Turkey to open more difficult chapters in its EU process

PanARMENIAN.Net - "We have opened nearly all the easy chapters in EU process. Now, the remaining chapters require important benchmarks that could cause trouble at home and in Europe," Egemen Bağış, Turkey's state minister and chief negotiator in EU process, said.



To open the chapter on social policies, the law on trade unions must be adopted, the Turkish official said, adding that the same goes for the chapter on the environment and the laws and regulations on waste treatment. "We are planning to open the chapter on the environment during the Swedish presidency," Bagis noted.



The negotiations between Turkey and the EU started in 2005, but so far, only 10 chapters out of 35 have been opened, mostly because of the Cyprus problem and France's opposition to Turkey's full membership. Eight chapters were suspended because Turkey rejects to open its ports and airports to Cyprus.



"For us, our reform process is much more important than the number of opened chapters. If we focus too much on the chapters, then we'll let Brussels get behind the wheel, but if we are concentrated on reforms, then the control will be in Parliament," Hurriyet quotes Bagis as saying.