EU to open new chapters with Turkey

The EU will open negotiations on two new chapters with Turkey towards the end of December, provided that a number of outstanding issues are resolved, including the mandate of a reflection group on the future of Europe, according to EU diplomats.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is planning to come to Brussels on 18 or 19 December for an intergovernmental conference to start negotiations on health and consumer protection, and trans-European networks.

While French President Nicolas Sarkozy has insisted that Turkey should not start talks on any chapters which are linked to membership, France is prepared to let negotiations go ahead on these areas, arguing that Turkey can participate in these EU policies whether it is a member state or not.

But the talks will take place only if a number of conditions are met. These include EU leaders agreeing at the summit meeting in Brussels next week (14 December) to launch a reflection group on the future of Europe. Member states are close to reaching agreement on some of the details about the group, according to EU diplomats, with some progress having been made in recent Council working groups and a meeting of EU ambassadors yesterday (5 December). There is agreement on the size of the group - between 10-12 members - and the duration of its mandate (the group should report back after the European Parliament elections in June 2009). But the issues which the group should address are still up in the air. France wants the group to examine the limits of EU enlargement but the UK and Sweden are opposed to this.

Former Latvian president Vaira Vika-Freiberga is being tipped as favourite to lead the group.

France is also thought to want a reference to accession negotiations with Turkey removed from draft conclusions for the EU leaders’ meeting. French diplomats argue that this would imply that membership is inevitable, while the option of a privileged partnership should remain on the table.

The EU will open negotiations on two new chapters with Turkey towards the end of December, provided that a number of outstanding issues are resolved, including the mandate of a reflection group on the future of Europe, according to EU diplomats.