EU Commission calls for opening of energy chapter in Turkish accession process

BRUSSELS - Anatolia News Agency

'The [European] Commission thinks that Turkey is ready to negotiate the energy chapter,' EU Comissionner Stefan Füle says, while noting some reservations. AA photo

European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Füle called April 16 for the opening of the energy chapter in Turkey’s EU accession negotiations.

“The [European] Commission thinks that Turkey is ready to negotiate the energy chapter,” Füle said in a written statement to the European Parliament. Füle also noted that “not every member of the EU approved of the opening of the energy chapter.”

Füle said “energy” was not among the eight chapters the EU suspended in retaliation for Turkey’s refusal to establish trade links with the Greek Cypriot administration.

In February Füle announced that the EU Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) had agreed to open Chapter 22, which focuses on Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments, as part of Turkey’s accession negotiations, the first in 2.5 years. However, Turkey is trying to accelerate the process to open one of the chapters that is not blocked by either France or Greek Cyprus.

France announced Feb. 12 that it would assist Turkey in opening one of the five chapters once blocked by Paris for Ankara’s long-stalled EU membership talks. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had also said she was in favor of such a move before embarking on her recent visit to Turkey.

A Turkish delegation headed by EU Minister Egemen Bağış met with Füle in Brussels to request the opening of the 19th chapter on social policies as part of the accession negotiations. There are 35 chapters in total for Turkey to complete negotiations on.