Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kosová and Turkish Head of Diplomacy Hakan Fidan agreed on Friday in Ankara to modernize the customs union, which has been operating in its current form since 1995.
European Union Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kosová and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan agreed on Friday in Ankara to continue work towards the modernization of the customs union. This is reported by TASR according to a Reuters report.
- The EU and Turkey plan to modernize the customs union.
- The customs union for industrial products has been in force since 1995.
- Turkey wants to expand and update the customs union.
- The process of Turkey’s accession to the EU is currently suspended.
Modernization of the customs union
“We agreed on our willingness to work to prepare the conditions for the modernization of the customs union and to achieve its full potential in order to support the competitiveness, economic security and resilience of both parties,” the joint statement said.
The customs union between the EU and Turkey has been in place since 1995, but it only applies to industrial products and processed agricultural products. Ankara has repeatedly asked for negotiations on its expansion.
At the same time, the representatives of the EU and Turkey welcomed the continuation of the activities of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Turkey. Their intention is to support projects in the country and in neighboring regions in cooperation with this institution.
Turkey’s long accession process
Turkey has been a candidate for EU membership since 1999. However, the accession process has been suspended in recent years due to human rights issues and the weakening of democratic principles in the country.
“Given the changing conditions in Europe, we have to look at EU-Turkey relations from a new perspective. I discussed with Hakan Fidan the steps necessary to build trust in order to strengthen our relations, advance regional projects in the field of infrastructure and make full use of the potential of our economic relations,” added Kosová on the X social network.
