17 Noll 2012, 14:59
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs will tomorrow afternoon meet with Egemen Bagis, the Turkish Minister for Europe and Principal Negotiator for EU Membership.
17 December 2012
In 1987, Turkey applied to join what was then the European Economic Community, and in 1997 it was declared eligible to join the EU. Turkey's involvement with European integration however dates back to 1959.
Committee Chairman Dominic Hannigan says: “Enlargement is undoubtedly one of the European Union’s most successful policies. We look forward to hearing from Minister Bagis for an update on Turkey’s longstanding campaign for full European Union membership. As Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union approaches, this is a timely opportunity to hear how to provide an impetus to talks on Turkish accession. The next COSAC plenary meeting, to be hosted by this Committee and taking place in June, is scheduled to discuss enlargement in detail.
“This month's General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels noted that it was in the interest of both parties that accession negotiations, which are currently stalled, regain momentum soon and to ensure that the EU remains the benchmark for reforms in Turkey. Turkey has enjoyed stellar growth rates in recent years while the European Union has had to grapple with economic and financial crisis. This prosperity is increasingly driven by looking east - seven years ago, 67 percent of Turkey’s trade was with the EU while today that figure is 39 percent and falling. The rise of Turkey as a regional power will undoubtedly flow into our discussions tomorrow.\"
The meeting takes place tomorrow Tuesday 18 December at 2:15 p.m. in Committee Room 1, Leinster House 2000.
Committee proceedings can be viewed online via this link.
Follow the EU Affairs Committee Facebook page for updates.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +353 1 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
Committee Membership
Deputies
Dominic Hannigan, TD (Chairman)
Paschal Donohoe, TD (Vice-Chairman)
Seán Crowe, TD
Timmy Dooley, TD
Bernard J Durkan, TD
John Halligan, TD
Colm Keaveney, TD
Seán Kyne, TD
Joe O’Reilly, TD
Senators
Colm Burke,
Fidelma Healy Eames,
James Heffernan,
Terry Leyden,
Kathryn Reilly