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Home arrow newsitems arrow EUParliament Budget Committee Chair Arthuis to EuroFora: Grants to Turkey only if conditions are met

EUParliament Budget Committee Chair Arthuis to EuroFora: Grants to Turkey only if conditions are met

Written by ACM
Wednesday, 22 October 2014

 

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*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- While MEPs denounce Restrictions of -522 Miilions € less in commitments and - 2,3 Billions less in payments in 2015 Budget, even in Research, Innovation, Education, Competitiveness and Humanitarian crisis'response, nevertheless, Turkey is to be paid about 1 Billion € in full Grants, unless it doesn't respect its obligations vis a vis the EU, confirmed the President of EU Parliament's Budget Committee, experienced, former long-time Minister (since the 1990ies, with former President Chirac, etc), and Party Leader, French MEP Jean Arthuis, speaking to "EuroFora", the same days that Warships accompagnying Turkish underseas "exploration" vessels are provocatively sent by Ankara's Government to intrude in EU Member State Cyprus' exclusive economic zone, where on-going  oil-gas findings seem promissing for imminent further discoveries of natural Energy resouces badly needed by Energy-thirsty EU, which would otherwise continue to depend only on Foreign, 3rd Countries and dangerous, expensive and long Transport routes.

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President Arthuis has just got a Strong, 464 MEPs' Votes-backed, against only 186, EU Parliament's mandate, after Today's Vote on a Resolution for the 2015 Budget, to Negotiate with EU Council another deal, hopefuly before the End of this year (2014). The overall debate in Strasbourg included also an almost 5 Billions € delay in payments for commitments of the last years (2013-2014), which is obviously an additional big problem to solve with Inter-Institutional, intra-EU Negotiations between EU Parliament and EU Council, as he reminded us, on this same occasion.

But, meanwhile, EU Parliament Budget Committee Head's Timely observation about Turkey's commitments and obligations vis a vis the EU, as a normal condition for continuing to pay about 1 Billion € in full Grants also next Year (2015), even if core EU policies, such as Scientific Research and Technological Innovation, Competitiveness, Education, Humanitarian issues, etc, possibly suffer from  a sharp Reduction between - 522 Millions € in payments and - 2,3 Billions € in commitments that same Year 2015 (Comp. Supra), was preceded by relevant Topical statements from the New EU Commission's President, former long-time Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, as well as EU Parliament's own President, German MEP Martin Schulz, also on Turkey :

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- When EU faces Today one among its "Biggest Challenges" on how to cover its "Energy" needs, "what does the EU do in order to defend its Natural (re)sources", at least "in the Exclusive Economic Zone of an EU Member Country"(Cyprus), which "is Violated now by a Candidate Country (Turkey) ?", asked, (carefuly reading out  a prepared written question), one of the numerous collegues from Cyprus who have just arrived exceptionaly in Strasbourg for this session.

 

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Both Juncker and Schultz pointed mainly at the new EU High Representative on External policies, f. Fodeign Minister of Italy, Federica Mogherini :

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 - "I will discuss this question with Mrs Mogherini, because she is in charge of this kind of issues, and then Mr Johanes Han, who is in charge of Neighborhood (EU policy), and then, we'd come to a Conclusion, and take all the needed Actions", promissed Juncker.


 - "The Conference of Presidents decided, yesterday to put it on the Agenda of the Parliament and also to debate the role of Turkey in that regard. I we take note that the Rights of a Sovereign Member Country of the (European) Union, as the Republic of Cyprus, are Violated by a Candidate State, then, we have to Act. And that's the reason why we (EU Parliament) asked from the (EU Commission's) High Representative (on Foreign policy, f. Italian Minister Federica Mogherini) for a Declaration. This is not yet a Judgement, but you see that the European Parliament is taking that very seriously", added Schulz.

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Concerning particularly the key role of incoming new EU High Representative for External Action, f. Italian Foreign Minister, Federica Mogherini, later this Afternoon, the President of EU Parliament's Socialdemocrat Group, Italian MEP Gianni Pittella, speaking to Journalists, including "EuroFora", stressed that Mogherini is expected to act for " a Value that we regard as Crucial : EU Solidarity", both inside and outside of Union's borders, as he pointed out, speaking shortly after the above-mentioned Juncker-Schulz anouncements on Turkish Warships violating Cyprus' territorial waters inside the Oil/Gas Energy searches exclusive economic zone, (Comp. Supra).

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But, meanwhile, EU Citizens, as well as Politicians, will probably have to check even if ... EU Money given to Turkey (including by Poor People who pay VAT in EU Member Countries) didn't, in fact, arrive even up to ... Islamic Extremist Terrorist BeHeaders of "ISIS", given the fact that, as experienced, mainstream Brittish MEP from the Governing Conservative Party, Dr. Charles Tannock, a long-time Foreign Affairs Spokesman, observed later this Afternoon, at EU Parliament's Plenary Debate on Kobane,

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Turkey has not yet clarified its position regarding rumours that it persists to help "ISIS" through its own territory, as it did also in the Past, (notoriously a corridor for various other Armed Groups, indeed), nor dd Ankara reveal the Content of its recent Agreement negotiated with that same ISIS, in order to convince it to exceptionaly free, (in an astonishingly Good Shape, as if they were returning back from Touristic Holidays ! ) all Turcs detained at Mosoul, contrary to the Atrocities faced by almost all other Countries' Hostages...


A fortiori, when, as it's well known, (particularly to several German MEPs of the Governing ChristianDemocrat/EPP Party), EU's Court of Auditors has repeatedly denounced the fact that many EU Grants to Turkey have been spend without any real Proof on where exactly  (and/or : What for) did all that Money really go...  An obvious Discrepancy, which had led certain MEPs to table Amendments to EU's Annual Budgets, in recent years, clearly asking to "Suspend" or "Freeze", totally or partialy, the flow of EU Money given to Turkish National Authorities under pretext of a notoriously controversial and unpopular EU bid.


Meanwhile, Cyprus' National Council, which brings together all political parties, has just decided that, among a series of various Measures in response of the provocations by Turkish warships inside the island's EEZ, Nicosia won't accept, no more, any opening of any more Chapters to the Inter-Governemental EU - Turkey Negotiations, while Cyprus' President Nicos Anastassiades has reportedly sent also a Letter denouncing the interference by Turkish Warships to UNO's Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. 

 

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(Israeli Media Map) 
 

     After USA's "Noble Energy", also Italy's and South Korea's ENI/KOGAS were due to start drilling towards the End of 2014, while France's TOTAL would follow at the beginning of 2015.
 

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    - "Europe must be liberated from this undermining "wooden talk" of a "unique thought" which hampers democratic debates", stressed incoming EU Chairman, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking to Journalists after his official meeting with EU Commission's President, Jose Barroso, at Elysee Palace in Paris

    - "It's precisely because there are not enough Debates, that EU hasn't managed yet to make it clear to European citizens what is really at stake", he added, in an obvious reference to the latest Irish "No" in 2008, after a long series of similar, unprecedented events, from the 1st Majority Abstention to EU Parliament's Elections in 1999, repeated in 2004, to the Dutch and French "No" in 2005, etc.


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          In fact, "there is no time to lose for Europe, and that's why we decided to start the French EU Presidency right away, from the first day", he explained, on France's exceptional choice to schedule the usual meeting with EU Commission from the 1st day of the 1st month, instead of the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th or even 10th or 11th, as it had been done by others in the Past..    


    - "This is not an easy period, but we shall act with determination, while also listening to Citizens' views", he promised.

    Sarkozy's move came shortly before his opening Speech, next week in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, for the first Public Debate on the Priorities of the French EU Presidency (July - December 2008), and that's one of the reasons for which he significantly opened his EU Council's Chairmanship by welcoming at Elysee palace EU Parliament's President, German MEP Hans Gert Poettering at first..

    The incoming EU Chairman was replying to Press Questions about rumours that controversial British EU Commissioner on Trade, Mandelson, was alone to drop an invitation to have a working Diner at Elysee palace, together with all other EU Commissioners and the French Government, only because he would have been upset for some critical points made earlier by President Sarkozy in defense of European Agriculture vis-a-vis its Foreign competitors.

    But, as smiling Sarkozy played down Mandelson's reported refusal to debate, saying that he had to visit Marseille for a Ministerial meeting on Trade the next morning, and that "all our British friends are always welcome to taste a nice diner" in France, perhaps at another occasion..

    - "It's urgent to win anew the trust of the People" : Lately, "the European ideal lost its momentum. Since several years, whenever Citizens are questioned on Europe, they react with reserves : They even have .. a tendency to reply "NO".. After this 3rd "No" of a People in some years, there is an Urgency to convince", added French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, after a meeting earlier the same day of all Ministers with EU Commissioners, followed by an interview with Barroso

    "According to recent Polls, only 30% of French people believe that the European construction is a source of hope. It's only a poll, but we all now quite well, that, since 2005, it's dangerous to neglect these alarming signals, as it would be dangerous to treat with contempt the Irish "No", Fillon warned.

    "We all have a common duty to prove to the European Citizens who have doubts, that EU is more useful, more necessary, than ever" : And "that EU can take decisions needed in order to respond to European or Global challenges", the Prime Minister concluded.

    - "We believe, together with President Sarkozy, that EU should open debates on all issues of direct, concrete interest to Citizens", confirmed later to EuroFora the Head of France's governing party (UMP), Patrick Devedjan, after his speech to the European People's party (EPP) Study Days in Paris (2 - 4 July 2008).

    He didn't deny that one of them is Turkey : - "Public Opinion in France is very much unfavorable to Turkey's EU bid, and President Sarkozy has said that several times", he told EuroFora.

    From European Central Bank's controversial policies on Euro's value, to EU Enlargement Strategy, etc., issues of obvious importance to EU Citizens will be plenty, next week in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, before President Sarkozy launches the debates on EU 2008 French chairmanship's priorities on Thursday.

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2009 EU Elections were won by Parties against Technocracy and Turkey's controversial EU bid, while the 1999-2004 Majority Abstention trend decelerated. What should be done in 2009-2014 ?

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