GUNTER VERHEUGEN Genişlemeden Sorumlu AB Komisyonu Üyesi Member of the European Commission Responsible for Enlargement In The Case of Turkey We are Still Concemed About the Human Right and the Rights ofMinorities Together with President PRODI, I am pleased to be able to give a face-a-face account of the conclusions reached by the Commission in its 13 progress reports. In addition, I should like to present you with the proposal for an accession partnership with Turkey and address some aspects of the "Strategy Paper on Enlargement" in greater detail. The beneficial effects of enlargement are already there for us to see. Stable democracies have been established in Central and Eastern Europe. The system has already achieved a high level of stability. There is no reason to fear a return to authoritarian structuresof worse. Most of this success is attributable to the candidate countries, their elected political representatives and above all the population. They themselves and no-one else decided to strike out on the difficult road leading to the creation of open societies, modern democracies and functioning market economies. The steady progress they have made is all thanks to their own political foreseight and courage. However, the decisive factor in this progress has been and continues to be the prospectof European integration. The motivation for political and economic reforms and the direction they have taken are also conditioned by the need to satisfy the criteria for accessionto the European Union laid down in Copenhagen in 1993 and defined in greater detail inMadrid in 1995. The 13 Progress Report have been drawn up strictly on the basis of these criteria. I should first like to sum up our assessment of the political criterion: Democratic structures and the rule of law have on the whole been strengthened. Protection of human rights has continued to improve. The Central and Eastern European candidate countries realise that they will be joining a community of values based on democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the protection minorities. Having said that, the reform process, particularly the development of the legal system, will have to be taken further if the rule of law and the effective implementation of the acquis communautaire are to be properly guaranteed. The problem of corruption, which in a number of candidate countries is still unsolved, gives cause for concern. The creation of permanently stable structures and of a transparent environment for the economy demands tangible results in this field. The growing problem of trafficking in women and children demands radical measures. Determined efforts continue to be needed to improve the situation of the Roma. In the last year's Strategy Paper, the Commission highlighted the problem of the orphpnages in Romania. Since then, Romania has, with the assistance of PHARE, taken legislative, administrative and financial measures intended to put an end to this disgrace. However, the living conditions of more than 100.000 children have not improved and more protracted efforts and structural reformes are imperative if real improvements are tobe made. In the case of Turkey, however, we made it clear in the last report that it did not satisfy the political criteria laid down at Copenhagen. Our view has not changed. We are still concerned about the inadequate respect for human rights and the rights of minorities as well as about the constitutionally enshrined role played by the armed forces in political life via the National Security Council. The situation of the Kurds has to be improved and the state of emergency still in effect in the 4 south-eastern provinces must be lifted. However, I should at the same time make it clear that the "Helsinki Process" has revealed the first positive signs of political willingness for reform. "Helsinki" has also prompted debate amongst the Turkish public on the conditions for Turkey's accession to the EU, a debate which is supported and encouraged by the forces for reform in Turkey. An example of this is the report on torture in Turkey produced by the Human Rights Committee of the Turkish National Assembly. In September 2000, on the basis of a report by the Supreme Coordination Board for Human Rights, the Turkish Government defined a number of"priority objectives" for reform and legislation with the aim of satisfying the political criteria of Copenhagen. It also signed two important human rights conventions. However, the crucial point here, is the fact that Turkey now taking the decisions needed in order to give practical expression to its intentions regarding respect for human rights. The Commission has presented its proposal for a Council Decision on an accession partnership with Turkey. The document sets out practical short and longterm priorities in thepolitical and economic fields as well as for the harmonisation of legislation, which Turkey should implement in the context of a national programme in order to satisfy the Copenhagen criteria. Financial cooperation with Turkey will be guided by these priorities. In the political field, the document outlines a number of fundamental and far-reaching political reforms that are needed in order to satisfy the Copenhagen critera. They include constitutional guarantees for freedom of opinion, assembly and religion, the abolition of the death penalty, the prevention of torture, the adaptation of the role of the Armed Forces to the rules of a democratic society, the lifting of the state of emergency in the south-east of the country and guarantess for the cultural rights of ethnic minorities. The progress made by most candidates in their preparations for accession signify a considerable improvement in the securirty situation in Europe and the opening up of an enormous potential for economic development. Analysis of the advances made in the individual countries shows that the reforms are paying off. In some cases, the transformation of economic structures has already progressed so far that a high level of growth is being achieved on the basis of the new structures. Enlargement unquestionably offers gains onall sides. For the candidate countries, this means the opportunity to catch up with the general standard of living in Europe as well as to compete internationally on far better terms. The advantages for the Member States are already perceivable. The European Union is by far the largest trading partner of the thirteen candidate countries. Between 1993 and 1999, the total value of trade almost trebled to 210 billion Euro. Together, these countries account for 13,7% of total foreign trade, a fact which makes them the EU's second most important trading partner after the USA. The EU's trade surplus with the candidate countries for 1999 stood at 25.8 billion Euro. Trading relations between the EU and the candidate countries have become even more intensive. This year we have been able to assess progress towards satisfying the economic cirteria of Copenhagen against a background of strong growth worldwide, where the higher growth in the European Union has had a particularly beneficial effect for the candidate countries. Whereas the figures for 1999 were still adversely affected by the crises in Asia, Russia and Kosovo, any effect on the figures so far available for the year 2000 is barely perceivable. The real growth in GDP in ten Central and Eastern European Countries as a whole has been put provisionally at 4% and for all 13 candidate countries over the last reporting period has improved considerably. However, the high unemployment in most of the candidate countries continues to give cause for concern. In countries such as Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia,where the unemployment rate is relatively high, the structural reforms should provide a solid foundation for economic growth and the creation of new jobs in the future. As in the previous year, the Commission considers that Cyprus and Malta satisfy both the economic criteria. Compared with the previous year, there are two major changes: In the case of Estonia, Hungary and Poland as well as, with slight differences, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, the Commission arrives at the conclusion that, provided they are consistent in carrying on their reforms, these countries will satisfy the second economic criterion of Copenhagen, namely the ability to cope with market forces in the European Union, "in the near future". In the case of Lithuania and Slovakia, the Commission observes for the first time that both countries can be regarded as market economies, though they will only be able to satisfy the competitiveness criterion in the medium term. In this respect, these two candidates are in the same position as Latvia. Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey still to satisfy either of these two criteria. The Union's enlargement policy must be implemented purposefully and transparently. President PRODI has already said what has to be said in this respect. However, the Union has hand sound reasons for not drawing up a rigid timetable. Having said that, we have also drawn up guidelines for the chronological dimension of the enlargement process. The negotiating process will now enter into an even more difficult and arduous phase. The most important consideration in this connection is the fulfilment of the undertaking to decide on the necessary institutional reforms by the end of the year 2000, there by enabling us to embrace the new Member States from the end of 2002. The second important consideration is the clear political determination not to allow any issues still unresolved to drag on any further but to tackle them immediately, in order words the need to proceed with the more substantial phase of the negotiations. The Commission is today presenting practical recommendations for speeding up and lending greater dynamism to the negotiating process on the basis of the enlargement strategy decided on at Helsinki. The main featured of these recommendations are as follows: Transitional measures: The negotiations should now focus on those matters of susbstance in relation to which the candidate countries have requested transitional measures.We as the Commission undertake to distinguish between acceptable, negotiable and unacceptable demands. A detailed "road map" with clear chronological guidelines for the discussion of these matters in the course of 2001 and 2001. Here we suggest that the chapters still outstanding and the connected demands for transitional measures be adressed in three six-monthly sequences. This amounts to an indicative timetable highlighting those areas on whicha position has to be adopted. In this way, individual neaotiating chapters can be tackled in a diffrent order and of course also be dealt with earlier. A proposal for the simplification of the negotiations involving a procedure for the "re-presentation" of chapters with a limited number of unresolved problems. This more technically designed proposal should enable us to close a number of chapters and isolate particular problems for a later phase of the negotiations. A new approach to the opening of the negotiating chapters in the case of the so-called"Helsinki States", serving as a catch up mechanism. Here we will have to rely in large measure on the candidates to send us their position papers as quickly as possible. An indication as to the time anticipated as necessary for the completion of the negotiations. The proposed strategy, which is based on the principle of differentiation, should make it possible for the negotiations with those candidate countries which have met all thecriteria for accession to be completed in the course of 2002 so that new Member Statescan be admitted from the end of that year. This proposed timing dovetails well with yoursuggestion that certain candidates should be in a position to take part in the 2004 European Parliament elections. Even, if as proposed, there is no fixed final date for the completion of enlargement, time is nonetheless pressing, it is an illusion to believe that the EU will keep the enlargementproject open for an unlimited period. If anything, a window of opportunity is now open but it will not remain open for ever. It must be understood that over the last ten years the societies of ten candidate countries have been exposed to enormous pressure. On the one hand they have had to cope with the transition from the Communist system of bureaucratic control and a planned economy to democracy and the market economy, while at the same time having to adapt to the highly developed system of European integration. The attendant social stress cannot be held in check for long periods. It is quite understandable that the people concerned want to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is not to beruled out that the readiness to accept reforms and further efforts will decrease if those people no longer believe that the goal of EU membership will actually be reached. Whatever doubts and frustration may arise can only be dissipated if the EU shows the necessary determination and leadership. Today the European Commission has made its contribution to that process. GUNTER VERHEUGEN: "TÜRKİYE'DEKİ İNSAN VE AZINLIK HAKLARI KONUSUNDAKİ ENDİŞELERİMİZ DEVAM EDİYOR" Bugün size kaydedilen ilerlemeyle ilgili 13 Komisyon raporunun sonuçlarını sunmaktanmutluluk duyuyorum. Bu raporlar sadece kriterler bazında hazırlandı. Demokratik yapı ve hukukun hakimiyeti genelde güçlendirildi. İnsan haklarının korunması konusundaki ilerlemeler sürüyor. Ancak, yapılan reformlar henüz yeterli değil. Yolsuzluk sorunu halen endişe konusu. Giderek büyüyen kadın ve çocuk ticareti acil önlemler gerektirmekte. Türkiye'ye gelince, insan ve azınlıkların hakları, silahlı kuvvetlerin rolü, Kürtler'in durumu ve OHAL'in halen tamamen kaldırılmamış olması konularındaki endişelerimiz sürüyor. Ancak, Helsinki'nin, reform yapmaya istekli bir siyasi eğilimin ilk olumlu belirtilerini ortaya çıkarttığını da söylemeliyim. Bunun bir örneği, TBMM İnsan Hakları Komisyonu'nun işkence raporu. Türk Hükümeti iki tane de önemli insan hakları anlaşmasını imzaladı_ Türkiye'ye sağlanacak mali desteği de yönetecek olan kısa ve uzun vadeli politik ve ekonomik öncelikler belirtiliyor. Ekonomik alanda, "yakın bir gelecekte", AB'nin pazar gücüyle başa çıkabilmek gerekiyor. Türkiye bu politik ve ekonomik kriterlere henüz uyum sağlayamadı. Komisyon bugün, Helsinki'de belirlenen genişleme stratejisi doğrultusunda kararlı ve şeffaf bir genişleme politikasını, dinamik görüşmelerle uygulayabilmek için bir pratik önerilerpaketi sunuyor. Genişlemenin tamamlanması için kesin bir tarih belirlenmemiş olmakla birlikte, zaman geçiyor. Bir fırsat penceresi şu an açık, ama onun sonsuza kadar açık kalacağını ummakbir hayal olacaktır.