Nieuwe impuls toetredingsproces van Turkije vraagt om meer betrokkenheid lokale autoriteiten (en) - Hoofdinhoud
The Committee of the Regions' Working Group on relations with Turkey met yesterday in Yenimahalle to debate latest developments in EU-Turkey relations and their impact on local authorities. Local and regional representatives from the EU and Turkey welcomed the new dynamics in the country's accession process, in particular the recent opening of negotiations in the field of regional policy and positive steps in local democracy and regional development. The CoR called for the further involvement of local and regional authorities in the process so as to build on the current momentum.
Organised today at the invitation of Fethi Yasar, Mayor of Yenimahalle, the 14th meeting of the Working Group on relations with Turkey debated the latest developments in the EU accession negotiations from a local perspective, in particular as regards the decentralisation process and the involvement of the country's local authorities in industry relations. The meeting was particularly timely given last month's adoption of the 2013 Progress Report on Turkey in which the European Commission recommends resuming work on negotiating chapters, a process which had been virtually on a standstill over the recent years. An important development in this respect is the opening in early November of the accession talks on a new chapter, namely Chapter 22 on Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments.
As chair of the Working Group, Heinz Lehmann (DE/EPP), Member of Sachsen State Assembly, said: "After a long stalemate Turkey's accession process has finally started to move forward again. Whilst the negotiations at national level were on hold, dialogue between the CoR and Turkish local representatives continued unabated. Members of this Working Group have worked tirelessly to promote the benefits of local self-government and offer Turkish local politicians the opportunity to highlight remaining obstacles." Mr Lehmann welcomed the opening of Chapter 22 on regional policy which he sees as "an expression of a shared commitment to pursuing the process of convergence". He further stressed that "The CoR hopes to use its specific resources to be yet more closely involved in the accession process, and reiterates its call for the Working Group on Turkey to be converted to a joint consultative committee. This would make it possible to focus even more on local and regional issues in the accession process, which remains far from straightforward."
The Mayor of Yenimahalle, Fethi Yasar, emphasised the importance of the opening of the 22nd negotiation chapter for local authorities: "As municipalities are the closest level of government to the citizens, the main target should be to ensure their involvement in the process for improving service capacity, contribute to EU-Turkey dialogue and enhance democracy." He insisted on the need for more decentralized local governance in Turkey together with more resources allocated to municipalities, a view shared by Gökhan Günaydın, member of the Turkish National Assembly.
As rapporteur on the CoR opinion on "Enlargement strategy and main challenges 2013-2014", Arnoldas Abramavičius (LT/EPP), Mayor of Zarasai District Municipality and Member of the Municipal Council, stressed the importance of the role of cities and regions in further developing local democracy in Turkey. He highlighted recent progress in devolving power to local governments, including the new Law on Metropolitan Municipalities and the introduction of a new system of elected governors. He however deplored a lack of consultation and impact assessments before the adoption of key policies and legislation affecting the local level.
Michael Miller, Head of Section for Political affairs at the EU Delegation to Turkey, stressed the EU commitment to Turkey's accession, while underlining that the process would require political will from both sides. He also referred to the opening of negotiations on the new chapter as "building momentum" and reinforcing credibility for EU-Turkey relations.
CoR Working Group on relations with Turkey:
The Working Group on relations with Turkey was set up in December 2006 to ensure that the CoR and the Turkish local and regional authorities are involved in the EU enlargement process, in particular with regard to the implementation of the acquis communautaire at regional and local level. Through this Working Group, the CoR also intends to foster permanent dialogue with local and regional political representatives in Turkey, and encourage the organisation of debates on the enlargement process in the cities and regions of both the EU and Turkey.
The Working Group is composed by 11 members of the CoR and meets twice a year with its Turkish counterparts. The participation of local and regional representatives from Turkey varies according to the topics discussed and the place of the meeting.
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