Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-12-14-Speech-2-612"
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"en.20101214.39.2-612"2
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"Regarding the first question, I definitely belong to those who are not satisfied with the pace of our accession negotiations. I do not think it reflects the importance of the country, and the commitment on both sides, to open just one chapter per Presidency, bearing in mind that we were unable to open a new chapter during this Presidency even though there has been a lot of progress, in particular, on Chapter 8 dealing with competition.
There are a number of reasons for this. Unresolved issues concerning Cyprus still being divided is one of them. The number of chapters available for us to open through the framework of the accession negotiations is indeed limited. We have only three chapters to open in the time remaining – on competition, procurement and social policy – and these are not easy chapters. Eight of them are being frozen, based on Commission recommendations, as a reaction to Turkey’s non-implementation of the additional protocol, but there are other chapters which are being blocked by individual Member States.
In these circumstances, it is difficult for the Commission to provide any reasonable timetable. I can say that today in Brussels, in the framework of the General First Council at ministerial level, we had a good discussion on the EU-Turkey relationship and the accession negotiations in terms of agreeing on the text of declarations. I am also pursuing a number of routes for intensifying this process. I am confident that after the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Turkey, both sides will indeed be ready to do exactly that.
On freedom of the press, this is an issue of concern and one that the Commission is following very closely. The goal of this exercise is to go through all the 35 chapters, through all the opening and closing benchmarks, to make sure that Turkey not only aligns itself with the European Union acquis but also provides a track record of the implementation of that acquis. This very much concerns the political part of the Copenhagen criteria, which specifically relates to freedom of the media and the freedom of expression.
Together with the Member States and with the support of the European Parliament, we are very keen that the enlargement process is not just an exercise in ticking boxes, which might later cause problems with the implementation of some of the legislation or with the working of the institutions. It is a serious process where the track record is playing a more and more important role. This is exactly the process Turkey needs to go through before the question of whether it will succeed in becoming a member of the European Union is put on the table. That would be the best assurance that all freedoms, including the one mentioned by the honourable Member, are guaranteed."@en1
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