By Bruno Waterfield - 28th June 2006
Turkey is set to be a difficult issue for Finland’s EU presidency – just as it was when Helsinki last held the post in 1999.
Finland brokered a difficult Helsinki summit deal seven years ago recognising Turkey as an EU candidate country.
As Ankara’s membership negotiations get underway in 2006, Finland must oversee delicate and increasingly turbulent EU-Turkey negotiations.
A crunch point a European commission report in October and Ankara’s progress on opening up Turkish ports to Cypriot vessels.
Currently Turkey is refusing to recognise Cyprus, an EU member, as part of European customs agreements, an issue that could sink membership talks.
Finnish foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja acknowledged that a confrontation with Turkey could be looming.
“Obviously we will want to work on the issue so we will not be facing any dramatic situation or deadlines.”
“We are concerned. But this is not a Finnish concern, this would be an indication of failure, failure for Turkey and failure for the EU.
“We will do our utmost to avoid this.”
Finland takes the EU helm from Austria at the end of this week for a six month stint at the tiller before Germany.
Finland must keep the EU’s constitution on ice but prepare the ground for a German “roadmap” to a new treaty.
September 26 reports on Bulgaria and Romania will be critical – especially for Sofia – if both are to make EU entry on January 1 2007.
At a December Brussels summit, the Finns must find agreement on a definition of the EU’s “absorption capacity” – a debate that will polarise leaders over the future of European enlargement.
Key to the presidency will be work on concrete delivery of EU projects and policy areas, seen as vital to winning citizens over the European project.
Pushing new EU justice powers and opening up meetings of ministers to public scrutiny will be high on the agenda.
Key competition projects include the EU’s seventh research programme and controversial REACH chemicals legislation.
On the external front Helsinki will push greater foreign policy coordination hit by the loss of the EU constitution.
Full operational capability for the EU’s rapid reaction military force must be kept on track for January 2007
Troubled EU-Russia relations will naturally be a preoccupation for the Finns as energy security stays high on the agenda.
The “Northern Dimension”, relations between the EU, Russia, Norway and Iceland will also be a major foreign policy focus.
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