92001E1889

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1889/01

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(27 June 2001)

Subject: Accession of new countries to the Union

According to Facts about Turkey, a sleek publication produced by the Turkish News Agency and distributed for some time to all MEPs, 97 % of Turkish territory is in Asia and 3 % in Europe (Eastern Thrace). Russia is in a similar situation, albeit that its European part accounts for much more than 3 % of its territory and stretches as far as the Urals. Since December 1999, Turkey has been a candidate State for accession, despite the fact that a very small part of its territory is in Europe. Russia, a country with a vast market and inexhaustible natural resources, has not yet acquired that status as it has not submitted an application for membership.

Would a possible Russian application for accession in the distant future mean that the Union would extend its geographical frontiers to the shores of the Far East and border on countries such as China and Japan? Would it be possible (provided the Copenhagen criteria are met) to consider a pilot accession to the Union for regions such as European Russia or Eastern Thrace (European Turkey), which clearly are in Europe and have a significantly higher level of economic development than the other regions of the countries to which they belong?

To what extent does the Commission consider it appropriate to draw up a study on such a possible development, which might result in the incorporation of some areas of those countries into the structure of Europe, and the avoidance of an adverse situation in which the EU would shoulder the burden of the economic convergence of underdeveloped, remote areas which, furthermore, belong to geographical regions which are not in Europe?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2001)

Turkey's eligibility as a European state which could become a member of the Community is established in Article 28 of the Association Agreement between the Community and Turkey, which was signed on 12 September 1963 and entered into force on 1 December 1964 after ratification by all the signatories in keeping with their respective constitutional procedures.

The Russian Federation has given no indication that it wishes to apply for EU membership. EU-Russia relations are based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement which entered into force on 1 December 1997. One of its objectives is to provide an appropriate framework for the gradual integration of Russia and a wider area of cooperation in Europe.

The Treaties do not envisage the possibility of EU membership for regions forming part of sovereign third countries. For that reason, the Commission does not intend carrying out a study into this possibility.