Mr Vassiliou believes that these are just threats. "I don't think this is a possibility. I don't expect this to happen. I think it would be a disastrous move for everybody, and certainly something that will leave Turkey outside the European Union. But I believe these are threats that are more related to the effort so that Cyprus will not be accepted without a solution."
Turkish Cypriot President, Rauf Denktas, on the other hand, may unveil in the days ahead a new and comprehensive package for a Cyprus settlement. The new offer by Denktas, which was expected to be presented to the Greek Cypriot side late last month, but was delayed, would cover all aspects of the Cyprus problem.