‘Modernising’ the EU-Turkey Customs Union

2.2.2017

Question for written answer P-000772-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
Jean Arthuis (ALDE)

On 21 December 2016, the Commission announced that it had asked the Council for a mandate to ‘modernise’ the EU-Turkey Customs Union in order to include agricultural products and access to public procurement markets. Given that the 1995 agreement resulted in large numbers of activities and jobs being relocated from the EU to Turkey, careful thought needs to be given to whether any further barriers should be removed.

1. What is the strategic purpose of this initiative?

2. Does the Commission see a need to offer Turkey a concession at a time when it is blocking the visa liberalisation process in response to failures to uphold the rule of law?

3. Does it believe the EU agricultural industry to be in such good shape that it can systematically be used as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations?

4. Has it calculated the loss to EU own resources that would result from ‘modernising’ the customs union in this way?