"The accession process was the main theme of our discussions. Getting agreement to start negotiations on the first chapter with Turkey was no easy matter – but the result shows that the 25 EU Member States are ready to act together and to be open to their EU partners", Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik declared after the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
The agreement in the Council was preceded by lengthy negotiations and several bilateral meetings with the Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou. The common negotiating position the EU adopted stresses the need for Turkey to implement the additional protocol to the EU-Turkey customs union agreement, which extends the customs union to all new EU members, including Cyprus. Should Turkey fail to implement in full the obligations arising from the agreement, this will impede general progress in the negotiations. Moreover, the EU reserves the right to revisit this negotiating chapter if necessary.
In a comment directed to Turkey, Foreign Minister Plassnik said: "The crux of the problem is Turkey's failure to meet commitments undertaken. All parties should take the message of the past few days seriously. Positive signals on extending the customs union to all 25 Member States are called for, otherwise the negotiations will inevitably run into major difficulties." The agreement reached on the Presidency compromise text enabled the first accession conference with Turkey to go ahead after the Council meeting.
Prior to this, the Council had agreed without further discussion to convene the first accession conference with Croatia.
Also on the Council agenda was the preparation of the European Council in Brussels on 15 and 16 June. In the field of external relations, the ministers reviewed developments in the Middle East and Iran. There was also a meeting with the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari in the margins of the Council.
Part of the Council meeting was devoted to the Western Balkans. The Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Albania was signed in the margins of the Council. In response to the independence referendum in Montenegro, the EU and its Member States agreed to develop their relations with Montenegro as a sovereign, independent state. "This is an encouraging sign for Montenegro. The EU has actively followed this process from the outset and will continue to do so. The outcome of the referendum must not lead to new divisions in the region, however. We have therefore called on Montenegro and Serbia to actively seek a direct dialogue and endeavour to develop good bilateral relations", Plassnik said.
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