“We have our own dream and our own task. We are with Europe, but not of it. We are linked but not combined. We are interested and associated but not absorbed. If Britain must choose between Europe and the open sea, she must always choose the open sea.” Winston Churchill
The two reasons why the Prime Minister refuses to pledge to veto Turkey
"David Cameron tells us that there is no chance of Turkey joining the EU “for decades“ (BBC TV June 19).
But ref. Answer to House of Commons Question below “… The UK supports Turkey’s EU accession process…”
Second reason: Turkey already has the formal EU status of “candidate country“.
This means that the EU pays Turkey “pre-accession funding“, money paid out specifically to prepare Turkey for EU membership.
In the period 2007 – 2013, this was to the tune of Euros 4.799 billion. A further Euros 4.453 billion was allocated or paid 2014 – 2020.
Are these very large sums really being paid to Turkey on a basis that is totally invalid?
If the Prime Minister believes what he says, EU should cease pre-accession funding and the Prime Minister should pledge to veto Turkey's application for EU Membership.“
William Dartmouth MEP,
07767 817 085
Note: Source and table below.
Turkey: EU Accession: Written question - 33258
Q
Asked by Mr Douglas Carswell<http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/mr-douglas-carswell/1527> (Clacton)
Asked on: 11 April 2016
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Turkey: EU Accession
Commons
33258
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on Turkey's accession to the EU.
A
Answered by: Mr David Lidington<http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/mr-david-lidington/15>
Answered on: 14 April 2016
The UK supports Turkey’s EU accession process, which remains the most effective mechanism for continuing reform in Turkey. Turkey’s accession itself is not on the cards for many years to come. Turkey first applied for associate membership of the EEC in 1959, and there remains a very significant amount of detailed work to do before Turkey is ready to join the EU including economic reforms. Every Member State has a veto at every stage. For the UK, the EU Act 2011 requires any Accession Treaty admitting a candidate country to membership to be ratified by Act of Parliament.
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-04-11/33258/PRE-ACCESSION FUNTING ALLOCATED TO TURKEY
2007-2013: €4.799 billion
2014-2020: €4.4539 billion (38 percent of the total amount of €11.7 billion for that period)
Year
Amount of EU Pre-Accession Funding
2007
€497.2 million
2008
€538.7 million
2009
€566.4 million
2010
€653.7 million
2011
€779.9 million
2012
€860.2 million
2013
€902.9 million
Total: €4,799 million
2014
€620.4 million
2015
€626.4 million
2016
€630.8 million
2017
€636.4 million
2018-2020
€1,940.0 million
Total: €4,453.9 million
Source: European Commission, Indicative Strategy Paper for Turkey (2014-2020) and
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/key-figures/old_2007_2013_en.htm