EN Error! Unknown document property name. emmerne af Folketingets Europaudvalg res stedfortrædere Journalnummer Kontor 400.C.2-0 EUK 30. juni 2005 Til underretning for Folketingets Europaudvalg vedlægges Kommissionens forslag til Tyrkiet forhandlingsramme (10690/05) samt Kommissionens meddelelse om civilsam- fundsdialog mellem EU og kandidatlande.
EN Error! Unknown document property name. COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Brussels, 29 June 2005 10690/05 LIMITE ELARG 35 COVER NOTE from : General Secretariat to : Enlargement Group Subject: Accession Negotiations with Turkey Draft General EU Position Delegations will find attached a draft General EU Position for the accession negotiations with Turkey, submitted by the Commission1 ________________________ 1) This document has been transmitted to the Council in English only.
EN Error! Unknown document property name. CONFERENCE ON ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION - TURKEY - DRAFT GENERAL EU POSITION
EN Error! Unknown document property name. NEGOTIATING FRAMEWORK Principles governing the negotiations 1.    The negotiations will be based on Turkey’s own merits and the pace will de- pend on Turkey’s  progress in meeting the requirements for membership. The Presidency  or  the  Commission  as  appropriate  will  keep  the  Council  fully  in- formed  so  that  the  Council  can  keep  the  situation  under  regular  review.  The Union  side,  for  its  part,  will  decide  in  due  course  whether  the  conditions  for the conclusion of negotiations have been met; this will be done on the basis of a report from the Commission confirming the fulfilment by Turkey of the re- quirements listed in point 4. The  shared  objective  of  the  negotiations  is  accession.  These  negotiations  are an  open-ended  process,  the  outcome  of  which  cannot  be  guaranteed  before- hand.  While  taking  account  of  all  Copenhagen  criteria,  if  Turkey  is  not  in  a position to assume in full all the obligations of membership it must be ensured that Turkey is fully anchored in the European structures through the strongest possible bond. 2.    Negotiations are opened on the basis that Turkey sufficiently meets the politi- cal criteria set by the Copenhagen European Council in 1993, for the most part later  enshrined  in  Article  6(1)  of  the  Treaty  on  European  Union  and  pro- claimed  in  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights.  The  Union  expects  Turkey  to sustain the process of reform and to work towards further improvement in the respect of the principles of liberty, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human  rights  and  fundamental  freedoms,  including  relevant  European  case law; to consolidate and broaden legislation and implementation measures spe- cifically in relation to the zero tolerance policy in the fight against torture and ill-treatment  and  the  implementation  of  provisions  relating  to  freedom  of  ex- pression, freedom of religion, women’s rights,  ILO standards including trade union rights, and minority rights. The Union and Turkey will continue their in- tensive political dialogue. To ensure the irreversibility of progress in these ar- eas  and  its  full  and  effective  implementation,  notably  with  regard  to  funda- mental freedoms and to full respect of human rights, progress will continue to be  closely  monitored  by  the  Commission,  which  is  invited  to  continue  to  re- port regularly on it to the Council. 3.    In the case of a serious and persistent breach in Turkey of the principles of lib- erty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law on which the Union is founded, the Commission will, on its own initiative or on the request of one third of the Member States, recommend the suspension  of  negotiations  and  propose  the  conditions  for  eventual  resump- tion.  The  Council  will  decide  by  qualified  majority  on  such  a  recommenda- tion,  after  having  heard  Turkey,  whether  to  suspend  the  negotiations  and  on the  conditions  for  their  resumption.  The  Member  States  will  act  in  the  Inter- governmental  Conference  in  accordance  with  the  Council  decision,  without prejudice  to  the  general  requirement  for  unanimity  in  the  Intergovernmental Conference. The European Parliament will be informed.
EN Error! Unknown document property name. 4.    The  advancement  of  the  negotiations  will  be  guided  by  Turkey’s  progress  in preparing  for  accession,  within  a  framework  of  economic  and  social  conver- gence.  This  progress  will  be  measured  in  particular  against  the  following  re- quirements: – the  Copenhagen  criteria,  which  set  down  the  following  requirements  for membership: *  the  stability  of  institutions  guaranteeing  democracy,  the  rule  of  law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities; *  the  existence  of  a  functioning  market  economy  and  the  capacity  to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union; * the ability to take on the obligations of membership, including adher- ence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union and the ad- ministrative capacity to effectively apply and implement the acquis; – Turkey’s  unequivocal  commitment  to  good  neighbourly  relations  and  its undertaking to resolve any outstanding border disputes in conformity with the  principle  of  peaceful  settlement  of  disputes  in  accordance  with  the United Nations Charter, including if necessary compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice; – Turkey’s continued support for efforts to achieve a comprehensive settle- ment of the Cyprus problem within the UN framework and in line with the principles on which the Union is founded, including steps to contribute to a  favourable  climate  for  a  comprehensive  settlement,  and  progress  in  the normalisation  of  bilateral  relations  between  Turkey  and  all  EU  Member States, including the Republic of Cyprus. – the  fulfilment  of  Turkey’s  obligations  under  the  Association  Agreement and  its  Additional  Protocol  extending  the  Association  Agreement  to  all new  EU  Member  States,  in  particular  those  pertaining  to  the  EU-Turkey customs  union,  as  well  as  the  implementation  of  the  Accession  Partner- ship, as regularly revised. 5.    In the period up to accession, Turkey will be required to progressively align its policies towards third countries and its positions within international organisa- tions  with  the  policies  and  positions  adopted  by  the  Union  and  its  Member States. 6.    Turkey  must  accept  the  results  of  any  other  accession  negotiations  as  they stand at the moment of its accession. 7.    Enlargement should strengthen the process of continuous creation and integra- tion  in  which  the  Union  and  its  Member  States  are  engaged.  Every  effort should be made to protect the cohesion and effectiveness of the Union. In ac- cordance with the conclusions of the Copenhagen European Council in 1993, the  Union's  capacity  to  absorb  Turkey,  while  maintaining  the  momentum  of European  integration  is  an  important  consideration  in  the  general  interest  of both the Union and Turkey. The Commission shall monitor this capacity dur- ing the process of negotiations.
EN Error! Unknown document property name. Parallel to accession negotiations, the Union will engage with Turkey in an in- tensive political and civil society dialogue. The aim of the inclusive civil soci- ety  dialogue  will be to  enhance mutual understanding by  bringing people  to- gether.
EN Error! Unknown document property name. Substance of the negotiations 8.    Accession implies the acceptance of the rights and obligations attached to the Union  system  and  its  institutional  framework,  known  as  the  “acquis”  of  the Union. Turkey will have to apply this as it stands at the time of accession. Fur- thermore, in addition to legislative alignment, accession implies timely and ef- fective  implementation  of  the  acquis.  The  acquis  is  constantly  evolving  and includes: - the content, principles and political objectives of the Treaties on which the Union is founded; - legislation and decisions adopted pursuant to the Treaties, and the case law of the Court of Justice; - other acts, legally binding or not, adopted within the Union framework, such as  interinstitutional  agreements,  resolutions,  statements,  recommendations, guidelines; -  joint  actions,  common  positions,  declarations,  conclusions  and  other  acts within the framework of the common foreign and security policy; - joint actions, joint positions, conventions signed, resolutions, statements and other acts agreed within the framework of justice and home affairs; -  international  agreements  concluded  by  the  Communities,  the  Communities jointly  with  their  Member  States,  the  Union,  and  those  concluded  by  the Member States among themselves with regard to Union activities. Turkey  will  need  to  produce  translations  of  the  acquis  into  Turkish  in  good time before accession, and will need to train a sufficient number of translators and interpreters required for the proper functioning of the EU institutions upon its accession. 9.    The resulting rights and obligations, all of which Turkey will have to honour as a Member State, imply the termination of all existing bilateral agreements between  Turkey  and  the  Communities,  and  of  all  other  international  agree- ments  concluded  by  Turkey  which  are  incompatible  with  the  obligations  of membership. Any provisions of the Association Agreement which depart from the acquis cannot be considered as precedents in the accession negotiations. 10. Turkey’s acceptance of the rights and obligations arising from the  acquis may necessitate specific adaptations to the acquis and may, exceptionally, give rise to transitional measures which must be defined during the accession negotia- tions. Where necessary, specific adaptations to the acquis will be agreed on the basis of the principles, criteria and parameters inherent in that acquis as applied by the  Member  States  when  adopting  that  acquis,  and  taking  into  consideration the specificities of Turkey. The Union may agree to requests from Turkey for transitional measures  pro- vided  they  are  limited  in  time  and  scope,  and  accompanied  by  a  plan  with
EN Error! Unknown document property name. clearly defined stages for application of the acquis. For areas linked to the ex- tension  of  the  internal  market,  regulatory  measures  should  be  implemented quickly  and  transition  periods  should  be  short  and  few;  where  considerable adaptations are necessary requiring substantial effort including large financial outlays,  appropriate  transitional  arrangements  can  be  envisaged  as  part  of  an on-going,  detailed  and  budgeted  plan  for  alignment.  In  any  case,  transitional arrangements must not involve amendments to the rules or policies of the Un- ion, disrupt their proper functioning, or lead to significant distortions of com- petition. In this connection, account must be taken of the interests of the Union and of Turkey. Long  transitional  periods,  derogations,  specific  arrangements  or  permanent safeguard clauses, i.e.  clauses which  are permanently  available  as a basis for safeguard measures, may  be  considered. The Commission will include these, as appropriate, in its proposals in areas such as freedom of movement of per- sons, structural policies or agriculture. Furthermore, the decision-taking proc- ess regarding the eventual establishment of freedom of movement of persons should  allow  for  a  maximum  role  of  individual  Member  States.  Transitional arrangements  or  safeguards  should  be  reviewed  regarding  their  impact  on competition or the functioning of the internal market. Detailed  technical  adaptations  to  the  acquis  will  not  need  to  be  fixed  during the accession negotiations. They will be prepared in cooperation with Turkey and adopted by the Union institutions in good time with a view to their entry into force on the date of accession. 11. The  financial  aspects  of  the  accession  of  Turkey  must  be  allowed  for  in  the applicable  Financial  Framework.  Hence,  as  Turkey’s  accession  could  have substantial financial consequences, the negotiations can only be concluded af- ter the establishment of the Financial Framework for the period from 2014 to- gether with possible consequential financial reforms. 12. Turkey will participate in economic and monetary  union from accession as a Member  State  with  a  derogation  and  shall  adopt  the  euro  as  its  national  cur- rency following a Council decision to this effect on the basis of an evaluation of its fulfilment of the necessary conditions. The remaining acquis in this area fully applies from accession. 13. With  regard  to  the  area  of  freedom,  justice  and  security,  membership  of  the European Union implies that Turkey accepts in full on accession the entire ac- quis in this area, including the Schengen acquis. However, part of this acquis will only apply in Turkey following a Council decision to lift controls on per- sons at internal borders taken on the basis of the applicable Schengen evalua- tion of Turkey’s readiness. 14. The EU points out the importance of a high level of environmental protection, including all aspects of nuclear safety. 15. In all areas of the acquis, Turkey must bring its institutions, management ca- pacity and administrative and judicial systems up to Union standards, both at national and regional level, with a view to implementing the acquis effectively or, as the case may be, being able to implement it effectively in good time be- fore accession. At the general level, this requires a well-functioning and stable
EN Error! Unknown document property name. public  administration  built  on  an  efficient  and  impartial  civil  service,  and  an independent and efficient judicial system. Negotiating procedures 16. The  Commission  will  undertake  a  formal  process  of  examination  of  the  ac- quis, called screening, in order to explain it to the Turkish authorities, to assess the  state  of  preparation  of  Turkey  for  opening  negotiations  in  specific  areas and to obtain preliminary indications of the issues that will most likely come up in the negotiations. 17. For the purposes of screening and the subsequent negotiations, the acquis will be  broken  down  into  a  number  of  chapters,  each  covering  a  specific  policy area. A list of these chapters is provided in the Annex. Any view expressed by either  Turkey  or  the  EU  on  a  specific  chapter  of  the  negotiations  will  in  no way prejudge the position which may be taken on other chapters. Also, agree- ments reached in the course of negotiations on specific chapters, even partial ones,  may  not  be  considered  as  final  until  an  overall  agreement  has  been reached for all chapters. 18. Building on the Commission's Regular Reports on Turkey’s progress towards accession and in particular on information obtained by the Commission during screening, the Council, acting by unanimity on a proposal by the Commission, will lay down benchmarks for the provisional closure and, where appropriate, for  the  opening  of  each  chapter.  The  Union  will  communicate  such  bench- marks to Turkey. Depending on the chapter, precise benchmarks will refer in particular  to  the  existence  of  a  functioning  market  economy,  to  legislative alignment with the acquis and to a satisfactory track record in implementation of  key  elements  of  the  acquis  demonstrating  the  existence  of  an  adequate administrative and judicial capacity. Where relevant, benchmarks will also in- clude the fulfilment of commitments under the Association Agreement, in par- ticular those pertaining to the EU-Turkey customs union and those that mirror requirements  under  the  acquis.  Where  negotiations  cover  a  considerable  pe- riod of time, or where a chapter is revisited at a later date to incorporate new elements such as new acquis, the existing benchmarks may be updated. 19. Turkey will be requested to indicate its position in relation to the acquis and to report on its progress in meeting the benchmarks. Turkey’s correct transposi- tion and implementation of the acquis, including effective and efficient appli- cation  through  appropriate  administrative  and  judicial  structures,  will  deter- mine the pace of negotiations. 20. To this end, the Commission will closely monitor Turkey’s progress in all ar- eas, making use of all available instruments, including on-site expert reviews by or on behalf of the Commission. The Commission will inform the Council of  Turkey’s  progress  in  any  given  area  when  presenting  draft  EU  Common Positions.  The  Council  will  take  this  assessment  into  account  when  deciding on further steps relating to the negotiations on that chapter. In addition to the information  the  EU  may  require  for  the  negotiations  on  each  chapter  and which is to be provided by Turkey to the Conference, Turkey will be required to  continue  to  provide  regularly  detailed,  written  information  on  progress  in
EN Error! Unknown document property name. the  alignment  with  and  implementation  of  the  acquis,  even  after  provisional closure of a chapter. In the case of provisionally closed chapters, the Commis- sion may recommend the re-opening of negotiations, in particular where Tur- key  has  failed  to  meet  important  benchmarks  or  to  implement  its  commit- ments.
EN Error! Unknown document property name. ANNEX PRELIMINARY INDICATIVE LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS (Note: This list in no way prejudices the decisions to be taken at an appropriate stage in the negotiations on the order in which the subjects will be dealt with.) 1. Free movement of goods 2. Freedom of movement for 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 9. Financial services 10. Information society and media 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 employment1 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 28. Consumer and health protection 29. Customs union 30. External relations 31. Foreign, security and defence policy 32. Financial control 33. Financial and budgetary provisions 34. Institutions 35. Other issues ___________________ EN 1 This chapter includes also anti-discrimination and equal opportunities for women and men.
EN Error! Unknown document property name. COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, xxx COM(2005) yyy final COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE EURO- PEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Civil Society Dialogue between the EU and Candidate Countries {SEC(2005) zzz}
EN COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Civil Society Dialogue between the EU and Candidate Countries 1. WHY  A  “ CIVIL  SOCIETY  DIALOGUE”   BETWEEN  THE  EU  AND  CANDI- DATE COUNTRIES? 1.1. Introduction The enlargement of the European Union to ten new member States on 1 May 2004 further strengthened the unity of the European continent and enhanced peace, sta- bility and security. However, one of the lessons that can be drawn from the pre- vious  enlargement  is  that  citizens  in  EU  Member  States  were  not  sufficiently  in- formed nor prepared. Any future enlargement of the EU needs to be supported by a strong, deep and sustained dialogue between the societies of the Candidate coun- tries and in the EU member States, as well as with the EU institutions. This would help  to  bridge  the  information  gap,  achieve  better  mutual  knowledge  and  bring citizens and different cultures, political and economic systems closer together, thus ensuring a stronger awareness of the opportunities as well as the challenges of futu- re accessions. 1.2. The dialogue relating to future enlargement In this context, in October 2004 the Commission’s recommendation on Turkey’s progress towards accession2, proposed the development of a dialogue between EU Member States and Turkey, “where concerns and perceptions can be discussed in a frank and open manner. It noted that “Civil society should play the most important role in this dialogue, which should be facilitated by the EU.” The  Commission  recognised  that  in  the  case  of  Turkey,  a    dialogue  aiming  at improving  mutual  knowledge and  encouraging a debate  on  perceptions  regarding society and political issues on both sides is particularly necessary. Public opinion in Turkey is strongly supportive of EU membership, but information on the history, the functioning, rules and policies of the European Union remains poor. Within the EU, public opinion is divided on the issue, with differences of opinion within and between  Member  States.  The  lively  debate  that  has  been  ongoing  in  this  respect focuses on a number of different themes, ranging from questions concerning cultu- re and religion to those of a more practical nature. On the one hand it has been argued  that  the  Turkish  State  and  society  have  values  and  practices  incompatible with EU standards. On the other hand Turkey has been described as a country with 2 Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parlia- ment, Recommendation of the European Commission on Turkey’s progress towards accession, COM(2004) 656 final. As concluded by the 17 December 2004 European Council, accession nego- tiations with Turkey will start on 3 October 2005, once it has signed the protocol on the adaptati- on of the Ankara agreement and provided that it brings into force six pieces of legislation identi- fied by the Commission (Brussels European Council, 16/17 December 2004. Presidency Conclu- sions 17/12/2004 Nr: 16238/1/04 Rev1).
13 Error! Unknown document 13 a different cultural background adhering to democratic principles in the same man- ner as EU Member States. The expected impact of Turkish accession related to the country’s size, income, and geographical location is also widely debated3. On 17 December 2004 the European Council endorsed the European Commission recommendation  and  broadened  its  scope  by  stipulating  that  “parallel  to  accession negotiations, the Union will engage with every candidate state in an intensive political and cultural dialogue.4 With the aim of enhancing mutual understanding by bringing people together, this inclu- sive dialogue also will involve civil society.” The civil society dialogue5 will thus concern Croatia as well6, although the dialogue with regard to Croatia may be of a somewhat different nature from that on Turkey. The dialogue with Croatia aims more towards enhancing public debate in Croatia on EU membership, especially leading to a deeper understanding and acceptance of EU values and standards. In addition to more general political issues, this dialogue is particularly important in certain areas of the EU acquis such as, for example, the environment, food safety and consumer protection, as well as the obligations in the field of external assistance.   In the Thessalonica European Council in June 2003, the EU has emphasised that the future of the Western Balkans lies in the European Union. Depending on each country’s progress in complying with the Copenhagen criteria and the conditionality of the stabilisation and association process, the European Council might decide, on the basis of an opinion of the European Commission, on the opening of accession negotiations. In that context, a number of the ongoing and future activities envisa- ged for current candidates countries may also be introduced for other Western Bal- kan countries as appropriate. The main objective of the civil society dialogue to be developed with Turkey and Croatia is to better inform public opinions from the EU and candidate countries, by addressing the opportunities as well as the challenges posed by future enlargement. With reference to Turkey, the dialogue will encourage a discussion on perceptions regarding  everyday  culture  and  values  expressed  by  the  society  and  the  State  on both sides. To achieve these objectives, the dialogue will increase bilateral exchan- ges, thereby contributing to the increased participation of civil society in the politi- 3 On this aspect, see also Commission Staff Working Document, Issues arising from Turkey’s Membership perspective, SEC(2004) 1202, 4 A political dialogue with Turkey takes place in the framework of the regular monitoring of the political criteria, consisting in the permanent follow up of Turkey’s progress towards compliance with the Copenhagen political criteria related to democracy and the rule of law, respect for human rights and minorities. The Commission has regular meetings with the Turkish authorities on this subject. 5 In the Commission’s recommendation what will be referred to as the “civil socie- ty dialogue” in this document was in fact the third pillar of a three-pillar policy vis-à- vis Turkey. The first pillar focused on reinforcing the political reform process in Turkey, the second pillar consisted of conducting negotiations under a revised methodological approach and the third pillar was about a EU-Turkey dialogue. 6 Following the decision of the European Council of 17 and 18 June 2004 that Croa- tia was a candidate country, the European Council of 16 and 17 December 2004 decided that ac- cession negotiations would be opened on 17 March 2005 provided that there was full cooperation with the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague (ICTY). However, in the absence of full cooperation, the start of negotiations was postponed by the Gene- ral Affairs and External Relations Council of 16 March 2005 until the Council can confirm that Croatia is fully cooperating with ICTY.
14 Error! Unknown document 14 cal, cultural and economic development of the Candidate countries concerned. It will thus support the further development of a lively and vibrant civil society in the Candidate  countries,  which  is  key  to  the  consolidation  of  human  rights  and  de- mocracy, in line with the political criteria for accession. In short, the objectives of the civil society dialogue can be summarised as follows: – Strengthen contacts and mutual exchange of experience between all sectors of civil society in the member States and Candidate countries. – Ensure a better knowledge and understanding of the candidate countries con- cerned  within  the  European  Union,  including  their  history  and  their  culture, thus allowing for a better awareness of the opportunities and challenges of fu- ture enlargement. – Ensure a better knowledge and understanding of the European Union within the candidate countries, including the values on which it is founded, its func- tioning and its policies. 1.3. Definition of civil society Although the concept of civil society can be defined in many ways, the broadest and the most inclusive definition possible will be employed by the civil society dia- logue.7  Civil  society  would  thus  include:  the  labour-market  actors,  i.e.  the  social partners (trade unions and employers federations); organisations representing social and   economic   players   at   large   (consumer   organisations   for   instance,);   non- governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations, i.e. orga- nisations at grassroots level through which citizens participate in local and munici- pal life (e.g. youth or family associations); religious communities and media.   All  society  structures  outside  of  government  and  public  administration,  whether based on a voluntary or mandatory membership (this is the case for Chambers of Commerce in certain countries, for instance) are encouraged to participate in the dialogue.  Local  communities  and  municipalities  will  be  included  in  the  dialogue, while the education, media and culture sectors are also expected to play a key role. Finally, as explained below, the dialogue includes exchanges between opinion lea- ders from national and European institutions. This Communication sets out a policy framework as regards the development of a civil society dialogue between the EU and candidate countries. It will first focus on strengthening some ongoing activities, carried out both at national and EU level. It will then propose new activities aimed at developing the dialogue further.   2. STRENGTHENING ONGOING ACTIVITIES 2.1. Croatia Civil society in Croatia has, naturally, developed within its own particular context. The EU has been working with Croatian civil society in the context of its specific policy  towards  the  Western  Balkans  -  the  Stabilisation  and  Association  process. This civil society dialogue involves several actors including the parliament, media, 7 The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) defines civil society orga- nisations as ”all organisational structures whose members have objectives and responsibilities that are of general interest and who also act as mediators between the public authorities and citizens”.
15 Error! Unknown document 15 educational  institutions,  minorities,  professional  organisations  and  various  other NGOs. This dialogue has been reinforced following the entry into force of the EU- Croatia  Stabilisation  and  Association  Agreement  (SAA)  on  1  February  2005.  For example, the first EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting took place in Zagreb on 3-4 March 2005.   Furthermore, the civil society dialogue benefits from the increasing participation of Croatia in Community programmes, such as such as the 6th Framework Program- me for RTD, Youth, Gender Equality, Tempus, Employment, Life-Third Countries programme,  which  are  facilitated  by  the  SAA  as  well  as  pre-accession  assistance. Moreover, with the full association of Croatia to the 6th Framework Programme as of the 1st of January 2006 (together with an initial action plan), Croatia will have the same status as Member States in the field of Research and Technological Deve- lopment. This will represent a unique opportunity to develop the integration of the Croatian scientific civil society in the EU's Research Area. Under the Tempus pro- gramme the Commission makes available an annual budget of € 4 million to encou- rage  projects  between  EU  and  Croatian  higher  education  institutions  which  also reach out to civil society actors. Additionally, a number of Member States are also engaging in and promoting bilateral cultural and educational contacts and activities as well as other forms of cooperation between themselves and Croatia. 2.2. Turkey Turkey has a history of close political and economic ties with the European institu- tions dating back to the signature of an Association Agreement in 1963, which sub- sequently led to the establishment of a Customs Union in 1995. Close bilateral inte- raction, at institutional but also at grass-root level, has taken place since the early sixties  and  has  intensified  since  the  official  recognition  of  Turkey  as  a  candidate country in 1999. As shown below, national and European institutions have develo- ped a number of bilateral activities with Turkey which fall under the scope of the civil society dialogue. These activities will need to be continued, strengthened, and in some cases streamlined and better promoted. 2.2.1. National public institutions 2.2.1.1. Bilateral relations Member States are quite active in promoting mutual exchanges, including mobility programmes,  scholarships,  media  development,  financial  support  to  NGO  deve- lopment, exchanges between professional organisations, school links and so on. In addition, cultural relations between Member States and Turkey are particularly in- tense and in some cases benefit from the establishment in Turkey of cultural insti- tutes  linked  to  Member  States.  The  Turkish  government  has  also  been  active  in promoting cultural events, public relations activities and parliamentary contacts. It is expected that all these activities will continue, intensify and diversify in the future, thus furthering the development of the civil society dialogue. 2.2.1.2. Turkish Communities in Members States Member States and the Turkish authorities, in co-operation with NGOs and civil society organisations, have also been active in facilitating the integration of Turkish communities in their host countries. Turkish nationals constitute by far the largest group of third-country nationals in the EU, and the presence of such communities
16 Error! Unknown document 16 helps shape Turkey’s image in the EU8. Activities should be further reinforced in this area, to encourage the Turkish communities living in Member States to partici- pate more actively in the EU-Turkey dialogue. Member States should continue to have  a  leading  role  in  implementing  projects,  in  co-operation  with  the  broadest array of partners ranging from local associations to prominent figures of Turkish origin in host countries, to academic experts. 2.2.2. Parliaments,  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  (EESC), Committee of the Regions (CoR) Inter-parliamentary relations, contacts involving political parties and sustained per- sonal  contacts  between  members  of  parliaments  contribute  to  promoting  mutual understanding, and will represent a key dimension of the civil society dialogue. The European Parliament and its Turkish counterpart have had a crucial role in develo- ping  a  dialogue.  In  particular,  the  EU-Turkey  Joint  Parliamentary Committee  has offered for many years a platform for exchanges between elected members of both sides. Fruitful exchanges have also taken place between national parliaments. It is expected that activities of this kind will increase. Moreover, an enhanced program- me  of  internships  of  Turkish  Parliamentary  assistants  in  the  Parliaments  of  the Member States and in the European Parliament should be envisaged. Finally, ex- changes between youth and women branches of Turkish and EU political parties should be encouraged. EU  institutions  such  as  the  Economic  and  Social  Committee  (EESC)  have  been active in establishing links with Turkey. Already ten years ago the EESC set up a Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) with Turkey, with the aim of promoting dialo- gue and co-operation between economic and social interest groups from both sides. The JCC clearly contributes to the dialogue between civil societies, and envisages organising specific initiatives to develop this further. A similar role should be played by the Committee of the Regions, in particular as concerns the promotion of a dia- logue between local communities in Turkey and in Member States. 2.2.3. EU-Funded ongoing activities 2.2.3.1.   Development of civil society In the past few years, Turkey has experienced an impressive development of civil society. NGOs covering a broad range of issues have grown increasingly vocal and have been struggling to become social and political centres of influence. Since 2001, the EU has implemented a Civil Society Development Programme, a sizeable com- ponent of which is aimed at strengthening the development of NGOs in Turkey9. In addition, the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights has focused on  Turkey  and  supported  NGOs  through  micro  and  macro-projects.  The  pre- accession financial assistance programme for Turkey provided by the EU will con- tinue to make the strengthening of freedom of association and the development of 8 Commission Staff Working Document, Issues arising from Turkey’s Membership perspective, cited: “a total of about 3 million Turkish nationals officially registered in the EU-15 in 2002. The main recipient countries are Germany (77.8% of those migrant workers, or 2.3 million persons), France (7.9%, or 230 000 persons), Austria (4.7%, 135 000 persons) and the Netherlands (4.4%, or 128 000 persons) 9 In this framework, for example, a civil society development centre (CSDC) was set up to provide support and assistance to NGOs, and several micro-project programmes were funded, such as the Local Civic Initiative and the Greek-Turkish Civic Dialogue.
17 Error! Unknown document 17 civil society a priority in the future programming exercises. For 2005 € 8 million are earmarked in this area. 2.2.3.2.   Social dialogue, employment and social affairs Social partners and social NGOs play a key role in the elaboration and implementa- tion of EU legislation in the areas of labour law, health and safety at work, gender equality and non-discrimination10. They are also active in designing, implementing and  monitoring  employment,  social  inclusion  and  social  protection  strategies  and policies. The Commission has as a result always paid great attention to developing contacts with social partners and civil society organisations involved in social fields in Turkey, in particular with a view to bringing them closer to EU standards and ensuring full respect for trade union rights as defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).   The Commission will continue its policy of establishing close links and networking activities with such organisations in Turkey. Furthermore, it will strengthen Turkish participation in Community programmes in this area. Turkey already participates in the  Community  programmes  dedicated  to  gender  equality,  anti-discrimination, combating  social  exclusion  and  Employment  Incentive  Measures.  In  this  context Turkey should fully participate in all areas of trans-national co-operation, thereby allowing Turkish entities to respond directly to open calls for proposals and foste- ring  the  civil  society  dialogue  potential  of  the  programmes.  Pre-accession  funds should be allocated to finance the related increase of Turkey's financial contribu- tion. 2.2.3.3.   Community programmes Socrates, Youth, Leonardo da Vinci Activities carried out in the area of training and education are probably the most suitable to enhance citizens’ links and increase mutual knowledge and understan- ding. Since April 2004 Turkey has participated as full member in Community pro- grammes Socrates, Youth and Leonardo da Vinci. The Socrates programme strengthens the European dimension in education through trans-national projects and promoti- on of staff and learner mobility throughout the participating countries at all levels of education (school, higher and adult education). The Youth programme gives the opportunity  to  young  people,  youth  workers  and  youth  organisations  to  develop trans-national exchanges and non-formal educational activities. Finally, the Leonardo da Vinci vocational training programme promotes trans-national co-operation bet- ween institutional players in vocational training, in an effort to increase mobility, to foster innovation and to improve the quality of training.   The significant number of applications and participants during 2004 and the consi- derable increase of applications further to the 2005 call for proposals show that the Turkish public has great expectations as regards these programmes. It was estima- ted that a total number of 9000 participants took part in the three programmes du- ring the first year. The National Turkish Agency expects these figures to double by 2006. These programmes have great relevance and potential in Turkey, a country of 17 million students. Furthermore, a lot remains to be done to ensure reciprocity, as 10 Social dialogue is an integral part of the EU acquis in the social area and social partners have a privileged role in the legislative process at EU level through the compulsory consultation process foreseen in Art. 138 of the Treaty and the possibility of concluding agree- ments which can be implemented through Council Directives. Moreover, social partners and civil society organisations are also key actors in the co-ordination of policies in the areas of employ- ment, social inclusion and social protection.
18 Error! Unknown document 18 in 2004 visiting students to Turkey from other countries remain limited in number. The  overall  budget  allocation  for  Turkey’s  participation  in  the  three  programmes amounts to approximately € 30 million in 2005 (almost 2/3 of which provided as pre-accession  Community  support  and  1/3  by  the  Turkish  national  budget).  The Commission will encourage an enhanced Turkish participation in the programmes for  example  by  examining  the  possibility  to  provide  additional  funding  from  the pre-accession funds to complement the programme grants. 2.2.3.4.   Other ongoing activities in the academic area The Jean Monnet Scholarship programme, managed by the EC delegation in Anka- ra,  funds  post-graduate  scholarships  aimed  at  improving  the  expertise  of  Turkish young people in the area of European integration and at strengthening bonds bet- ween Turkish and EU citizens. The programme has been running for approximate- ly 15 years and has allowed several hundred Turkish scholars to get acquainted with issues related to European integration and civilization. It also has played a role in strengthening the links between EU and Turkish academic institutions. In the futu- re the Commission will strengthen the programme by increasing its budget alloca- tion. Other related initiatives will be considered, such as the establishment of a Jean Monnet Alumni Association and the extension of the programme to EU applica- tions for study in Turkey. The  Jean  Monnet  Action  “European  Integration  in  University  Studies”,  managed by the European Commission (DG Education and Culture), is an initiative open to Member and non Member States. It aims to stimulate academic excellence in the field of European integration studies and foster academic reflection on current Eu- ropean  integration  policy  priorities.  The  initiative supports  high-level  conferences and thematic groups by bringing together Jean Monnet professors, policy-makers and civil society. Currently, there are 7 Jean Monnet Chairs and 26 Jean Monnet Modules or Courses at Turkish universities. As a way to enhance the dialogue on issues concerning European integration between the Turkish academic world and the academics of the European Union, the European Commission invites further participation of Turkish universities. 2.2.3.5.   Human Resources and Mobility Actions in Research  (Marie Curie Ac- tions) Within the framework of Turkey's full association with the Framework Program- mes for Research, Technological development and demonstration, the Marie Curie Actions offer a coherent set of structured mobility schemes for researchers geared to the development and transfer of research competencies, the consolidation and widening of career prospects for researchers at all stages and the promotion of ex- cellence in European research.   3. INTRODUCING NEW ACTIVITIES The new activities outlined below are aimed at complementing the ongoing ones. However,  the  development  of  the  civil  society  dialogue  is  a  long  term  process which will accompany accession negotiations in the future. Consequently its precise scope cannot be entirely defined in advance, as it is bound to evolve in line with to the needs and suggestions expressed by civil society. In all activities, the European Commission will play a role by facilitating and sup- porting projects taking place within the framework of the civil society dialogue. It will also help promote the results of the projects. However, it will be up to the ac-
19 Error! Unknown document 19 tors of civil society to take the initiative, select specific themes to be developed and play an active role in conducting the dialogue. 3.1. Croatia Civil society dialogue with Croatia will evolve in light of a number of factors, for example as EU-Croatia relations deepen, as regional co-operation increases and as reconciliation with the region further develops. A number of the ongoing and futu- re activities, outlined in more detail for Turkey, may also be introduced or further developed with Croatia, as appropriate. For example, it would be of benefit if the civil society dialogue with Croatia further develops in fields related more directly to the practical impact of the EU accession process. This should generate greater un- derstanding of the benefits and challenges of EU integration, as well as encourage a debate on the EU’s fundamental values. To this end, contacts between economic and social partners, NGOs, professional and business organisations and the media in the EU and in Croatia should be encouraged, as well as the involvement of other important civil society actors such as religious communities. 3.2. Turkey 3.2.1. NGOs, social partners and professional organisations 3.2.1.1.   Long-term partnerships Building  on  the  experience  acquired  to  help  develop  civil  society  in  Turkey,  the Commission will establish a dedicated civil society dialogue grant scheme, with the objective of providing NGOs and other civil society organisations with the necessa- ry assistance to co-finance bilateral exchange projects with EU counterparts aimed at  improving  mutual  knowledge  and  ensuring  collaboration,  namely  through  ex- changes of best practices.   Such  increased  international  exposure  should  also  be  aimed  at  helping  Turkish NGOs grow stronger and participate more actively in EU debates. Organisations active in such crucial areas as youth, gender-equality, environment, consumer rights, cultural rights, civil and human rights, and combating social exclusion and discrimi- nation of all kinds, should be particularly encouraged to establish a dialogue with their EU counterparts. Priority will be given to projects aimed at establishing long- term, sustainable relations between EU and Turkish NGO groupings, where appli- cable.  Furthermore,  efforts  will  be  made  to  have  the  circle  of  project  developers and partners include those NGOs based in remote areas, or that have been scarcely involved in EU-funded projects thus far. The  civil  society  dialogue  will  also  extensively  involve  the  business  community, professional organisations and social partners from both sides. In this regard, the Commission  will  support  long-term  partnerships  between  Turkish  organisations and their EU counterparts. Partnerships will also be encouraged between sectoral organisations from both sides and between Turkish national organisations and their partners based in EU Member States. Exchanges between EU and Turkish coun- terparts should particularly be developed in areas such as the agriculture sector, the judiciary, lawyers and their respective associations, as well as equality bodies. 3.2.1.2.   Gender-equality Through close links between women’s rights and equal opportunities organisations in the EU and in Turkey, the civil society dialogue will contribute to the objectives of strengthening the position and participation of women in all aspects of Turkish
20 Error! Unknown document 20 society, as well as tackling other problems, such as domestic violence, as highlighted in the recommendations of the recent European Parliament report on the role of women in Turkey in social, economic and political activities11. Particular considera- tion  will  have  to  be  given  to  women’s  representation  in  the  labour  market,  their representation in political decision making, whether on national level or on regional and local level. The Commission will seek to include gender equality and the equal opportunity dimension in all activities covered in this communication. 3.2.2. Business Council EU-Turkey During past negotiations, the business sector has played a crucial role, by develo- ping bilateral trade and investment flows, facilitating exchanges and increasing mu- tual  knowledge.  The  possibility  will  be  investigated  of  setting  up  a  Euro-Turkey Business Council, with comparison made to similar successful projects carried out in Central European candidate countries during accession negotiations. This Coun- cil could operate as a forum of the main EU companies active in Turkey and their Turkish counterparts, with a view to acting as a link between European institutions and the local business associations in the interest of further developing trade and investments. 3.2.3. Local communities and town-twinning Trans-national   co-operation   between   local  communities   is   a   major   factor   to strengthen peace, stability and democracy. The concept of twinning between local municipalities has strongly developed in Europe since the end of the Second World War,  as  means  of  overcoming  past  grievances  between  neighbouring  countries, bringing people together and strengthening mutual ties. Almost 13,000 municipali- ties in the EU, including in new Member States, have established twinning arran- gements so far.   As far as Turkey is concerned, while a number of town-twinning arrangements with EU cities have come about in recent years, a general framework to boost the op- portunities to develop further such a fruitful tool of co-operation is lacking. Under the civil society dialogue, the Commission will examine how to support twinning between EU and Turkish cities, with a view to improving their mutual knowledge, developing common projects, organising seminars  on topics of common interest, and encouraging participation at grass-roots level. As for other activities covered by this  communication,  particular  efforts  will  be  made  to  involve  local  communities from remote and disadvantaged regions.   In particular, the Commission has proposed for the period 2007-2013 a Communi- ty programme called “Citizens for Europe”, aimed at promoting active European citizenship. It will encourage cooperation between citizens and civil society organi- sations from different countries. It will emphasise trans-national exchanges, espe- cially between citizens and organisations from current and future Members States. Approximately 40 % of this programme will be devoted to town twinning and citi- zens projects. Turkey could participate in this programme, in accordance with the general  terms  and  conditions  set  out  in  the  framework  agreement  concerning  its participation in the Community programmes, its participation being partly financed by the pre-accession funds. 11 European Parliament Draft Report (A6-0175/2005) final
21 Error! Unknown document 21 3.2.4. Youth, University and professional exchanges The Commission will put a strong emphasis on developing exchanges between EU and candidate countries in this area, by strengthening their participation in the rele- vant ongoing EU exchange programmes, as described above. Furthermore, in view of starting new initiatives in this area, the Commission will open a broad consulta- tion with the University and education sectors both in the EU and Turkey. In the area of education, the Commission will assess whether the existing mecha- nisms are sufficient to reach all target groups. For example increased support may be provided to encourage exchange of secondary school pupils, or projects aimed at encouraging the knowledge of mutual history. Other projects to be discussed may include online activities for under 18-year-old pupils, such as participating in on-line EU accession negotiation debates.   The  Commission  intends  to  encourage  a  closer  institutional  co-operation  among Universities based in the EU and in Turkey, in view not only of exchange of expe- rience and development of curricula, but also of setting up common independent academic  institutions  open  to  students  from  both  sides.  Such  institutions  should carry out research and teaching activities on EU and Turkish identity, history, cultu- re and civilisation, as well as develop teaching programmes on EU integration. In this respect, the Commission may support the setting up of local branches of gra- duate and postgraduate highly reputed EU and Turkish academic institutions. Al- ternatively, the Commission may support increased links of Turkey-based academic institutions  focusing  on  EU  studies  with  similar  graduate  and  postgraduate  EU- based similar institutions, in view of creating common Departments or Institutes.   Furthermore,  the  Commission  will  encourage  direct  co-operation  between acade- mic institutions in the EU and in Turkey in particular as concerns the subjects of law, economy, social science and history which are relevant to the EU-Turkey dia- logue. Academic research and publications carried out jointly by Turkish and EU academics will be supported in all these areas. Organisation of intellectual debates such as seminars, conferences, and workshops will also be supported. Awareness- raising activities aimed at wide dissemination of the research results will be encou- raged. Finally, the Commission will assess the possibility of developing a program- me of short internships for the exchange of young professionals in various areas.   3.2.5. Cultural exchanges The development of intercultural exchanges plays a crucial role within the civil so- ciety  dialogue  and  will  be  given  priority.  Under  the  new  generation  of  European Horizons and Mosaic programmes, now merged under one single programme and managed  by  the  EC  Delegation  in  Ankara,  the  Commission  will  enable  cross- border cooperation between Turkish NGOs and their EU partners operating in the cultural  and  arts  sector.  This  will  include  for  example  financing  joint  workshops and on-line cultural forums. Two different sets of activities can be envisaged: one that is open to children (such as the Turkish-European Children’s orchestra already receiving support) and a broader one aimed at adults, ranging from visual arts to the training of the culture sector, from heritage to popular culture. Furthermore, the Commission will support regular cultural events such as exhibi- tions, festivals, conferences, exchanges of artists in order to spread knowledge of Turkish arts in the UE and vice versa. In addition, a Euro-Turkey cultural award for the arts will be introduced, and the participation of the Turkish cultural sectors in existing European Community awards will be encouraged. Finally, the Commission
22 Error! Unknown document 22 will  actively  encourage  Turkish  cultural  NGOs  to  access  the  EU  networks  and partners and inform them on existing possibilities for cross-border co-operation. 3.2.6. Participation in Community Culture and Media programmes Turkey does not currently participate in two Community programmes which could provide  a  key  contribution  in  promoting  EU-Turkey  mutual  relations  in  two  key areas: the Culture 2000 and the MEDIA Plus programmes. Culture 2000 provides grants  to  co-operation  projects  in  all  artistic  and  cultural  fields  (performing  arts, plastic and visual arts, literature, heritage, cultural history, etc.). MEDIA Plus aims at strengthening the competitiveness of the European audiovisual industry with a series  of  support  measures  including  training  initiatives  for  audiovisual  industry professionals,  the  development  of  production  projects  (feature  films,  television drama, documentaries, animation and new media), as well as the distribution and promotion of European audiovisual works.   The Commission would welcome Turkish participation in the Culture 2000 and its successor programmes, in particular with a view to spurring EU-Turkey intercultu- ral dialogue and mutual knowledge. The Commission also encourages Turkish par- ticipation in MEDIA Plus, in particular with a view to catalysing production of te- levision and cinema products with European content. However, the participation by Candidate countries in the MEDIA programme is subject, according to its legal basis, to a prior examination of the compatibility of the Candidates’ national legisla- tion with the Community audiovisual acquis. The Commission has encouraged the Turkish authorities to align its legislation as soon  possible, so that it may benefit from the possibilities offered by the MEDIA programme.   3.2.7. Language training A major hurdle on the way of increased cooperation between Turkish civil society organisations and their EU counterparts, particularly as concerns organisations ba- sed in the furthermost Turkish provinces, is the lack of knowledge of foreign lan- guages. This problem affects most NGOs, not least in the cultural field, and cuts across  all  areas  covered  by  this  communication.  The  Commission  will  therefore support activities aimed at language learning and at the promotion of interpretation and translation into and  from  Turkish. The Commission will work with  Member States’ cultural organizations to enable language training, and will identify priority sectors. 3.2.8. Encouraging public debates, including on-line The Commission will do its utmost to encourage an open public debate with the participation of actors from both sides on the enlargement process, Turkish pro- spects of accession and all other cultural, political and institutional themes related to the civil society dialogue, with the aim of improving mutual understanding. Key opinion leaders from accession countries and the EU will be invited to take part in multi-media debates taking place in EU Member States. Debates should also invol- ve NGO and grass-roots participants and stimulate wider public interest and dialo- gue. The creation of Internet-supported platforms for the development of a virtual de- bate on topics related to the civil society dialogue will also be encouraged. A Web site providing information on Turkey and the enlargement process, as well as civil society  dialogue  activities,  with  links  to  NGOs,  schools,  universities,  research centres will be set up. Regular "chats" on accession-related topics, with the partici- pation of key actors and other interested parties will be organised regularly.
23 Error! Unknown document 23 3.2.9. Media The continuous work on EU information and communication concerning Turkey will be strengthened and intensified, in particular to raise awareness on the activities of the civil society dialogue carried out in other areas, with priority given to an au- dio-visual  component.  The  Commission  will  support  and  part  finance  television programmes introducing  various aspects of life and society in Turkey and in EU countries,  as  well  as  informing  Turkish  audiences  about  the  EU,  its  rules  and  its policies, aimed at the general public both in the EU and in Turkey, including the Turkish migrant communities in the European Union. Special attention will be de- voted  to  programmes  produced  by  regional  and  local  media  groups.  Partnership projects  between  television  companies  from  both  sides  aimed  at  producing  joint programmes will also be supported. 3.2.10.    Exchange and awareness-raising of journalists A programme of seminars involving EU and Turkish journalists will be established, with a view to giving the opportunity to Turkish and EU journalists to learn more about issues related to Turkish accession, develop an improved mutual understan- ding, and to provide opportunities for the exchange of best practices.   The programme may be developed with the support of organisations representative of journalists and other non-profit organisations at EU level. However, in order for the training programme to have an increased impact in Member States, the Com- mission will give priority to the development of direct contacts between professio- nal organisations of journalists from Turkey and from EU Member States, in parti- cular through mutual visits and joint seminars. Two components of this programme may be envisaged, i.e. one aiming at young journalists, and one more focused on high-level regular encounters between leading editors from both sides and promi- nent policy-making figures in the EU and in the Member States. 3.2.11.    Religious communities and associations As spelled out in the Commission recommendation of October 2004, the civil so- ciety dialogue should also focus on religious issues. An open, transparent and regu- lar dialogue with churches and other religious associations or communities and or- ganizations  will  thus  be  encouraged,  respecting  fully  their  specific  identity  and contribution.   Since the 1980s the European Commission has maintained a dialogue on European integration between churches and religions in accession countries and EU Member States on the one hand and European institutions on the other. A growing number of religious organisations have already appointed representatives in Brussels to car- ry out this work, who could be instrumental in developing this dimension of the dialogue. 4. IMPLEMENTATION MODALITIES 4.1. Advice from leading personalities The Commission will conduct regular consultation of leading personalities from the EU and Turkey, chosen on the basis of their expertise in EU-Turkey relations and their involvement in civil society, with the purpose of seeking their advice on ma- king proposals for future actions to be undertaken. Furthermore, such personalities