Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress being made by Turkey towards the achievement of the Copenhagen criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18695/07]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 122: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on discussions being held with third party States with regard to their potential accession to the European Union, notably with Turkey; the progress being made at such talks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18669/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 122 together.

Negotiations on EU accession opened with Croatia and Turkey in October 2005. Since then an extensive screening process has been underway. This involves close scrutiny of the compatibility of Turkish and Croatian legislation with that of the EU.

In all, there are 35 negotiating chapters which deal with a range of policy areas. After a chapter has been screened, the EU decides, on the basis of a proposal from the Commission, whether or not the negotiations in that sector should proceed.

At the Intergovernmental Accession Conference in Brussels on 26th June, six further chapters were opened with Croatia. This means that a total of ten chapters are currently open with Croatia. Negotiations with Croatia on two further chapters have been concluded on a provisional basis.

The negotiations with Turkey have made somewhat less progress than those with Croatia. Two new chapters were opened with Turkey at last week's Intergovernmental Accession Conference. This means that three chapters are now open with Turkey. Although discussions took place during the German Presidency on opening a further chapter, the required agreement of all Member States could not be secured in advance of last week's Accession Conference. Benchmarks have been agreed for ten other chapters. These must be achieved before negotiations can begin in these particular areas.

In November 2006, the European Commission published its annual enlargement report on Turkey. This included an assessment of Turkey's progress with regard to the Copenhagen criteria. In November 2006, the European Commission published its annual enlargement report on Turkey. This included an assessment of Turkey's progress with regard to the Copenhagen criteria. The Commission noted that Turkey's reforms had continued during 2006, but at a slower pace. Improvements are needed on freedom of expression, the rights of non-Muslim religious communities, women's rights, trade union rights and on civilian control of the military. Further progress in aligning its legislation with that of the Union is also required, for example in agriculture, taxation, state aid, and the free movement of goods, workers and capital.

The negotiations are complicated by the fact that Turkey has not fulfilled its obligations under the Ankara Protocol which requires it to open its ports and airports to vessels and aircraft from the Republic of Cyprus. On account of Turkey's failure to implement the Protocol, in December 2006 the Council of Ministers agreed that eight specific negotiating chapters cannot be opened, nor will any chapters be provisionally concluded until the Commission verifies that Turkey has fulfilled its commitments under the Ankara Protocol.

In addition to the above, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia became a candidate country in December 2005, but its negotiations have not yet commenced.