GUNTER VERHEUGEN Member of the European Commission Responsible for Enlargement Avrupa Komisyonu Genişlemeden Sorumlu Üyesi BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER We are not always aware that we are living through major historical changes. Sometimes, however, history crystallises into a single, overwhelming event. One such event was the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989. What many had thought impossible just happened in a matter of days. A physical dividing line between people was torn down. Few months ago I experienced the same sensation again, the feeling that I could literally reach out and touch a major change. I am thinking back to 16 April in Athens. In the Stoa of Attalos, the division of Europe was ended. The biggest and politically most far-reaching Accession Treaty in the history of European integration was signed. That moment saw Europe's every achievement of lasting value combining with everything it stands to achieve in the future. There were the Heads of States and Governments of the 15 member states joining hands with the ten countries that will join on 1 May 2004. And among the ten is Cyprus. Athens also symbolised the final healing of the wounds inflicted on Europe by tyranny and war. It was the latest step in a process that ultimately will secure a lasting peace for the whole of Europe. The week after Athens there was another of these historical developments. Suddenly the restrictions of crossing the line here in Cyprus were eased. People that had not met for decades met again. Thousands passed the line in both directions. We saw and you experienced these touching events of mothers - Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots - comforting each other for losses of loved ones many years ago. We saw friendship and happiness in the faces of people of all communities. These were good examples of humanity and reason taking priority over fear and distrust. It also showed clearly that the myth that your two communities can't live peacefully together is wrong. These openings must continue. It seems to me that in the case of the crossing of the dividing line there is no going back. On the contrary further confidence building measures are important. But confidence-building measures, however far-reaching, will never be an alternative to a reunification of the island. Dividing lines must disappear - not only across our continent, but also across your island. A window of opportunity presents itself before the accession of Cyprus to the European Union on 1 May 2004. If you want, it will be a united Cyprus that joins the Union. The conditions for it are all there. And let me recall that this has always been the EU's preferred option. It is now time for deeds. The peace process must be resumed. The failure in March was a serious lost opportunity for all. But it must not discourage us, on the contrary. The UN Secretary General ANNAN's plan remains on the table. Like any good compromise it calls for openness and flexibility from all parties. It is the result of years of efforts. All stones have already been turned. The plan is comprehensive and provides the best possible bases for the settlement we all wish to see. And let me underline that the quick implementation of the plan is compatible with EU membership. To the extent there is a need for transitional periods or other adaptations, we have made it clear from the outset that we will be able to accommodate the terms of a settlement in line with the principles on which the European Union is founded. The EU will also make a substantial financial contribution in support of the development of the northern part of a reunited island. The Secretary General has made it clear that he is prepared to reactivate his role once the parties show the necessary will. It is therefore for all the parties involved to show a solid political determination to reach a comprehensive settlement. Let us seize this unique opportunity and bring peace, security and prosperity to the whole island. Let us make use of the new momentum and the improved atmosphere on the island now and have the courage to find a just and viable settlement by 1 May 2004. A first step already now could be the resumption of the work of the technical committees that were set up as part of the peace process. There is a substantial amount of aspects that needs to be looked into. It concerns issues such as the common laws needed for the re-united island and the future of international Treaties entered into by the parties. It has been said by many that there is too much history in Cyprus. History that contains violence, injustice and distrust between the communities on the island. It hurts to see the buildings in the fenced off area of Varosha decaying since 1974. It hurts to see the ruined houses in the buffer zone, not to mention the "wall" which still divides Nicosia. But a settlement to follow on the heels of Cyprus' accession would indeed be historic. It would be an achievement not only for the prosperity of this beautiful island. It would also be a good example on how European integration is conducive to healing wounds and create the environment for peace, stability and prosperity of all its citizens. Few months ago the Commission adopted a "goodwill package" in support of the northern part of Cyprus. The objective is to promote economic development of the northern part of Cyprus and bringing it closer to the Union. The package should promote confidence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and will therefore be supportive to a comprehensive settlement. The package was prepared in consultations with the Government of the Republic and various Turkish Cypriot interlocutors. It is a generous package. For 2003 an additional 12 million Euro will finance a number of projects and other measures in the northern part of Cyprus. It includes infrastructure projects for the main cities in the north, grant schemes for small and medium-sized enterprises and feasibility studies to prepare the economic integration of the northern part with the EU after a solution. Most of the projects will be implemented via the UN. Let me take this opportunity to thank the UNOPS with whom we have established a very well functioning co-operation. But we do not intend to contribute only to the economic integration. We also want to bring the northern part closer to the Union. We will organise acquis information seminars and we will find ways to encourage participation of Turkish Cypriots in Community programs such as Youth for Europe, Leonardo or Socrates. We will support civil society projects. This is the core of bringing the communities closer to each other. Let me give one example of what I mean. I have already mentioned the historic dimension of Cyprus. For a non-Cypriot it seems that the perception of the history of the island differ between the communities. There is a need for improved common understanding of what happened in the past. A symbolically important step would be a bi-communal project to define the history common to both Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Such a project could be carried out by the Council of Europe building on its experience on similar projects. It would be an example of real reconciliation. We are ready to financially support such a project. We will also continue the translation of the acquis into Turkish and prepare the ground for Turkish becoming an official language of the Union in the event of a settlement. On the trade side, we have devised a way to facilitate exports to the EU of goods produced in the northern part of the island. It meets the obligatory conditions laid down by our acquis and a judgement of the European Court of Justice. A key point is the involvement of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce that would issue the relevant movement certificates. Another is the role of EU experts in carrying out the necessary phytosanitary inspections in the northern part. The procedure will facilitate exports, but for it to function there is a need for flexibility and good intentions from all parties. We need to agree on practical arrangements on how goods would be transported on the island and conditions under which goods can pass from the north to the south. We will from the EU support you in implementing the measures but it is up to you to use these possibilities. From our side, we welcome the package from the Government for the Turkish Cypriots. We look forward to its further implementation and hope for example that the de-mining of the buffer zone can start soon and that various obstacles such as in the field of telecommunications can be removed. Since the signing of the Treaties in Athens, the process towards enlargement has continued without interruption. There have been positive referenda in seven future member states. From the results it is clear that there is a strong popular wish to join the EU. Poland is a good example where an impressive 78% of the voters said yes to Europe. Ratification in the present member states continues according to plan. In November the Commission will present a comprehensive monitoring report. We will thoroughly analyse if and how the commitments made by you and the other future members have been implemented. The result so far does not give cause for alarm. But if it turns up that there are major deficiencies in for example areas of the internal market, we will not hesitate from taking the necessary safeguard measures. With regard to Bulgaria and Romania we will continue the negotiations. They are part of the same inclusive and irreversible process as the 10. However they have another timetable, with accession in 2007. We support their efforts and we will in the coming year have to reflect on how the negotiations can be brought to an end and how they will interact with the work on the next financial perspective. Let me say two words about Turkey. It is a candidate country. The European Council in Copenhagen established a time frame for the Turkish accession process. If the political criteria are fulfilled by the end of 2004, accession negotiations will begin without delay. This political roadmap provides a chance for Turkey. It is the same chance as the one all the other candidate countries had and used. The sequence is clear, first the political criteria and then negotiations. Turkey's progress is impressive. However despite the reforms, there continues to be important restrictions in light of the Copenhagen political criteria. It concerns for instance freedom of associations, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the role of the military. And it concerns implementation on the ground such as the suppression of torture. The present Turkish Government is determined to meet the political road map from Copenhagen. But the time is short and there is no room for delays. In order to assist Turkey, we have strengthened the co-operation in a number of areas such as political dialogue, justice and home affairs and maritime safety. We have also significantly increased the financial assistance to Turkey and we have revised the accession partnership. The accession partnership will provide the grid for assessing whether Turkey meet the political criteria and hence for the next stage of Turkey's candidature. Turkey's support for a comprehensive settlement here on Cyprus is crucial in this context. A settlement would not only enable the Turkish Cypriots to join their Greek Cypriot compatriots and be fully integrated in the EU. It would also remove an issue, which would otherwise become a serious obstacle to realising Turkey's own aspirations to open accession talks. The discussion on future relations of the enlarged EU with its neighbours has intensified as we come closer to the 1 May 2004. This is nothing dramatic. It is a sign of the natural attraction of the enlarged EU. For its part the Commission recently put forward a communication on the Wider Europe. The point of departure is the ongoing enlargement process. Enlargement has offered all countries in Central and Eastern Europe great hopes. It has created an extremely dynamic process in those countries that have the perspective of EU membership. And it has opened a whole range of opportunities for those countries that are not included in the current accession process. This is also true for our Southern neighbours in the Mediterranean region, with whom we have established a special relationship in the context of the Barcelona process. In fact, the Barcelona Process was launched at the time of the previous enlargement of the EU. Cyprus is already an active partner in this co-operation. The objective of the new Neighbourhood Policy is twofold. Firstly, to create, together with our partners, an area of prosperity and stability based on shared values and the principles of economic integration, the strengthening of political bonds and co-operation in a broad range of domains. Secondly, to develop a preferential relationship. This could take the form of what one could call a "proximity" or "neighbourhood agreement", and would include the prospect of enjoying the "four freedoms". Of course, sharing prosperity means calling on our neighbours to make progress towards the high standards that we have set ourselves within the European Union. Respect for human rights and individual liberties require the effective implementation of the rule of law and participatory institutions. Economic rules and regulatory structures need to be aligned to the acquis in order for markets to interconnect. Cyprus should play an important role in framing this new approach. Its deep-rooted links with neighbours around the Mediterranean will be a very useful asset in this work. The bigger and more united Europe is, the greater its global interests will be. The world is basically waiting for a Europe that will wield greater clout in world affairs. And Europe is certainly not standing around empty handed today. It is by far the biggest donor in international development policy. Europe is a world leader when it comes to implementing global environmental objectives. Europe has gone the furthest towards opening up its markets to the world's poorest countries. Europe is the world's strongest trading power. And Europe has the most experience in stabilising and democratising countries and systems threatened by internal collapse. But Europe needs to translate its achievements into an effective European contribution to global governance. Europe needs a stable, viable relationship with the United States, based on a common geopolitical agenda. There are two preconditions for this. Europeans must resist the temptation to seek their identity in anti Americanism. And the US has to see European integration as being in its own strategic and economic interest. If we look at the US's current priorities, there is nothing fundamentally objectionable about its goals: fighting terrorism, eliminating weapons of mass destruction and taming countries with a growing propensity for aggression. However, an exclusively military approach to terrorism will not work. Its causes have to be addressed, which involves fighting poverty, a rigorous policy on human rights, world-wide social justice, harnessing the destructive forces of economic globalisation and managing environmental risks. And, more than anything else, the law has to come into its own as the foundation of global governance. There remains the question of whether the forthcoming enlargement will complicate Europe's foreign and security policy integration. I do not believe it will. That our new central and eastern European members should have good relations with the US is not a disadvantage. It could even help us maintain and intensify stable Trans Atlantic relations. We should not underestimate the fact that most central and eastern Europeans now joining us see the US as the main cause of the collapse of Soviet communism. And we also have to understand why Nato's military umbrella was so important to them. Cyprus's accession to the European Union is part of a unique historical process. Our wish is to enable all Cypriots to be part of this process from the very beginning. Therefore, no efforts should be spared to reach a comprehensive settlement before the 1 May 2004. I am convinced that, contrary to the persistent perception on both sides, the solution to the Cyprus problem is not a zero-sum game. A solution building on the UN Secretary-Generals plan would create a win-win situation. The persistence of the current state of affairs does not benefit either side and represents a lose-lose outcome for Cyprus and for Europe. I would like to encourage to show openness, courage and tolerance. Only then you will be able to "bring people together" and to create a new united Cyprus which will become a very valuable member of the European Union. İNSANLARI BİR ARAYA GETİRMEK 16 Nisan'da Atina'da düzenlenen toplantıyla Avrupa'nın bölünmüşlüğüne son verildi ve Avrupa'nın entegrasyonunda tarihin en büyük ve siyasi olarak en kapsamlı ortaklık anlaşması imzalandı. 15 AB üyesinin devlet ve hükümet başkanları, aralarında Kıbrıs'ın da bulunduğu, 1 Mayıs 2004'de üye olacak 10 ülkeyle el ele verdiler. O hafta bir başka tarihi gelişme daha yaşandı ve Kıbrıs'taki hattı geçme konusundaki sınırlandırmalar hafifletildi. İnsanlık ve mantığın, korku ve güvensizliğe baskın gelmesinin güzel bir örneği olan bu gelişme, iki toplumun bir arada barış içinde yaşayamayacağı yönündeki efsanenin yanlış olduğunu da gösterdi. Ancak ne kadar kapsamlı olursa olsun güven artırıcı önlemler, adanın birleşmesine hiçbir zaman alternatif olamaz. Kıbrıs'ın 1 Mayıs 2004'de AB'ye katılmasından önce yakalanması gereken bir fırsat vardır. İstenirse, birleşmiş Kıbrıs'ın AB'ye katılması için gereken bütün şartlar vardır. BM Genel Sekreteri ANNAN'ın planı hala masadadır; bütün iyi çözümlerde olduğu gibi bu konuda da her iki tarafın açık ve esnek davranması gerekmektedir. Ayrıca AB, birleşmiş adanın kuzey kısmının gelişmesini desteklemek için önemli bir maddi katkıda bulunacaktır. Atılacak ilk adımlardan biri, barış sürecinde kurulan teknik komitelerin tekrar çalışmaya başlaması olabilir. Bu komiteler, tekrar birleşen ada ve ileride tarafların imzalayacağı uluslararası anlaşmalar için gerekli ortak kanunların belirlenmesi gibi konuları ele alabilir. Komisyon, birkaç ay önce Kıbrıs'ın kuzey kısmını desteklemek üzere bir "iyi niyet paketi" kabul etti. Kıbrıs'ın kuzey kısmının ekonomik kalkınmasına katkıda bulunmayı ve bu kısmı AB'ye daha yakın hale getirmeyi amaçlayan bu paket, aynı zamanda Kıbrıslı Türkler ve Rumlar arasında güveni artırarak kapsamlı bir anlaşmaya da destek verecektir. Pakette, kuzeydeki ana şehirler için altyapı projeleri, KOBİ'ler için yardım projeleri ve kuzeyin ekonomik entegrasyonunu sağlamak için fizibilite çalışmaları var. Ayrıca müktesebat bilgileri konusunda seminerler düzenleyeceğiz ve Kıbrıslı Türkler'in çeşitli topluluk programlarına katılmasını destekleyeceğiz. Ayrıca müktesebatın Türkçe'ye çevrilmesine devam edeceğiz ve anlaşma sağlanması durumunda Türkçe'nin resmi dil olması için gerekli zemini hazırlayacağız. Ticaret ilerletmek için, adanın kuzeyinde üretilen malların AB'ye ihracatını kolaylaştıracak bir yöntem geliştirildi. Aday ülke olan Türkiye'ye gelince, Kopenhag'daki zirvede Türkiye'nin üyelik süreciyle ilgili takvim belirlendi. 2004 sonuna kadar siyasi kriterlere uyulursa, müzakereler gecikme olmadan başlatılacaktır. Türkiye reform yapmasına ve etkileyici gelişmeler kaydetmesine rağmen, örneğin dernek kurma özgürlüğü, ifade özgürlüğü, din özgürlüğü ve ordunun rolü gibi konularda önemli sınırlamalar devam etmektedir. Türkiye'ye yardımcı olabilmek için siyasi diyalog, adalet, iç işleri ve deniz güvenliği gibi konularda işbirliğini güçlendirildi.