EU leaders urge candidate countries to meet their commitments

by Maria Myles

Brussels, Dec 15 (CNA) — The European Union presidency and Commission president stressed here today the need for candidate countries to meet their commitments, as these are set out by the Union, if they wish to join the EU.

Finland, the current EU president, also said that opening negotiating chapters with Turkey will take place in accordance with the decisions taken.

“The future management of negotiations with Turkey has been one of the challenges the Finnish presidency has had to deal with”, Jose Manuel Barroso, Commission President told a press conference here today, after EU leaders rounded up their two-day meeting.

In particular on Turkey, he had this to say: “We have clearly kept the door open for Turkey”, adding that “all those who want to join the Union must meet the strict conditions” set out by the EU.

Replying to questions about the need to maintain a momentum in Turkey’s accession negotiations and to open negotiating chapters, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said that “this would be in the spirit of the decisions taken”.

He explained that eight negotiating chapters have been frozen and the process to open other chapters “will proceed as normal”.

In his remarks to the press, Vanhanen said that “candidate countries must meet the requirements” set out by the Union.

The speakers at the press conference referred to the achievements of the Finnish presidency which ends at the end of the year and noted the fact that the role of the European Union has been enhanced.