Brussels in spotlight as crucial reports unveiled today
By Honor Mahony
The European Commission will be in the spotlight later today as it unveils crucial reports likely to pave the way for Turkey's eventual membership of the European Union.
Widely leaked in the press, the reports are expected to recommend that the EU opens negotiations with Turkey, but that no date is actually set.
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One of the main reasons for this, according to EU sources, is so that the planned referendum in France next year on the EU Constitution does not become tangled up in the Turkey issue.
The general approach towards negotiations with the 70m mainly Muslim country is expected to be much tougher.
The paper, according to FT Deutschland, is to say that the negotiations are open-ended and that their end cannot be guaranteed - this is the first time that this will be said to an EU-hopeful.
Moreover, instead of a temporary safeguard clause on movement of people, as was the case with the central and eastern Europe member states that joined the EU in May, a permanent safeguard clause is expected to be put in place for Turkey.
This would mean that the EU could close its border to large numbers of migrants from Turkey at any point in the future - again this is the first time such a clause will be in place permanently.
The Commission is also expected to recommend that membership negotiations be suspended if countries do not meet the EU's political criteria.
Günter Verheugen, the Commissioner responsible for enlargement, will also release papers that look at the humanitarian situation on the ground in Turkey and an impact assessment study.
This paper will look at the effect that such a large and poor country will have on EU institutions and policies when it joins - not expected until at least 2015.
Bulgaria and Romania
Bulgaria and Romania, which hope to join the EU in 2007, will also be dealt with today.
Both countries are expected to be told that they are on course for membership then and that they have full functioning market economies.
Romania, however, is expected to come under fire for a lack of press freedom and for corruption.
Both countries will have to make sure they do not slip up in any EU commitments that they have made.
A safeguard clause gives the EU the possibility of delaying their entry until 2008 if commitments made by the countries during negotiations are not met.