Cyprus and the European Union The Republic of Cyprus signed an Association Agreement with the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1972 and applied for membership in the European Communities in 1990. The European Commission issued a positive avis (opinion) in 1993 recognizing the importance of Cyprus’ accession for the security and prosperity of the island and for the resolution of the Cyprus problem. The European Council agreed in 1995 that accession negotiations with Cyprus would commence six months after the conclusion of the EU intergovernmental conference of 1996. At the European Conference in London, on 12 March 1998, the president of Cyprus invited the Turkish Cypriot community to join the Cypriot EU negotiating team, but the Turkish Cypriot leadership rejected the invitation. By December 2002, all chapters in the negotiations with the EU were closed and the harmonization process was completed. Cyprus signed the Treaty of Accession in Athens on 16 April 2003, became a member of the EU on 1 May 2004, participated in the 2004 elections for the European Parliament, and joined the eurozone on 1 January 2008. Under Protocol 10 annexed to the Treaty of Accession, the application of the acquis in the areas of Cyprus occupied by Turkey would be suspended until the Cyprus problem was resolved. The same protocol stated the readiness of the EU“to accommodate the terms of such a settlement in line with the principles on which the EU is founded.” Cyprus will assume, for the first time, the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2012 as part of a "triple-shared presidency" or Trio over an eighteen month period. The countries making up the Presidency Trio in the period from 1 July 2011 to 31 December 2012 are in turn Poland, Denmark and Cyprus. While the UN Secretary-General’s mission of good offices has provided the framework for a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus problem, the EU is now expected to assume a central role in assuring that any proposed settlement conforms to its principles and legal norms. This is in sharp contrast to the role the EU was relegated to during the presentation of the SecretaryGeneral’s plan on Cyprus in 2004. Turkey’s EU accession process also provides new opportunities for addressing some of the thorniest aspects of the Cyprus problem, such as protection of human rights, non-intervention, the sovereignty of the Republic, and the functionality of government institutions. Unfortunately, Turkey’s unilateral declaration on the non-recognition of the Republic of Cyprus at the time of the ratification of Turkey’s customs union protocol raises serious questions about Turkey’s compliance with EU norms and obligations and its intentions in the search for a viable The Cyprus Question| A brief Introduction 27
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzU4MTg0