2.8. European Union Harmonization Activities
The screening process comprising the first phase of accession negotiations with the European Union (EU) started on 3 October 2005 and was completed on 13 October 2006. Upon the completion of the screening process, preparations for harmonization with the EU acquis have continued.
The table below shows developments on the relevant chapters in the screening process in which the Bank participated, as well as in the accession negotiations.
Table 5. The Status of the Chapters in which the Bank Participated in the Screening Process and Accession Negotiations |
|||
Directly Related Chapters |
Final Status in Negotiations |
Indirectly Related Chapters |
Final status in Negotiations |
|---|---|---|---|
4. Free Movement of Capital |
Opened to negotiations. (18 December 2008) |
2. Free Movement of Workers |
In process at the Council. |
9. Financial Services |
Opening of the chapter was blocked (14-15 December 2006). |
6. Company Law |
Opened to negotiations. (17 June 2008) |
17. Economic and Monetary Policy |
Position Paper was presented. (9 March 2007) |
16. Taxation |
Opened to negotiations. (30 June 2009) |
18. Statistics |
Opened to negotiations. (26 June 2007) Within the context of Positive Agenda |
19. Social Policy and Employment |
Opening benchmarks have been defined. |
32. Financial Control |
Opened to negotiations. (26 June 2007) Within the context of Positive Agenda |
28. Consumer and Health Protection |
Opened to negotiations. (19 December 2007)
|
33. Financial and Budgetary Provisions |
In process at the Council. |
|
|
Among the chapters that are directly related to the Bank, "Chapter 18. Statistics" and "Chapter 32. Financial Control" were opened to negotiations on 26 June 2007 and "Chapter 4. Free Movement of Capital" was opened to negotiations on 18 December 2008. "Chapter 9. Financial Services" is one of the eight chapters which have been blocked with the decision "negotiations will be blocked until Turkey fully implements its obligations on Cyprus" at the EU summit on 14-15 December 2006. Nonetheless, preparations of the Payment Systems Law are continuing for the sake of harmonization with the relevant EU legislation in this chapter. The Law will also provide alignment with the relevant EU legislation in "Chapter 4. Free Movement of Capital". Of the chapters that are directly related to the Bank, "Chapter 17. Economic and Monetary Policy" was not opened to negotiations. "Chapter 33. Financial and Budgetary Provisions" is still under review by the Council.
Moreover, after the discussions with the European Commission, the new procedure called positive agenda, which is intended to accelerate the accession process of Turkey, was launched on 17 May 2012. Within the framework of the Positive Agenda, working groups have been formed for 8 chapters and the Bank has provided its contribution to the studies of these groups related with "Chapter 18. Statistics" and "Chapter 32. Financial Control". After the technical negotiations with the European Commission, two of six closing benchmarks for "Chapter 32. Financial Control" have been fulfilled. Among these two, "The legislative and administrative alignment with the Council Regulation (EC) No: 1338/2001, arranging the protection of euro from counterfeiting" is the one that is contributed by the Bank.
Among chapters which are indirectly related to the Bank, "Chapter 28. Consumer and Health Protection" was opened to negotiations on 19 December 2007, "Chapter 6. Company Law" on 17 June 2008 and "Chapter 16. Taxation" on 30 June 2009. Opening benchmarks have been established for "Chapter 19. Social Policy and Employment". "Chapter 2. Free Movement of Workers" is still under review by the Council.
In order to monitor the progress achieved in the alignment with the EU acquis and to report them to the Commission, the Bank is continuing to provide information on the developments in the related chapters to the "National Data Base", compiled at the Ministry for EU Affairs.
The Bank made a contribution to the "2012 Progress Report prepared by Turkey" which was prepared for the first time this year by the Ministry for EU Affairs.