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Turkey as a European and regional hub: Implications for Euro-Mediterranean relations

By Connecting to the EU Decision Making Process

                 XIIth CONFERENCE of the MEDITERRANNEAN COMMISSION

                                   Turkey as a European and regional hub

                                    Implications for Euro-Mediterranean relations

Istanbul, 5-6 February 2016

                                               Summary of the meeting

« Is Turkey a European and regional hub?” this was the topic of an international conference that was organised in Istanbul on February 5th and 6th 2016. The meeting analysed Turkey’s strategic position as a bridge between Europe and other neighbouring regions and its implications for Euro-Mediterranean relations in four different sectors: energy, finances, infrastructures and production. The conference concluded that Turkey already is an enviable transit hub, but that the bar should be put higher to make it into a real trading hub. The speed of the EU accession process will of course play a determining role.

The international meeting was attended by some 80 participants from the EU and Turkey. The conference was co-organised by IKV (Economic Development Foundation, Istanbul), CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs) and the Mediterranean Commission of ELEC (European League for Economic Cooperation, Brussels).

In his welcome remarks Carles Gasòliba, president of CIDOB and of the Mediterranean Commission of ELEC, pointed out that the previous meetings of the Mediterranean Commission which started in 1996, focused primarily on the western part of the Mediterranean. By addressing in this 12th conference the eastern part of the Mediterranean, the key role of Turkey in Mediterranean affairs is acknowledged. Since the aim of ELEC is to support a greater and deeper European Union, it also wants to improve the relations with Turkey. Gasòliba thanked the co-organisers of the conference, as well as the co-sponsor, the Obra Social of the La Caixa Foundation.

President Ayhan Zeytinoglu of IKV explained that his organisation, that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015, is specialised in EU and Turkey-EU matters. Turkey realised an annual economic growth rate of 4.7% in the period 2002-2014, thanks to the tentative EU membership perspective that was an anchor for reforms. Turkey is now the 18th economy in the world and member of the G-20, and has made considerable progress in tackling its macro-economic imbalances. Hopefully the refugee crisis will speed up the accession proceedings with the EU.

Hansjörg Haber, the head of the European Union delegation in Turkey, pointed out that Turkey and Istanbul have always been a hub in a wide variety of fields, ranging from culture to the topics that are discussed at this conference: energy, finance, infrastructure and production. In energy, Turkey has an enviable position since it is a bridge between the consumer countries in the west and the oil and gas producing countries in the east, although it lacks physical connections and an integrated market. In finance Istanbul has an outstanding potential. Much will depend on the stability of the legal and fiscal environment. Infrastructure has been considerably upgraded, also thanks to substantial grants by the EU, but much remains to be done in education and training. Finally, Turkey is also a favourable hub for production, in sectors such as automotive, pharma and services.

Rauf Engin Soysal, Turkish undersecretary for EU affairs, reminded that we live in critical times, facing immense challenges. Turkish-EU closeness matters more than ever, as was demonstrated during the November 2015 summit between Turkey and the EU. We are all Mediterraneans. It is time to act in favour of full EU accessibility. On the question whether Turkey is a European and regional hub, Soysal claimed that Turkey is already in the very heart of Europe. But the bar should be set higher. Turkey has already a privileged position in the EU and NATO and the same should be pursued in the whole surrounding region. The immigration crisis is now the top priority and the EU and Turkey have to respond together. Turkey has proved it is up to the challenge. With its economic growth of more than 4%, Turkey is already number four on the world raking. Every day the country raises the bar on fundamental rights and freedoms. It wants to capture the momentum of European and global values. Turkey is not a country of barbarism and terrorism, but a big laboratory in combining traditionalism with modernism. If Europe puts the focus on the Mediterranean, it would in fact return to its own foundations.

Energy hub

The first session of the conference on Turkey as a European and regional hub was devoted to the energy sector. Sohbet Karbuz from the Obserservatoire Méditerranéen de l’Energie in Paris that gathers energy companies that operate in the Mediterranean, first wondered what “a hub” means. The term refers to a corridor, a transit, but a good hub should also be a trading platform. In gas, Turkey still has a long way to go, but the potential is there. Karbuz referred to the Turkish Stream plans and the many challenges in the gas market (Russia, storage, legal framework). A domestic production would be a plus. One should also keep in mind that global gas markets are changing (LNG, shale oil, prices). At the same time, Turkey should make efforts to act as an oil hub. The name “hub” or “transit” is not important, what is needed is a 20 or 30 year strategic plan.

Ridvan Ucar, general manager of Aygas Natural Gas Wholesale Trade, agreed with the analysis of the former speaker. One should look at the map and see where the best location for a hub is. Turkey is situated in-between consumers and producers, but it is more than only a pipe line. Making a transit hub into a trading hub demands efforts. Turkey should not miss the boat to become a trading hub and should not be afraid to make mistakes while doing so. This requires liberalisation, which is a long term process. For the EU, Turkey can offer supply security.

Olgu Okumus, project manager of the energy division of the Union for the Mediterranean, said her organisation tries to enhance cooperation with the Mediterranean through concrete projects. By way of energy platforms, it provides a permanent forum, e.g. gas, regional electricity markets and renewable energy. In electricity transmission, Turkey links the eastern part of the Mediterranean.

Financial hub

During the second session, Turkey’s role as a financial hub was discussed. According to Fabian Briegel, economist at Rabobank (Netherlands), Turkey’s potential as a financial centre is considerable but it will take time to achieve this goal. Among the many favourable factors, the fact that Turkey is an EU accession candidate is of upmost importance. In international rankings Istanbul is not so far behind Paris or Amsterdam. The Turkish capital market is dominated by banks, while financing through stocks and bonds plays a minor role. One of the weaknesses is the dependence on foreign funding because Turkey struggles with its current account deficit, which in turn results in exchange rate volatility and high inflation. This contrasts with countries such as the UAE and Saudi-Arabia that can rely on local financial savings. So macro-economic reforms should be continued, while micro-economic policy should enhance public stock listings, corporate governance and information to foreign investors.

Rankings may act as an incentive for politicians, but according to Alvaro Oritz, economist at BBVA Bank (Spain), the problem is that there are no safe havens in emerging markets. Turkey has a Chinese growth rate of 4% but is surrounded by countries such as the Ukraine, Syria, Iraq and Greece. Among the positive factors, he mentioned the reduction of the current account deficit from 10% to 4%, the absence of an ageing population, the potential for corporate profit growth, the excellent infrastructure and a good image. The accession process to the EU is – just like it was in Spain – a positive thing because it makes reforms necessary, be it that the political crisis in the EU makes it more difficult than before. Turkey should make efforts to improve its comparative advantages, but Oritz recommended to select priorities rather than aiming for all components of the ranking. Turkey should not forget either that Hong Kong and Singapore were trading centres before they developed into a financial centre.

Yavuz Canevi, chairman of the Turkish Economy Bank and former governor of the Turkish Central Bank, referred to the action plans that were launched to make Istanbul an international financial centre. They are now for 80% completed, but challenges remain ahead. The most important is that after a sleeping period Turkey is now re-emerging as a candidate EU country. This horizon should be finally cleared. Other challenges are the normalisation and democratisation process, private lead growth and reducing inflation. It is also essential that the new administration structure that needs to be set up for the international financial centre of Istanbul, should not be run by the government. At the same time, Istanbul should look for specific financial niches such as Islamic finance or a regional centre for multinationals’ administration. After the banking crisis, Istanbul already improved its relative performance. There is a window of opportunity. By 2050 the Turkish economy will be the 9th economy in the world (versus 16th now) and the third in Europe (versus 6th now). The contribution to GDP of a financial centre could be as high as 8%.

The debate after the financial hub session treated topics such as Turkish migration to the EU, Syrian refugees in Turkey, challenges of turning developing countries into developed countries and access to Far East savings and investments.

Infrastructure hub

The third session analysed Turkey as an infrastructure, communications and logistics hub. Yigit Alpogan, deputy secretary general of the Union for the Mediterranean, explained that his organisation brings together the 28 EU member states and 15 countries from the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean. It was launched in 2008 by then French president Sarkozy as an alternative to Turkey’s admission to the EU. The UfM strictly focuses on projects, and does not interfere with the peace process in the region. Syria’s membership, for example, is suspended until peace comes back to the country. But through political engineered solutions, the UfM brokers delicate projects such as the desalinisation project in Gaza, the trans-Maghreb highway, and projects between Morocco and Algeria. In infrastructure, the UfM would like to expand the trans-Maghreb highway around the whole Mediterranean Sea. It promotes linking the north and south of the Mediterranean by the “Motorway of the Sea” initiative.

Evren Bingöl of the International Transporters’ Association indicated that the improved quality of Turkish infrastructure made Turkey climb in the logistic sector index of the World Bank from the 39th place in 2007 to the 30th place in 2014, on a total of 160 countries, and this despite a setback in timeliness and price competitiveness. She focussed specifically on road transit, which handicaps greatly the customs union between Turkey and the EU. A Turkish truck that transports goods to, for example, Germany, is submitted to successive quota when it wants to drive through countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria. Permits are needed to cross each country and are only supplied in restricted quantities. Italy for its part distributes a limited quantity of permits every two months, resulting in a cyclic slowdown of trade. All this involves a huge cost – estimated at 3.4 billion

euro – aggravated by a very complex system of limited visas for truck drivers. The restrictions are only applied to transport coming from Turkey. This is even more absurd since half of Turkey-EU exports originates from Turkish affiliates of EU capital companies. Mrs. Bingöl fiercely pleaded to at least liberalise transit transport. A first step could be that the 28 EU member states provide global and not country by country quotas. Overall, Turkeys strategic objective is to become not only a transport hub but a regional logistic hub, that reaches out not only to the EU but that goes as far as China and the Caspian Sea.

An animated discussion followed not only on road transit restrictions, but also on connections to the Black Sea, the possible role of river transport on the Danube, the position of Cyprus and the Syrian refugee problem.

Production hub

The fourth and final session was devoted to Turkey as a production and service hub. Antonio Martins da Cruz, president of ELEC Portugal and former Portuguese minister of foreign affairs, emphasised that political will or a good strategic position are not enough to become a hub. A market is needed. Turkey is set to become a regional power. It has many strategic assets but can also be a strategical threat in regional disputes. Until recently, Turkey had no problems with its neighbours, but the Arab spring changed all that. It is difficult to act as a safe corridor amid regional and political tensions. Several obstacles undermine Turkish ambitions. Syria, Iraq and Isis, but also Kurdish separatism, could create uncertainty that can spill over to investments and tourism. The re-emergence of Iran, the Russian intervention in Syria and the Chinese plans to build a new silk road also pose challenges. Africa on the contrary is an opportunity that could make Turkey a hub for this region. For the EU, cooperation with Turkey is essential to ease the refugee burden, even if the EU is divided on this topic. At the same time, the EU integration process has changed. The EU could be growing into a multispeed club with different circles (euro, Schengen, defence, integration) around a common platform and with more power for national governments. Martins da Cruz, finally, warned that if Turkey joins the EU, it will still be a peripheral country in the EU, which does not make things easier.

According to Bozkurt Aran, director of the TEPAV Centre for Multilateral Trade Studies, nowadays it is globalisation that determines the rapid economic growth of Turkey. Liberalisation, the customs union with the EU, the growing role of SME’s, the development of the financial system and an export lead growth, all have favoured investments. Turkey is now the largest industrial production hub between Italy and China. It is not yet a trading nation, but it plays a leading role in the region. The EU and MENA (Middle East and North Africa) account for 70% of Turkish trade. Given their specific geographical connections, the western part of Turkey is more directed towards the EU, the eastern part towards MENA. Two projects will be of major influence in the future: the new silk road that China wants to build and the TTIP trade agreements that will allow Turkey to deepen its custom union.

Haluk Nuray, the IKV representative at the EU in Brussels, fears that the EU customs union, that was the most important factor in the sevenfold increase of Turkish exports towards the EU since the eighties, is now halted. To get things moving again, more is needed than liberalisation. Turkey should produce unique products, at a good price and with facilitated transport. In equipment and skills, Turkey should raise the bar higher than just middleclass. To convince other partners, Turkey needs more innovation to attract technology transfers. Turkey is already part of the European production chain, but should also become part of the global value chain. Being involved in the EU and TTIP are solid references for Turkey. Since accessibility to the EU is key, achieving stability and respecting the fundamental freedoms are a necessity.

In the debate with the audience, the question whether the end of Iran’s isolation is an opportunity or a threat for Turkey was widely discussed, as well as the consequences of the migration and refugee flow.

In his concluding remarks, ELEC Mediterranean Commission president Carles Gasòliba said that Turkey is indeed a European and regional hub, but there remains still a lot of work to be done in the current difficult times. The recent EU-Turkish summit showed a will to improve relations and could be a turning point in the integration process. IKV chairman Ayhan Zeytinoglu thanked speakers and participants and confirmed that IKV does everything it can to realise the Turkish association to the EU.

 

04/25/2020
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CIVIL SOCIETY AND BEYOND

By Participatory Democracy and Civil Society Dialogue

Civil Society and Beyond: A Joint Dialogue on the European Path | Belgrade, Serbia | February 25-26, 2016

The two day International Conference “Civil Society and Beyond: A Joint Dialogue on the European Path” was organized on February 25-26, 2016 by the European Movement International and European Movement in Serbia, with the support of TACSO P2P and in partnership with the Serbian European Integration Office.

The purpose of the conference was to create an opportunity for stakeholders from different countries from the Western Balkans and Turkey  to exchange perspectives and experiences with regard to the role of civil society in the European integration, as well as to work on the mechanisms for strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation among CSOs in the WBT region and the EU.

The event gathered 155 participants from civil society from the EU, the Western Balkan and Turkey region and Serbia, as well as from European institutions and national authorities from the region, and attracted significant media attention.

See Report at : http://tacso.org/doc/civil%20society.pdf

04/25/2020
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Turabder’s Answers to EMint’s questions on Enlargement Policies in the Western Balkans and Turkey

By EU Enlargement Policy

Enlargement Consultations

Political Committee “Europe in the World”

In order to update EMI Policy Position on Enlargement, well in advance of the annual Progress Reports that will be presented by the European Commission in the autumn, European Movement int has sent us a questionnaire with a couple of stimulating questions regarding our enlargement-views. This process is also a follow-up to the EMI Belgrade Congress held in February 2016 and is connected to EMI’s work ahead of the Civil Society Forum in the framework of the Berlin process (intergovernmental process on topics not treated by the enlargement negotiations with the Balkan countries to the EU; Paris, July 2016). The questions asked and our answers were as follows:

  1. Please give your opinion and remarks on the current developments, progress as well as points of concern for the individual (potential) candidate countries you wish to comment upon:

Montenegro (negotiations ongoing): …should become a member as soon as possible without having to wait five years. ……………………………………………….

Serbia (negotiations ongoing): … should become a member as soon as possible without having to wait five years. ……………………………………………….……………………………………………….

Turkey (negotiations ongoing): …Ongoing negotiations should be more rapid. Chapters 23 and 24 should never have been blocked. I f they had been opened 10 years ago instead of those of an economic character we would be facing a different Turkey to-day……………………………………………….

Albania (negotiations yet to be opened): negotiations should be opened

FYR of Macedonia (negotiations yet to be opened): negotiations should be opened.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (potential candidate): should become a member as soon as possible without having to wait five years.

Kosovo (potential candidate): negotiations should be started

 2. What mechanisms should be applied or fostered to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation among CSOs in the WBT (Western Balkans and Turkey) cooperation? 1. The procedures of Civil Society Facility Programme of Western Balkans can be simplified as it is the case in Turkey. “Sivil Düşün” model can be applied in the region at large 2.The system has to force civil society organisations to come up with  new  ideas to generate fruitful cooperation and not only to organize standard trainings and workshops. 3. EU’s Technical Assistance for Civil Society Organizations (TACSO) has relatively worked well. And its working model can be duplicated in each targeted countries through local ownerships after the project ends 4. In addition to promote bilateral and multilateral promotion of CSOs in WB and Turkey, the mechanisms related to civil society-public sector should be enforced. 5. More flexible and less hierarchical structures should exist, especially among youth organizations. 6.New mechanisms should be developed to facilitate regional cooperation.

3. What are the difficulties civil society faces when it comes to providing real input for the negotiation process? The problem is common to almost all applicants and some member countries. 1. Learning about the decisions taken takes place only after these decisions have been made. 2. Representatives of civil society are not part of the decision making process. It is hard for CSOs to get heard by governments. They do not participate in any of the official meetings 3. Consultative meetings held by these representatives end up with conclusions listed in a short resume which is usually not taken into consideration by the decision makers 4. These organizations need to develop their knowledge about the details involved in the chapters discussed or to be discussed.

4. What are the dangers and problems you currently identify in the Western Balkans, which (could) negatively affect the enlargement process? 1.  The EU is presently engulfed in political, economic and social crises which have led to a larger distrust of EU members and applicants vis a vis EU institutions (the Parliament as well as the Commission). 2. Conflicts between neighbor countries as well domestic problems within these applicants slow down their progress in abiding to the EU values and to the acquis 3. Rise of right wing ultra nationalist parties, governments becoming more protection oriented, more totalitarian and conservative hampers regionalization and internationalization endangers enlargement.

5. What currently jeopardizes / can potentially jeopardize the enlargement process, both from the EU and WBT front? I.  External shocks could jeopardize this process. The world economy is not faring well and an external shock such as that could cause the EU members to face difficulties which would have its impact on applicant countries too. II. Internal shock:   A Brexit followed by other countries could lead to lower trust in the EU with the result that applicant countries and member countries would prefer to slow down even more the enlargement process.

6. How could (potential) candidate countries be included in a sustainable European solution to the migrant and refugee crisis? This is a problem which the EU will not be able to solve on its own. 1. On Foreign policy issues the EU is not capable of producing a union level response to which all members would subscribe. The EU cannot formulate constructive policies. 2. The rise of extreme right wing parties backed up by ultra nationalist civil society organizations will also hamper the possibility of finding such a sustainable solution. This is quite unfortunate but we think it reflects the reality. 3. But in spite of this, civil society organizations could and should play a role in helping migrants who have reached their countries by ensuring their safety and their rights. 4. Those applicant and member countries mostly affected by this crisis should be monitored and helped. 5. Migrant and refugee rights promoting NGOs should be supported to form linkages with one another.

7. Where should the EU stand in the enlargement narrative in face of the crises it is struggling with? Nothing is sure for the upcoming two years. No prospects of further enlargement can exist under these conditions. Yet this does not mean that nothing should be done. 1. The EU should go beyond acquis conditionality by being more proactive in dealing with the domestic problems in applicant countries. 2. Discontent about good governance which is also a problem in some member countries should be addressed. 3. The EU should also be more informative about what is expected when negotiating different chapters. Organize meetings with related CSOs and discuss with them what will be faced in their country, what has been faced in member countries so that there will not be any after shocks during their applications. 4. Pre-accession policies should be improved so that there will be no discrepancies between implementing EU rules which are uniform for all and what is in application in the various sectors of the applicants. This would help anticipate and solve the problems that might arise if there is any important mismatches. 5. Control of preaccesion funds is another issue. 6. Finally given that EU is the only plausible peace solution in the current state affairs, it should create a positive enlargement narrative right away and impose sanctions on countries which actually do hurt this positive narrative. The  rhetoric in countries such as Hungary and Serbia should especially be changed.

8. What impact do you think the next enlargement will have on:

The (potential) candidate countries: 1. it will force them to have better entente with one           another, be more democratic, more respectful of human rights& freedom of the press. 2. The EU is still the only regional organization that carries a promise for peace and stability. Its effect on candidate countries is normative. 

The current EU Member States 1. Since these members have small economies the impact of their economic integration on member countries will not be detrimental. They will be easily   absorbed. 2. But addressing the needs of the looser of            this economic integration will also             be an   important policy issue. The political disorders which may then ensue among members will be         more difficult to solve by the EU. 4. Backsliding in the application of fundamental      values if any will be difficult to control as it has already been see in some member countries. EU             member states should stop thinking short term and go back to the European       value system   where prevalence and strength of democracy goes unquestioned and is promoted. 

9. How could the momentum for the enlargement process be regained? (remarks are welcome both with regard to the EU and the WBT) How to make Europe a project worth fighting for? Difficult in these times but still possible. In the WBT: 1. The EU should work hand in hand with CSOs irrespective of their political allegiance and help them organize meetings with university students, high school students even primary school students. 2. Young people of applicant countries should get to meet young pro European young people from member countries.   In the EU 1. The  EU should be reminded that long-term thinking and policies are its  defining characteristics, characteristics which distinguishes it from other organizations. 2. Pro European CSOs should be more active. Should develop branches in all their regions. Should not work like CSOs for retired people and should enroll more young people.

10. In the Serbian Congress report, especially in the part on Word Café conclusions, you can see a wish list of Balkan CSOs. Is there anything else you would identify as the urgent needs of Civil Society Organisations in the context of the enlargement process? Get more interaction between CSOs , find the financial means to get them together, otherwise what as accomplished in World Cafe was great.

 

04/25/2020
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European Movement Int statements on Istanbul Airport Attack

By External Affairs

Petros Fassoulas Secretary General
29th June 2016 – 13:32 GMT

Following the deadly attacks at Istanbul’s Atatürk airport, the European Movement International shares its condolences with the family and friends of the 41 victims and 239 wounded.

The attack on Europe’s third-busiest airport is only the latest in a series of suicide bombings in Turkey. In the face of yet another tragic and senseless attack striking our continent, we are one. We share in one another’s grief.

We also send our thoughts to our colleagues at the European Movement Turkey, who work with many civil society partners throughout Turkey. Their work is essential at this time of rising xenophobia and extremist actions. In common with our colleagues, the European Movement International holds true to the values of freedom, tolerance and respect for human rights that are the hallmarks of an open and progressive society.

Jo Leinen  President  Fri, Jul 1, 2016 at 4:07 PM

Dear Günver,

I followed with deep disgust the bomb attack on the international airport in Istanbul. The city is now once more the target of terrorists. In fact, the whole of European Movement International is in solidarity with the European Movement Turkey. The fight against terrorism unites us against all national borders.

Please communicate this message to all our friends in your lovely country.

Kind regards,

Jo Leinen

04/25/2020
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Women of Europe Awards

By Women Issues

Women of Europe Awards

The Women of Europe Awards is a new initiative by the European Movement International and the European Women’s Lobby, building upon the national awards of several National European Movement Councils. The awards will be handed out to honour women striving to advance the European project in their professional or private capacity. The role of women in the European project remains largely unrecognised, and the awards will highlight the contribution of women in promoting and advancing European issues, and to increase the presence and involvement of women in debates about Europe and its future.

For the first edition of the Award in December 2016, there are two prize categories:

  • Jury’s Award: Woman in Power
    For women showing extraordinary leadership on a European level
  • Members’ Award: Woman in Action
    For women undertaking extraordinary actions at grass-root level in Europe

A Jury composed of high-level stakeholders from the cultural, social, media and political sectors will decide on two shortlists based on the nominations received from members of the European Movement International and the European Women’s Lobby.

04/25/2020
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Female Laborforce Participation in Turkey

By Women Issues

This is the abstract of a paper I presented at the Conference in , Gammarth Tunisia entitled  «Femmes du Sud, Femmes du Nord, Osons La Réussite»

The size and quality of the human capital in countries is one of the driving forces behind the economic and social development.The policies pursued and activities carried out recently in Turkey are being aware of the fact that women are the subject of the economic and social development and this has yielded an increase in the women’s rates of employment and labor force participation.

Since 2005 there is an upward trend in female labor force participation force due to growing number of women shifting from working in agriculture to salaried work.Women’s employment rate according to turkish statistics in 2004 was 20.8 rose to 26.7 at the end of 2014.According to figures it is observed that women are mostly employed in the service sector with a rate of 49.9%.Women’s employment rate in the agricultural sector which was 50.8% in 2004 decreased to 33%.

The government has taken various measures in the past decade to create employment opportunities in the formal sector and to remove gender related barriers to education and employment.Introduction of compulsory education Law , Employment package 2008, Treasury Support to the credit guarantee fund for women entrepreneurs, Board of National Monitoring and Coordination of Women’s employment constituted.

Many projects are being run at national , regional and local levels for socio economic empowerment of women.Some examples ı can site are ; Equality at Work Platform  , this platform aims to minimize the gender gap in the field of economic participation and opportunities in Turkey. Trainings are held for women vocational courses given by turkish employment agency işkur , trainings for women farmers 4000 women were trained in all 81 provinces.Small and medium industry development organization kosgeb credit supports , micro loan practices for women who have idea to do business and in this way to improve their self confidence.Development agencies are available for reducing inter-regional disparities and achieving regional development.The agencies support the projects aimed at promoting women’s labor force participation.Lastly the ministry of food , agriculture and husbandry provides Project supports for rural development cooperatives and the ministry of customs and trade offers Project supports for other cooperatives such as small enterprises and crafts to encourage women’s cooperatives.

Besides governmental actions taken to increase women labor force participation çivil society organizations like c20 work locally , nationally and internationally .The idea to create this policy and advocacy platform to tackle inequalities was given in Turkish G20Presidency  meeting.As a policy and advocacy platform the c20 brings together civil society organizations from around the World to engage with G20 Governments on key issues of mutual concern. Female labor force participation has crucial importance for Turkey and necessary actions are taken to increase this number both by government and çivil society organizations

04/25/2020
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A Summary of What I discussed at the Turkey-EU Civil Society Meeting held in London

By Participatory Democracy and Civil Society Dialogue

As the representative of the Turkey EU Association, member of the European Movement.int since 1980, I would have expected that the issues discussed to-day in London on how to secure a more prosperous, more secure, more powerful and more democratic future for the EU would have already been solved. But alas such is not the case,

EU-skepticism, electoral authoritarianism is on the rise. Populist policies abound, extremism, bigotry are seen in almost all members and applicants. Demographic trends seem to lead to an increase in the fear of others as migrants seeking work or refuge wish and try to enter these countries. Far right racist movements and acts lead to counter steps taken by minority groups and terrorist groups. As the momentum of these trends increase neither individual governments nor EU institutions are able to come up with policies which might help solve these problems. All this is happening in times when the world economy has slowed down.

When such political and economic problems are on the rise in the developed world their repercussions on the developing world are much greater. Call it a snowball effect or a domino effect, these crisis ends up affecting us all. When the EU sneezes, countries nearby do get the flue. When the sneeze starts an avalanche, this snow ball effect can reach unexpected proportions especially if the countries affected have domestic problems of their own which clueless governments are unable to solve.

Can such vicious circles be turned into a virtuous one is the question we need to answer? And if yes, how? Forecasts for the next ten, twenty years made by futurologists speak of a world where the EU, the UN, the Bretton Woods system as we know it will no longer exist. They speak of the necessity of building a new more equitable world order. I shall try not to come up with such gloomy suggestions though I feel we are more and more in a stage where we could be speaking of a “disunited” state of Europe than a united one. I shall try to come up with short run suggestions which might benefit the EU and Turkey.

1. We need to continue to address mutually the refugee influx problem.

2. There should be no formal cancellation of talks on accession negotiations, no deal of conditionality which would enable applicants to evade obligations stipulated in the acquis.

3. The duplicity which exists in Turkey’s relations with the EU should end. Chapters 23 and 24 on fundamental rights, justice and freedoms should have been opened and closed a decade ago. The chapters opened and yet not closed dealt mainly with some technical, social and mostly economic issues. If chapters dealing with the main pillars of a democracy had been opened earlier, Turkey would have benefited from them much earlier.

4. The EU-Turkey customs union agreement should be revised and extended to services, agriculture, procurement and conflict resolution issues so as to enhance the economic competitiveness of parties involved.

5. Finally all channels of communication should remain open between Turkey and the EU. A positive engagement is absolutely necessary if Turkey’s interest in the EU and EU’s interest in Turkey does not completely wither away.

04/25/2020
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Proposals for a more Fair, Safe, Sustainable and Inclusive EU

By Europe Day

On the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Rome Treaty, we would like to take the opportunity to look forward and lay out our proposals for the future of the European Union. Concrete action is needed that will improve the lives of all Europeans and deliver a more fair, safe, sustainable and inclusive EU.
Increasing citizens’ engagement with politics and policy-making at the national and European level is crucial to building legitimate European policies. Transparency, meaningful participation of citizens and civil society in the decision-making process, and full democratic scrutiny by the European Parliament are necessary to close the perceived gap between the EU and citizens:
 Full implementation of Article 11 of the Lisbon Treaty with solid structures in place for open dialogue with citizens, civil society, and representative organisations.
 Transparent decision-making at all levels, with a binding transparency register and a more accountable and transparent trilogue system.
 Innovations in the European elections that will strengthen the link between parties’ policies at the European level and citizens’ needs, through a transnational list, more visible European political parties and European debate, and the use of e-democracy tools.
Europe’s economic growth, the stability of the euro and social protection of its citizens can only be ensured with an improved and comprehensive Economic and Monetary Union. Essential elements in the EMU to maintain and improve our prosperity, economic stability, and social rights are:
 Own resources for a more flexible and independent EU budget and a fiscal capacity for countercyclical policies, with a clearer link between EU policy objectives and financing sources as well as a clearer link between the EU budget and citizens.
 A social dimension that supports EU citizens through quality employment and adequate social protection and integrates social objectives into macroeconomic and budgetary surveillance, through the introduction of a binding Social Pillar.
 More effective and accountable European Economic Governance with a Eurozone finance minister and closer involvement of the European and national parliaments in EMU decision-making and scrutiny.
A consolidation and extension of the Single Market is needed to support the sustainable economic development of Europe. We need to improve the way our market works for business, by removing barriers to trade, and for citizens, by safeguarding social, consumer, and environmental protections:
 Completion of the Energy Union for secure, affordable and climate-friendly energy through diversification, interconnection and integration of European energy markets.
 Implementation of initiatives stimulating jobs and growth such as the Skills Agenda, bridging the gap between the worlds of education and work in particular for youth, and the Digital Single Market, striking a balance between economic benefits and privacy concerns.
 Consolidation of the Single Market and preservation of the free movement of goods, capital, services and people, preventing a backslide on previous achievements and rights.
Freedom of movement and the Schengen area have played a significant role Europe’s economic prosperity, breaking down barriers for trade and labour mobility. We need to address the gaps and concerns in the current Schengen system to ensure its continued application:
 Joint management of Europe’s outer border through the proposed European Border and Coast Guard, while avoiding the creation of a ‘Fortress Europe’. To be successful the European Border and Coast Guard needs to be more independent of Member State resources and accountable to the European Parliament.
 Effectively monitor the movement of those who want to cause harm through improving existing systems (i.e.
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14. February 2017
Schengen Information System) and investing in intelligence gathering and sharing.
 A Common European Immigration and Asylum System with a binding mechanism on sharing the responsibility for hosting asylum seekers, direct support for cities and regions that function as the main entry points, and treating asylum seekers with dignity and respect.
 Foster channels of legal migration by extending the Blue Card regulation and ensuring its application across Member States in a transparent and similar fashion.
In an increasingly competitive global environment, speaking with one voice to represent the interests of the European Union is crucial. The stability of the European Union is also dependent on stability in its neighbourhood, and integration of defence resources can bring greater efficiency:
 A common agenda on foreign and security issues through the implementation of the EU Global Strategy, the development of a European White Book on Defence to concretise the EU’s priorities in terms of capabilities, and an effective joint message on the international stage.
 Increase defence cooperation through the use of existing tools such as Permanent Structured Cooperation and EU Battlegroups, and exploring cooperation in new areas, like cybersecurity.
 A credible enlargement perspective to neutralise instability at Europe’s borders, focussing on fundamental rights and good governance, working closely with civil society and offering a positive enlargement narrative.
The founding values of the European Union – respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights – form the pillars of European cooperation. The European Union can only safeguard its standing and reach its objectives if it ensures that its core principles will not be compromised internally:
 Introduce an integrated and binding mechanism to ensure application of the rule of law in Member States and EU institutions, with regular and independent monitoring, inclusion of existing frameworks and bodies, and drawing from civil society expertise, such as proposed in the Parliament report on a pact for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights.
 Better enforcement of existing rule of law mechanisms by using new and more effective mechanisms, either through ‘systemic infringement actions’ or a review of Article 7.
With these concrete actions, the EU can directly foster citizens’ engagement and economic growth, and safeguard Europe’s security and values. The 60th Anniversary of the Rome Treaty provides not just the opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved, but also confronts us with the responsibility to look forward and lay out a vision for how the European Union can help improve the lives of all Europeans. The European Movement International will keep working for a more fair, safe, sustainable and inclusive EU.

14. February 2017

 

04/25/2020
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Progress on youth unemployment and the skills gap

By Youth, Education and Employment

Progress on youth unemployment and the skills gap

This week, various EU institutions focus on tackling the skills gap. On Monday 22, the Council on Education, Youth, Culture and Sports adopted a conclusion on life skills for young people’s development together with a recommendation on the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning. It also discussed the progress report on Europass, the common framework for skills and qualifications. The debate furthermore centred on possibilities for improvement and modernisation of the EU’s education systems.

Today the European Commission will discuss the Youth Initiative and outcomes of the vocational education and training programme. Being a key element of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the New Skills Agenda was adopted in June 2016. The New Skills Agenda proposes 10 actions for next two years, of which ’Upskilling Pathways’ (formerly ‘Skills Guarantee’) serves as a main initiative.

In correlation with the actions proposed by the institutions, the Pact for Youth, a mutual engagement of business and the European Union leaders, has put forward specific objectives to tackle the skills and youth unemployment gap. The European Movement International, as a supportive organisation of the Pact for Youth, published a new Policy Position on tackling youth unemployment and the skills gap to contribute to the debate.

EMI’S POLICY POSITION

The focus on educational attainment at the EU level has borne fruit; 10 million more people finished higher education in 2014 than in 2010. There was also an increase in the number of people participating in adult learning from 9.3% in 2010 to 10.7% in 2015. 1 . Furthermore, there has been a decrease in the number of students dropping out of school from 6 million in 2010 to 4.5 million in 2014.2

Despite this important step forward, today’s changing labour market has created a gap between the skills that employees possess and the abilities that employers are looking for. 40% of EU employers have issues finding people with the skills they need while a large number of people are working in jobs that do not match their aptitudes.3 Poor quality apprenticeships and youth unemployment are anaa growing issue in many EU countries. Out of 4.5 million students who do an internship in Europe, 59% are unpaid and 30% have no learning content.4 Although the youth unemployment rate in the EU has decreased – from 20% in September 2015 to 18.2% September 2016 – there is still much work to be done.5

The skills gap is one of the main issues affecting the whole of the EU, which is why the European Commission launched the New Skills Agenda for Europe. Through ten specific measures, it aims to improve the quality of skills formation, make skills and qualifications more visible and comparable and improve skills information for better career choices. This is not the only EU initiative to fight youth unemployment and the skills gap. Other programmes include the EU Youth Strategy, Youth Guarantee, Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps. The EU is aware of the issue and is acting accordingly, but the current myriad of initiatives needs more clarity.

Communicating EU initiatives clearly: Given the number of EU initiatives on youth, the EU Youth Portal should modernise and communicate more clearly on all EU programmes related to the matter. Since the EU is not only focusing on youth, it would also be useful if another portal or website were created to list all of the programmes related to skills, education and unemployment with concrete information on how EU citizens can make use of the programmes.

Addressing different levels of skill development: One of the most important challenges is the fact that every Member State is at a different point in the development of skills, making it challenging to produce a package of recommendations that can be used throughout the EU. National authorities have to implement the initiatives of the European Commission, as the EU only has the competence to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member States on education, vocational training and youth. Bearing in mind this limitation, it is possible that the improvement of the Key Competences Framework and the European Qualifications Framework could help Member States to adopt a more uniform approach towards skills development by creating a shared understanding of competences and qualifications yet still allowing them to tailor programmes to country-specific needs. This measure could also increase mobility.

Linking education to the labour market: Learners should be enabled to identify their existing skills and upskilling needs. This approach requires improved training programmes for teachers, allowing them to adapt their curricula to the individual needs of learners. Educational programmes should also become more flexible to enable learning providers to define their own methodologies.

Learning providers need to improve their understanding of what the labour market demands and adapt their educational programmes accordingly. Education should not only focus on cognitive and transversal skills, but also on civic education aimed at fostering responsible citizens. The European Pact for Youth, is an important initiative in this respect. One of its objectives is to offer more quality apprenticeships and entry level jobs through partnerships with education and training providers, as well as Youth Guarantee Providers. Digital skills formation should also be part of the education package to prepare future employees for the increasingly important digital world. The Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition, which invites Member States to bring digital skills and competences to all levels of education and training, could play an important role in this regard. Additionally, young people and adults should be encouraged to take part in work-based learning which would enable them to acquire skills that are not available in traditional education. In this respect Vocational Education and Training (VET) is an excellent opportunity for work-based learning experiences, especially in countries where it has not yet been well established. VET offers a dual objective: contributing to employability and economic growth while responding to broader societal challenges such as promoting social cohesion.6 For VET to be effective, it needs:

   Focus: VET programmes should concentrate those not in education, employment or training and should further develop entrepreneurial skills while avoiding that VET becomes a means to popularise cheap labour or unpaid work.      Better promotion: Even if VET results have been very positive, the possibilities that the training brings remain unknown to a number of citizens and are sometimes perceived as less attractive than formal educational programmes. To combat this trend, greater efforts have to be undertaken to promote the programme and raise awareness of its benefits.

Modernisation and quality: Working to modernise VET training could also increase its popularity and change people’s perception. The focus should be placed on improving the quality and recognition of VET, as well as its relevance in the labour market. VET should also be further integrated into European and national qualifications frameworks.

Encourage mobility: Given that mobility across Member States increases employability, VET should continue to promote mobility through programmes such as Erasmus+. The economic benefits of VET are wide-ranging. It has brought positive changes in relation to wages, mobility and employment opportunities in several Member States. There are also advantages for enterprises, since VET has proven to increase productivity, innovation, employment growth, and organisational culture.7

Identifying skills of Third Country Nationals In order to successfully integrate migrants into European society, the EU should increase its efforts to understand the qualifications, skills and professional experiences of migrants, as well as trying to identify them at an earlier stage.

The European Commission’s Agenda states that the Skills Profile Tool Kit “will assist services in receiving and host countries to identify and document” migrants’ competences. This initiative should specifiy Will which services should be responsible for implementing such measures and explain how the identification of migrants’ skills can be executed. Adapting the European Qualifications Framework and the Europass to the requirements of the labour market could help in this regard. The EQF could work as an integration tool, enabling third country nationals to identify the skills needed while making sure that skills acquired outside of the EU are recognised. The EQF would not only benefit migrants coming into the EU, but also European citizens wanting to find jobs outside of the EU. 8

Involving all actors:The European Commission should also provide a platform for discussion and exchange of experiences. In order to make it a Europe wide effort, information on how to get involved needs to be accessible to all organisations, education institutions, businesses and other stakeholders. The proposed portal on initiatives related to skills, education and unemployment could be a good platform for these stakeholders, and provide a space for the exchange of best practices.8

1 Eurostat, Lifelong learning statistics, June 2016.

2 European Commission Communication, A New Skills Agenda for Europe, June 2016.

3 Idem

4 International Interns’ Day, http://www.internsday.org/

5 Eurostat, Euro area unemployment at 10.0%, September 2016.

6 The Bruges Communiqué on enhanced European Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training for the period 2011-2020, December 2010.

7 European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), The Benefits of Vocational Education and Training, 2011.

8 European Commission Communication, A New Skills Agenda for Europe, June 2016.

04/25/2020
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Is Democracy in Crisis – Launch of ALL (Vanessa Cotterell)

By Participatory Democracy and Civil Society Dialogue

Launch of new Alliance for Democracy

On 7 June 2017 the European Movement International launched the ALL campaign, a pro-European alliance to support European cooperation and democracy. Read the press release about the launch here.

The ALL campaign works in partnership with civil society organisations, NGOs, trade unions, companies, local governments and individuals and engages citizens across Europe in a pro-European democratic dialogue in the run-up to the elections to the European Parliament in 2019.

‘Is Democracy in Crisis’

The launch took place as part of the conference ‘Is Democracy in Crisis’, that brought together high-level speakers from the European institutions, NGOs, the business sector and trade unions as well as academics and journalists from within as well as outside the ‘Brussels Bubble’. Not only did the panelists discuss current challenges to democracy, they also put forward ideas on how to support European core values and ensure the role of the independent media. The conference also opened the floor to creative minds from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Finland and Spain to present successful initiatives encouraging citizen participation and bringing forward progressive forms of direct democracy.

Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition, opened the conference with a keynote speech on ‘A healthy democracy in a social media age’. She stressed the importance of fighting for democratic values in Europe and the inherent challenges in the age of social media and other forms of communication and information platforms.

View image on Twitter

The first discussion of the launch event featured Márta Pardavi, Co-Chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights organisation, Ryan Heath, Senior EU Correspondent for POLITICO, Åsa Larsson from the Swedish fact-checking page Viralgranskaren, and Nicolas Vanderbiest, social media expert from the University of Louvain. In a Q&A session with the audience, the panelists discussed current challenges to democracy in Europe, the importance of independent media, the need for fact-checking of information sources and other means to promote critical thinking vis-à-vis information distortion and propaganda.

The conference continued with the presentation of five initiatives from different 5 European countries, each of which promote a certain form of direct citizen participation on a local or national level. Whether the initiative is about motivating young Dutch citizens to vote in national elections, or turning crowd-sourced citizens’ proposals into Finnish legislation, they all share a vision for participatory democracy.

The final panel featured partner organisations involved in ALL. Leading representatives from the European Trade Union Confederation, the European Youth Forum, the European Environmental Bureau, Transparency International, BusinessEurope, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions and the European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services spoke about the reasons why they joined this new initiative and the importance of democracy and European co-operation.

There was a shared feeling about the need to support democracy in Europe in times of uncertainty, to defend the main values of the EU and to promote a European and inter-organisational dialogue. The focus should also lie on fostering debates and using new ways to address the challenges the EU is facing, while hearing out local voices and taking their ideas to a European level.

We would like to thank all partners, speakers and participants for contributing to an insightful debate around the future of democracy in Europe and look forward to welcoming you to the next event of ALL.

04/25/2020
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