Brits voorzitterschap debatteert in EP over toetreding Turkije (en)

(28/09/05)

Event:  European Parliament Plenary

Location:  Strasbourg

Speech Date:  28/09/05

Speaker:  Douglas Alexander, UK Minister of State for Europe

Douglas Alexander, President-in-Office of the Council

Opening Statement

Mr President, honourable Members, I warmly welcome this debate, which is held at a critical time as the European Union prepares to open accession negotiations with Turkey.

I have enjoyed my previous exchanges with honourable Members of this House on this topic, and the close and detailed interest that this Parliament maintains in both Turkey's accession process and enlargement issues more generally has further been demonstrated by the questions tabled for Question Time later this evening.

The December 2004 European Council decision to open accession negotiations brought Turkey's 40-year goal of European Union membership a significant step closer and in the process helped further to bind the country so critical to our future security, stability and prosperity to the Union. The strategic case for opening accession negotiations is convincing. It includes the powerful incentive for reform and the contribution the process makes to stability and prosperity, the example that it sets to the world that there is no contradiction between Islam and democracy, human rights and the protection of fundamental freedoms, and its contribution to reducing tension in the Aegean and over Cyprus.

The June European Council confirmed the December decision and recognised the importance for the European Union's credibility of observing our existing commitments. As Presidency, our task has been to deliver on these commitments and we are working hard to finalise the Council's position in the framework for negotiations in advance of 3 October.

The enlargement process has had unparalleled success in spreading European values and promoting greater security across the European continent, but it is as much for its own continued success that we must ensure we are scrupulous in ensuring that all the requirements are met. As Commission Rehn i, who is with us today, has said, the negotiations with Turkey will be the most rigorous yet, reflecting lessons learnt from the previous wave of enlargement. They are also expected to take many years to conclude.

The powerful incentive for reform that enlargement offers to candidates has been strikingly evident in Turkey in recent years. The European Commission's 2004 Regular Report on Turkey's progress towards accession noted 'substantial institutional convergence in Turkey towards European standards', the reform process having 'clearly addressed major issues and highlighted a growing consensus in favour of liberal democracy'.

There is much for Turkey still to do in order to reach European Union standards, including on freedom of religion and the implementation of existing legislation, and the Commission will continue to monitor Turkey's progress. But it was the impressive track record of European harmonisation reforms to date that prompted the December Council to conclude that Turkey sufficiently fulfilled the Copenhagen political criteria. Indeed, in the same month, this Parliament adopted a resolution supporting the opening of accession negotiations with Turkey 'without undue delay'.

That December Council set Turkey two further conditions to be met before accession negotiations could be launched: to bring into force six outstanding pieces of legislation which reinforce the rule of law and human rights; and to sign a Protocol extending the 1963 Ankara Agreement to the new Member States. The new legislation entered into force on 1 June, and Turkey signed the Ankara Agreement Protocol on 29 July. Both represent significant developments. The new legislation overhauls the Turkish penal system, aligning it much more closely with European Union models and adds significantly to the reforms that have taken place in Turkey in recent years. Signature of the Protocol extends the European Union-Turkey Association Agreement - or Ankara Agreement - to all 25 Member States. It is, of course, with 25 Member States that Turkey will conduct its accession negotiations.

You are all well aware that, when signing the Protocol, Turkey issued a unilateral declaration restating its longstanding position of non-recognition of the Republic of Cyprus. Last week the European Community and its Member States issued a declaration setting out its position on the issues raised. That declaration makes clear that the 'declaration by Turkey is unilateral, does not form part of the Protocol and has no legal effect on Turkey's obligations under the Protocol'. Furthermore, it states that 'Turkey must apply the Protocol fully to all European Union Member States' and that the 'European Union will monitor this closely and evaluate full implementation in 2006'. The declaration also restates that the European Community and its Member States 'recognise only the Republic of Cyprus as a subject of international law' and clarifies that 'recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of Turkey's accession process'.

The Council's declaration also reiterates the agreement of the European Community and its Member States 'on the importance of supporting the UN Secretary-General's efforts to bring about a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem in line with relevant UNSCRs and the principles on which the European Union is founded'. Resolution of the Cyprus problem lies in the hands of the United Nations and the communities on the island. The European Union's role is to support the UN Secretary-General's 'good offices', and to provide a context within which the two parties can re-engage with one another in confidence and accommodate the ultimate agreement.

Let me make one final point in my introductory remarks to this debate. Turkey will not accede to the Union imminently; 35 chapters must be opened and closed; further reforms will be required; and some Member States have already committed to referenda on Turkey's eventual accession. The Turkey that will eventually join the European Union will, frankly, be a different Turkey from the one we see today - and it may also be a rather different European Union that it joins. But the progress made by Turkey so far has been quite extraordinary and Prime Minister Erdogan's Government remains committed to further reform. The conditions laid down by the December European Council have been satisfied, and this paves the way for opening accession negotiations next Monday. I am delighted that the Foreign Secretary will appear before this Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs on the following day; he will of course update the members of that committee then on the progress made.

Closing Statement

Mr President, I thank you for this opportunity to address Parliament in response to what has been both a timely and an emotive debate. I would like to shall begin, however, by echoing the earlier remarks made by Commissioner Rehn in welcoming to Parliament the Bulgarian and Romanian observers.

I welcome also the timeliness of this debate and the genuine efforts of Mr Brok and other Members of this Parliament to ensure a broad base of support, so that the voice of the European Parliament is genuinely heard before 3 October.

I should also like to thank Commissioner Rehn for his contribution to the earlier discussions. The terms and substance of his contributions evidence the extent to which a common approach is being taken by the Presidency and by the Commission on the important issues facing us. I pay tribute to Mr Brok and his predecessor as rapporteur, and indeed to the leaders of all the political groupings we have heard from today, in setting out their views so clearly. I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the work of other Members of the European Parliament, for example Mrs Pack's work in relation to women's rights in Turkey, which I think has been evidenced by both the experience and the expertise brought to our discussions and deliberations this morning.

I ask Parliament's forgiveness for not seeking to respond to every specific point that has been raised during the course of what has been a long but nonetheless illuminating debate. Instead, let me try to address the main themes that were picked up on by a number of different speakers.

I shall start with the general point alluded to by Mr Wurtz, which was that the Presidency is steering the Council to fulfil the mandate of the December European Council's conclusions, which were then indeed reaffirmed by the June Council. The decision essentially to open negotiations with Turkey on 3 October has therefore already been taken. Our job as the Presidency is to ensure that the conditions are met and that the framework for doing so is agreed.

In this context let me touch on the issue of Croatia, which was alluded to by Mr Brok, Mr Poettering and indeed by Mr Schulz. Turkey and Croatia are of course separate issues. Conditions have been set out for both and the Council will make decisions independently on the basis of an assessment of those objective criteria. I am pleased, however, that in the case of both countries it is clear already that the anticipation of making further progress in relation to both countries' desire to be part of the European family has brought significant progress, as was recognised explicitly by Mr Duff in his contribution this morning.

I shall also address some of the specific questions that were raised. Concerns were raised about Turkey's statement prior to 3 October. It is important to recognise specifically that concerns were raised in relation to the recognition of Cyprus and the implementation of the AAP. The Council's position on both of these matters is clear, and indeed was set out in the declaration which I quoted in my introductory remarks. I will let Commissioner Rehn reply to the specific points relating to your letter to him, but the Council's position on the need for full implementation, including the statement, has already been made clear. Indeed, the need for monitoring is also set out. Specifically in relation to the reforms that have already been undertaken, but also, more significantly, continue to need to be taken, I have noted very carefully the concerns expressed here this morning, whether in relation to the position of minorities, to the freedom of religion and expression or, indeed, more broadly on the issue of human rights.

Commissioner Rehn has already commented on the specific issue of the case of Orhan Pamuk, the distinguished Turkish writer. I would, however, respectfully remind Parliament that the draft negotiating framework, and the overall reform process set out by the Commission, are designed to address exactly those concerns. Indeed, that is one of the reasons why both the Commission and the Council has been so keen to take forward the process of negotiation to ensure further progress in relation to the reforms. It is also worth reflecting at this point in our debate on the words of Mrs Bonino, who made clear that the European Union process has already achieved a huge amount within Turkey, notwithstanding the fact that there is much further progress to be made.

One question left hanging in the air somewhat in some of the contributions has been to ask what the ultimate goal of the discussions and the process being taken forward is. Again, the starting point in responding to that question is to recall the conclusions of the December Council of 17 December 2004. Let me quote directly from the conclusions: 'the shared goal of the negotiations is accession'. However, the statement also went on to say that 'these negotiations are an open-ended process, the outcome of which cannot be guaranteed beforehand'. So let us be very clear that the shared goal of negotiations was full accession, but, equally, the conditionality inherent in that statement was very clear.

I have also taken note today of the concerns that have been expressed over the absorption capacity of the Union. Indeed, this is reflected in the Commission's draft negotiating framework.

Some speakers referred to the need for a settlement in Cyprus and this is, of course, an important and sensitive issue. However, I welcome the Parliament's recognition of the importance of widespread support being garnered for the UN process, and again that is reflected in the Council's earlier declaration.

The final point I want to touch on is the issue of the Constitution. Many have talked about it in relation to Turkish accession. I would, however, respectfully remind Parliament that there will be further opportunities for discussion on the European draft Constitutional Treaty. Indeed, the June decision of the European Council was to have a further rendezvous and revisit this issue in spring 2006. That does not remove the obligation on the Council or the Commission to continue to make progress on a range of areas concerning Europe's future in the meantime. That is what we intend to do. I value the contributions made in relation to our thinking about Turkish accession and particularly value the opportunity to have heard the views of MEPs at this particular stage, given the imminence of the decision and the process now being taken forward.