EU to open new negotiating chapter with Turkey June 30

PanARMENIAN.Net - Amidst concerns that Spain's six-month EU presidency could end without any new chapters being opened in Turkey's accession negotiations with the Union, Turkey's chief EU negotiator, State Minister Egemen Bagis has announced that a new chapter will be opened on June 30, the day Spain's six-month-long rotating presidency ends, Today’s Zaman reported.

President Abdullah Gul has approved the Food Safety Law that was adopted last week after long debates in Parliament and sent it to the Official Gazette for publication and implementation, Bagis, said, speaking at an award ceremony of the Association of European Journalists held in Istanbul.

“The EU has required the adoption of the Food Safety Law to open the negotiation chapter on food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy. The aforementioned chapter will be opened on June 30,” Bagis, said, adding that "we are catching up to meeting EU standards on agriculture and food safety."

In January, at the beginning of its rotating presidency, Spain had said it hoped to open accession talks on four chapters during its six-month presidency. Turkey, which formally began accession negotiations with the EU in 2005, has so far opened talks on only 12 chapters.