Misplaced Pages

European Union–Turkey Customs Union: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 00:59, 30 May 2005 editPmsyyz (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users18,327 editsm formatting← Previous edit Latest revision as of 07:49, 11 November 2024 edit undo46.196.74.208 (talk) Criticism: Unnecessary spaceTags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit 
(173 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Customs union between Turkey and European Union}}
On 31 December 1995 the ] between ] and the ] came into effect. Goods can travel between the two entities without any customs restrictions. The Customs Union does not cover essential economic areas, such as ], to which bilateral trade concessions apply, services or public ]. The EU-Turkey Customs Union is one of the steps towards full Turkish membership of the European Union itself.
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2013}}


{{Economy of Turkey}}
== Full European Union membership ==
{{Ministry of European Union Affairs (Turkey)}}
]
] and the ]]]


The '''European Union–Turkey Customs Union''' is a ] between the ] (EU) and ]. The agreement came into effect on 31 December 1995, following a 6 March 1995 decision of the ] to implement a ] ({{langx|tr|Gümrük Birliği}}) between the two parties.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/turkey/|title=Turkey - Trade - European Commission|website=ec.europa.eu|access-date=31 January 2016|archive-date=17 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217075121/https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/turkey/|url-status=live}}</ref> Goods may travel between the two entities without any customs restrictions. The Customs Union does not cover essential economic areas such as agriculture (to which bilateral trade concessions apply), services or public ].
Turkey has been an associate member of the ] (EC) since 1963, and it has always been Turkey's desire to become a full member of the European Community. Turkey applied for full membership in 1987.


In 1996, a free trade area was established between ] and the European Union for products covered by the ]. Decision 1/98 of the Association Council covers trade in agricultural products.
The decision to consider Turkey's application was deferred until 1993, because the European Community was in the process of becoming the even (politically and economically) tighter ]. The fall of the ] and ] delayed the decision on Turkish membership even more. During those years the European Community had also become reluctant to consider Turkey's application, because a majority of the member States of the European Community objected to full Turkish membership for economic, social, and political reasons.


In addition to providing for a ] for the products covered, the ] foresees that Turkey is to align to the ] in several essential internal market areas, notably with regard to industrial standards.
At the Helsinki summit in December 1999 Turkey was finally given the status of a candidate country. At the end of 2004, the ] has issued a report with positive recommendations to the ], indicating the degree of compliance by Turkey of the Copenhagen political criteria. On this basis, the ] has decided to start accession negotiations with Turkey in 2005.

According to a 2020 study, the agreement boosted trade between the EU and Turkey. In manufacturing, there was a 55–65 per cent increase in EU‐Turkey trade compared with the Ankara Agreement.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Larch|first1=Mario|last2=Schmeißer|first2=Aiko F.|last3=Wanner|first3=Joschka|title=A Tale of (almost) 1001 Coefficients: The Deep and Heterogeneous Effects of the EU-Turkey Customs Union|journal=JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies|year=2020|volume=59|issue=2|pages=242–260|language=en|doi=10.1111/jcms.13058|issn=1468-5965|doi-access=free|hdl=10419/198858|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

== Results for Turkey ==
The customs union increased both ]s and ]s in Turkey,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ecomod.net/sites/default/files/document-conference/ecomod2003/Neyapti.pdf |title=Has European Customs Union Agreement Really Affected Turkey's Trade? |author=Bilin Neyapti, Fatma Taskin and Murat Üngör |access-date=18 January 2018 |archive-date=18 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118181736/https://ecomod.net/sites/default/files/document-conference/ecomod2003/Neyapti.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> as well as its ] per capita.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Twenty Years of the EU-Turkey Customs Union: A Synthetic Control Method Analysis|journal=JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies|volume=55|issue=3|pages=419–431|doi=10.1111/jcms.12490|year=2017|last1=Aytuğ|first1=Hüseyin|last2=Kütük|first2=Merve Mavuş|last3=Oduncu|first3=Arif|last4=Togan|first4=Sübidey|hdl=11693/37085|s2cid=53560157|url=http://repository.bilkent.edu.tr/bitstream/11693/37085/1/Twenty%20Years%20of%20the%20EU-Turkey%20Customs%20Union%20A%20SyntheticControl%20Method%20Analysis.pdf|hdl-access=free|access-date=24 September 2019|archive-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513222541/http://repository.bilkent.edu.tr/bitstream/handle/11693/37085/Twenty%20Years%20of%20the%20EU-Turkey%20Customs%20Union%20A%20SyntheticControl%20Method%20Analysis.pdf?sequence=1|url-status=live}}</ref> Turkey's membership of the customs union is recognised as having played a significant part in its economy's transition from agrarian to industrial.<ref name="KiriskiEtBulbul2017">{{cite web|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2017/08/29/the-eu-and-turkey-need-each-other-could-upgrading-the-customs-union-be-the-key/|title=The EU and Turkey need each other. Could upgrading the customs union be the key?|access-date=18 January 2018|date=2017-08-29|archive-date=8 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208123648/https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2017/08/29/the-eu-and-turkey-need-each-other-could-upgrading-the-customs-union-be-the-key/|url-status=live}}</ref>

As ] is in a customs union with the EU, it has to adjust its ]s and ] to match those of the EU. However, the ]s (FTAs) signed by the EU do not extend to Turkey, so the EU's FTA partners can export to Turkey tariff-free, while maintaining tariffs on Turkish goods, unless they also conclude a separate FTA agreement with Turkey. During the negotiation of the ] (TTIP), Turkey raised the prospect of leaving the customs union over the economic contraction it would suffer as American goods would enter ] tariff-free and Turkish goods would continue to face American tariffs. The EU and Turkey have been in negotiations for amending the customs union agreement to add Turkey to the EU's present and future FTAs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europeanpublicaffairs.eu/the-eu-turkey-customs-union-in-the-light-of-ttip-and-beyond-the-economic-relations/|title=The EU-Turkey Customs Union in the light of TTIP and beyond the economic relations|date=15 May 2014|access-date=25 January 2017|archive-date=12 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212043938/http://www.europeanpublicaffairs.eu/the-eu-turkey-customs-union-in-the-light-of-ttip-and-beyond-the-economic-relations/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailysabah.com/business/2016/08/30/talks-between-turkey-eu-to-update-customs-union-deal-to-start-in-2017|title=Talks between Turkey, EU to update Customs Union deal to start in 2017|website=]|date=30 August 2016|access-date=25 January 2017|archive-date=9 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909224703/https://www.dailysabah.com/business/2016/08/30/talks-between-turkey-eu-to-update-customs-union-deal-to-start-in-2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/05/turkey-trade-victory-transatlantic-investment-partnership.html| title=Turkey avoids economic pain with EU trade agreement| date=2015-05-06| access-date=25 January 2017| archive-date=19 January 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119120236/https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/05/turkey-trade-victory-transatlantic-investment-partnership.html| url-status=live}}</ref>

== EU member state candidacy ==
{{main|Accession of Turkey to the European Union}}
Turkey has been an associate member of the ] (EC) since 1964, following the signing in 1963 of the ] (EEC-Turkey Association Agreement (1963)) with the EEC. Turkey applied for full membership on 14 April 1987.

The decision to consider Turkey's application was deferred until 1993, because the European Community was in the process of becoming the even (politically and economically) tighter ]. The fall of the ] and ] delayed the decision on Turkish membership even more. During those years the European Community had also become reluctant to consider Turkey's application.

At the ] summit in December 1999 Turkey was given the status of a candidate country. At the end of 2004, the ] has issued a report with positive recommendations to the ], indicating the degree of compliance by Turkey of the ] political criteria. On this basis, the ] decided to start accession negotiations with Turkey on 3 October 2005. Since then, no significant progress has been made towards membership nor is there evidence of political will to do so.

== Update proposals ==
In December 2016, the ] released an assessment proposing to update and modernize the agreement which includes services and public procurement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Turkey - Trade - European Commission |url=https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/turkey/#splashbox |website=ec.europa.eu |access-date=13 March 2020 |archive-date=21 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321203234/https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/turkey/#splashbox |url-status=live }}</ref> The report concluded with two options; Enhanced Commercial Framework (ECF) or ] (DCFTA).<ref>{{cite web |title=Study of the EU-Turkey |url=https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2017/january/tradoc_155240.pdf |publisher=] |access-date=13 March 2020 |archive-date=26 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926193537/https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2017/january/tradoc_155240.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> As of 2020 March, the Council hadn't adapted either of the proposals. Since 2015, the Turkish government has had several meetings to assess updating the agreement.<ref>{{cite web |title=T.C. Ticaret Bakanlığı |url=https://ticaret.gov.tr/dis-iliskiler/avrupa-birligi/gumruk-birliginin-guncelleme-sureci |website=] |access-date=13 March 2020 |language=tr |archive-date=12 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412211538/https://ticaret.gov.tr/dis-iliskiler/avrupa-birligi/gumruk-birliginin-guncelleme-sureci |url-status=live }}</ref>


== Euro-Mediterranean free trade area == == Euro-Mediterranean free trade area ==
Turkey is also a member of the ] and as such is interested in concluding ]s with all other Mediterranean partners, with a view to the creation of a ], originally aimed for by 2010.

== Criticism ==

The agreement is criticized by some, as the agreement itself does not provide any political or economic powers to Turkey in the European Union while granting some to the Union towards Turkey; thus it is compared to the ].<ref>{{cite web |author=Metin Aydoğan |author-link=:tr:Metin Aydoğan |title=Avrupa Birliğini Yaratan Nedenler ve Türkiye |trans-title=Reasons Which Created the European Union, and Turkey |url=http://www.zmo.org.tr/resimler/ekler/b16b8498f74ba6b_ek.pdf?tipi=14 |access-date=22 January 2024 |language=tr |quote=Anlayışını 19.yüzyıl sömürgeciliğinden alan Gümrük Birliği Protokolü’yle Türkiye ekonomik, siyasal ve hukuksal hükümranlık haklarını, üye olmadığı bir dış güce devretmeyi kabul ediyor ve kendisini Avrupa’nın bir yarı – sömürgesi haline getiriyordu. Gümrük Birliği Protokolü tam ve tartışmasız bir biçimde ağır bir kapitülasyon anlaşmasıydı |trans-quote=With Customs Union Protocol which gets its mentality from 19th century colonialism, Turkey was accepting to delegate its political and legal sovereignty rights to a foreign power which is not a member and was transforming itself into a semi-colony of Europe. Customs Union Protocol was fully and unequivocally, a harsh capitulation agreement}}</ref>

== See also ==
* ]
* ]
* ]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* ], February 16, 2017

{{Turkey topics}}
{{Foreign relations of Turkey}}
{{Foreign relations of the European Union}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:European Union-Turkey Customs Union}}


]
Finally, Turkey is also member of the ] and as such should conclude free trade agreements with all other Mediterranean partners, with a view to the creation of a ] in 2010.
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 07:49, 11 November 2024

Customs union between Turkey and European Union

Economy of Turkey
Emblem of Turkey
Economic history
Money
Stock exchange
Major projects
Related topics
flag Turkey portal
This article is part of a series about the
Turkey in Europe

Turkey and the European Union Turkish Institutions for EU Affairs

Turkish–European Integration Foreign and Military Policies Economic Science Aviation and Transportation Sports Media Infrastructure and Entertainment

Historical
map Europe portal
flag Turkey portal
flag European Union portal
Commemorative Turkish coin for EU-Turkey customs union
Candidate country Turkey and the European Union

The European Union–Turkey Customs Union is a trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Turkey. The agreement came into effect on 31 December 1995, following a 6 March 1995 decision of the European Community–Turkey Association Council to implement a customs union (Turkish: Gümrük Birliği) between the two parties. Goods may travel between the two entities without any customs restrictions. The Customs Union does not cover essential economic areas such as agriculture (to which bilateral trade concessions apply), services or public procurement.

In 1996, a free trade area was established between Turkey and the European Union for products covered by the European Coal and Steel Community. Decision 1/98 of the Association Council covers trade in agricultural products.

In addition to providing for a common external tariff for the products covered, the Customs Union foresees that Turkey is to align to the acquis communautaire in several essential internal market areas, notably with regard to industrial standards.

According to a 2020 study, the agreement boosted trade between the EU and Turkey. In manufacturing, there was a 55–65 per cent increase in EU‐Turkey trade compared with the Ankara Agreement.

Results for Turkey

The customs union increased both imports and exports in Turkey, as well as its GDP per capita. Turkey's membership of the customs union is recognised as having played a significant part in its economy's transition from agrarian to industrial.

As Turkey is in a customs union with the EU, it has to adjust its tariffs and duties to match those of the EU. However, the free trade agreements (FTAs) signed by the EU do not extend to Turkey, so the EU's FTA partners can export to Turkey tariff-free, while maintaining tariffs on Turkish goods, unless they also conclude a separate FTA agreement with Turkey. During the negotiation of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), Turkey raised the prospect of leaving the customs union over the economic contraction it would suffer as American goods would enter Turkey tariff-free and Turkish goods would continue to face American tariffs. The EU and Turkey have been in negotiations for amending the customs union agreement to add Turkey to the EU's present and future FTAs.

EU member state candidacy

Main article: Accession of Turkey to the European Union

Turkey has been an associate member of the European Community (EC) since 1964, following the signing in 1963 of the Ankara Agreement (EEC-Turkey Association Agreement (1963)) with the EEC. Turkey applied for full membership on 14 April 1987.

The decision to consider Turkey's application was deferred until 1993, because the European Community was in the process of becoming the even (politically and economically) tighter European Union. The fall of the Soviet Union and German reunification delayed the decision on Turkish membership even more. During those years the European Community had also become reluctant to consider Turkey's application.

At the Helsinki summit in December 1999 Turkey was given the status of a candidate country. At the end of 2004, the European Commission has issued a report with positive recommendations to the European Council, indicating the degree of compliance by Turkey of the Copenhagen political criteria. On this basis, the European Council decided to start accession negotiations with Turkey on 3 October 2005. Since then, no significant progress has been made towards membership nor is there evidence of political will to do so.

Update proposals

In December 2016, the European Commission released an assessment proposing to update and modernize the agreement which includes services and public procurement. The report concluded with two options; Enhanced Commercial Framework (ECF) or Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). As of 2020 March, the Council hadn't adapted either of the proposals. Since 2015, the Turkish government has had several meetings to assess updating the agreement.

Euro-Mediterranean free trade area

Turkey is also a member of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership and as such is interested in concluding free trade agreements with all other Mediterranean partners, with a view to the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean free trade area, originally aimed for by 2010.

Criticism

The agreement is criticized by some, as the agreement itself does not provide any political or economic powers to Turkey in the European Union while granting some to the Union towards Turkey; thus it is compared to the capitulations of the Ottoman Empire.

See also

Notes

  1. association
  2. cooperation

References

  1. "Turkey - Trade - European Commission". ec.europa.eu. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  2. Larch, Mario; Schmeißer, Aiko F.; Wanner, Joschka (2020). "A Tale of (almost) 1001 Coefficients: The Deep and Heterogeneous Effects of the EU-Turkey Customs Union". JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies. 59 (2): 242–260. doi:10.1111/jcms.13058. hdl:10419/198858. ISSN 1468-5965.
  3. Bilin Neyapti, Fatma Taskin and Murat Üngör. "Has European Customs Union Agreement Really Affected Turkey's Trade?" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  4. Aytuğ, Hüseyin; Kütük, Merve Mavuş; Oduncu, Arif; Togan, Sübidey (2017). "Twenty Years of the EU-Turkey Customs Union: A Synthetic Control Method Analysis" (PDF). JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies. 55 (3): 419–431. doi:10.1111/jcms.12490. hdl:11693/37085. S2CID 53560157. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  5. "The EU and Turkey need each other. Could upgrading the customs union be the key?". 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 8 February 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  6. "The EU-Turkey Customs Union in the light of TTIP and beyond the economic relations". 15 May 2014. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  7. "Talks between Turkey, EU to update Customs Union deal to start in 2017". Daily Sabah. 30 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 September 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  8. "Turkey avoids economic pain with EU trade agreement". 6 May 2015. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  9. "Turkey - Trade - European Commission". ec.europa.eu. Archived from the original on 21 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  10. "Study of the EU-Turkey" (PDF). European Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  11. "T.C. Ticaret Bakanlığı". Ministry of Trade (Turkey) (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  12. Metin Aydoğan . "Avrupa Birliğini Yaratan Nedenler ve Türkiye" [Reasons Which Created the European Union, and Turkey] (PDF) (in Turkish). Retrieved 22 January 2024. Anlayışını 19.yüzyıl sömürgeciliğinden alan Gümrük Birliği Protokolü'yle Türkiye ekonomik, siyasal ve hukuksal hükümranlık haklarını, üye olmadığı bir dış güce devretmeyi kabul ediyor ve kendisini Avrupa'nın bir yarı – sömürgesi haline getiriyordu. Gümrük Birliği Protokolü tam ve tartışmasız bir biçimde ağır bir kapitülasyon anlaşmasıydı [With Customs Union Protocol which gets its mentality from 19th century colonialism, Turkey was accepting to delegate its political and legal sovereignty rights to a foreign power which is not a member and was transforming itself into a semi-colony of Europe. Customs Union Protocol was fully and unequivocally, a harsh capitulation agreement]

External links

Turkey Turkey
History
Ancient and Middle Ages
Seljuks and Beyliks
Ottoman Empire
Republic of Türkiye
Overviews
Topics
Geography
Regions
(west to east)
Topics
Government
Branches
Politics
Topics
Economy
Demographics
Society
Culture
Turkey Foreign relations of Turkey
Bilateral relations
Africa
Central
East
North
Southern
West
Americas
Caribbean
Central
Northern
South
Asia
Central
East
South
Southeast
Western
Europe
Central
Eastern
Northern
Southern
Western
Oceania
Australasia
Melanesia
Polynesia
Former states
Multilateral relations
Current
Historical
Diplomacy
Peace Agreements and Treaties
International infrastructure
Missions
Foreign relations of the European Union
Bilateral relations
See also: Economic relationships with third countries
Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe
Oceania
Former
General
  • †= Disputed state, may not be recognised as an independent state by some or all European Union members.
Multilateral relations and initiatives
Organisations
Initiatives
Administration and policies
Foreign and Security Policy
Administration
Funding
Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union
Leadership
Structure
External Action Service
Agencies
Council preparatory bodies
European Commission bodies
Funding
Policies
Equipment
Decorations
Related
Categories: