Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-12-01-Speech-3-119"
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"en.19991201.10.3-119"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, my reports follow on from the report published last year on Turkey by Mr McMillan-Scott and Mr Swoboda and from the resolution of this House of 6 October which concluded on the importance of expanding the European strategy for Turkey. This House should therefore be able tomorrow to adopt these two proposals for European Parliament and Council regulations on the implementation of measures, on one hand, to promote economic and social development in Turkey and, on the other, to intensify the EC-Turkey Customs Union.
The first proposal involves financing, over the next three years, up to a total of EUR 135 million based on Article 130 of the EC Treaty. This requires the codecision procedure to be used. The second proposal which, over the same period, provides for a commitment of EUR 15 million, may come under a simple consultation procedure.
The EU is therefore prepared to resume the financial aid decided on in March 1995 under the Customs Union agreements. This aid has been blocked since then due to a lack of unanimity in Council.
I will not expand on the reasons for this blockage other than to say that the crisis in the Aegean played a major part. European concerns in the essential areas of respect for human rights and the protection of ethnic minorities were also very much taken into consideration. In this respect, the forum which was requested by this House should have an important role to play. It could use the existing structures, particularly within the Economic and Social Committee of the European Community.
The proposals for regulations submitted for our approval will, under these conditions, help to encourage the continuation of the current political development. They contain a clause authorising the Council to take the appropriate steps if it were proven that the most basic rights were being violated in Turkey. This clause stipulates that either this House or the Commission could propose suspension to the Council.
I must stress that if we care about the coherence of the strategy adopted and approved by this House in recent months, we should avoid introducing, through our amendments, any measures which would block the process that has been started. We must not lose sight of the importance of encouraging a fruitful dialogue with Turkey, if only, for example, for obvious geostrategic reasons.
Finally, as a reminder, although the provisions establishing all this aid involve financing over three years of EUR 150 million, the European Union’s trade surplus with Turkey has doubled since the entry into force on 1 January 1996 of the Customs Union agreement, thereby increasing in four years from EUR 4 billion to EUR 8 billion.
I truly believe that the Community must now honour its previous commitments so as not to discourage all those in Turkey who are resolutely committed to the Customs Union route and who have therefore decided to attach their country to the European Economic Area."@en1
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