Cyprus and the European Union 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Cyprus' accession to 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 the Republic 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 harmonisation 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.” While the UN Secretary-General’s mission of good offices has provided the framework for a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus problem, the EU has a central role in assuring that any proposed settlement conforms to its principles and legal norms. Turkey’s EU accession process and broader EU-Turkey relations also provide a comprehensive framework of obligations, the fullfillment of which can help address 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 its ratification of the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement, as well as its continuous refusal to fulfill its obligations stemming from the latter, raises serious questions about Turkey’s compliance with EU norms and obligations and its intentions in the search for a viable settlement of the Cyprus problem. The EU responded to this unilateral declaration with a Declaration of its own calling on Turkey to comply with its obligations and has reiterated that position on several occasions to no avail. The Cyprus Question| A brief Introduction 22
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