Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04BRUSSELS1960
2004-05-05 13:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:  

EU: CYPRUS ACCESSION AND COMMISSION RESPONSE

Tags:  PREL TU CY EUN USEU BRUSSELS 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001960 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2014
TAGS: PREL TU CY EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU: CYPRUS ACCESSION AND COMMISSION RESPONSE

Classified By: USEU POLOFF ANDREW ERICKSON, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

-------
Summary
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001960

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2014
TAGS: PREL TU CY EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU: CYPRUS ACCESSION AND COMMISSION RESPONSE

Classified By: USEU POLOFF ANDREW ERICKSON, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) Enlargement Commissioner Verheugen's Cabinet member
for Cyprus, Kristin Schreiber, told us May 5 that the
Commission is readying proposals for improving northern
Cypriot commercial access to the EU. The Commission
proposals will likely be presented to the Council in late
June, for adoption by qualified majority voting rules. Among
the measures envisaged is the possibility for direct exports
from northern Cyprus ports of goods from northern Cyprus.
The Commission is also watching carefully the circulation of
people across the Green Line, and understands that EU
citizens are being allowed to cross. Schreiber expressed
reservations about the EU's influence on direct air travel to
the north, noting that this would have to be negotiated
bilaterally with individual governments, through the
government of Cyprus. Nonetheless, the Commission was
willing to consider being helpful if it could. Working level
Turkish views in Brussels on EU efforts to date vary widely.
End summary.

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Commission at work
on improving ties
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2. (C) Kristin Schreiber, Enlargement Commissioner
Verheugen's member of cabinet responsible for Cyprus, updated
us May 5 on where things stand in the Commission's post April
24 efforts to address the Turkish Cypriots' clearly expressed
will to join the European Union as part of a united Cyprus.
Schreiber prefaced her comments by underscoring that all EU
moves are constrained: the EU could not take steps seen as
recognizing the "TRNC" in any way. The EU was focused on
economic relief for the Turkish Cypriots, not political
relief for the "TRNC".


3. (C) Within this context, there was quite a bit that the
EU could do, said Schreiber. Over the next month, the
Commission was working on developing trade implementing
measures for the areas of Cyprus not currently covered by the
acquis communitaire. These measures would be presented to
the Council in June (probably "late June" said Schreiber) for
final approval.

--------------
Specific Measures

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4. (C) Specific measures under consideration are focused on
facilitating northern Cyprus' trade with EU member countries.
The first step in that process would be the development of
an identification and phyto-sanitary regime that would
address EU concerns without recognizing "TRNC" sovereignty
while minimizing Greek Cypriot interference with trade. The
Commission was exploring the direct use of northern Cypriot
ports for export to EU markets; this looked feasible. The
Commission was "confident" that it would be able to set up an
office in northern Cyprus to disburse the 259 million euro
assistance package already agreed. This office would clearly
be an economic assistance office and nothing more. Schreiber
expressed optimism that the Commission would be able to open
such an office, on a non-political basis, without further
clearance from the Council. On the free movement of persons
across the Green Line, Schreiber said that she understood
that the Greek Cypriots were posing no problems for EU
nationals who crossed the Green Line. This was a welcome
development, she indicated.

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Air Travel Not
in EU purview
--------------


5. (C) On the possibility of direct air travel from EU
member states to northern Cyprus, Schreiber noted that this
issue was not currently in the Commission's purview. She
said her understanding is that landing rights are negotiated
on a bilateral basis. One issue the Commission would watch
closely was Cyprus' treatment of EU nationals seeking to
overnight in northern Cyprus after crossing the Green Line.
Another was whether Cyprus would allow EU citizens to enter
Cyprus from northern Cyprus if they had not initially
transited the Green Line to enter the north.

--------------
Turkish Mission:
"a good result"
--------------


6. (C) In separate discussions with two Turkish mission
officials, we heard two interpretations of EU actions since
the April 24 referenda. One colleague, a Turkish pol-mil
officer, noted that the consensus in the mission was that the
failure of the referendum in the north was a "great result"
for Turkish EU aspirations. "Our people showed that they
were willing to do everything they needed to do" said this
diplomat. "This puts the EU in a position where it
absolutely needs to do the right thing in December."


7. (C) Another Turkish diplomat (who while serving as a
Turkish diplomat nonetheless told us that she is from Cyprus)
expressed considerable frustration with EU steps so far.
According to her analysis, the people of northern Cyprus made
a real gesture of reconciliation with their overwhelming
"yes" vote to the Annan Plan; it was up to the EU to develop
concrete measures to address the disappointment felt in the
north as a result of the failure of the Annan Plan in the
south. This interlocutor made it clear that she felt that up
to now, the Commission's gestures and statements of intent
have been inadequate. She was unable to tell us, however,
what additional steps the EU could take given the reality of
Cypriot EU membership since May 1.

FOSTER