Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social committee and the Committee of the Regions - Civil Society Dialogue between the EU and Candidate Countries {SEC(2005) 891}
Date: 2005-06-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: accession to the European Union, enlargement of the Union, public awareness campaign

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 29.6.2005 
COM(2005) 290 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Civil Society Dialogue between the EU and Candidate Countries 

{SEC(2005) 891} 

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1. 

WHY  A  “CIVIL  SOCIETY  DIALOGUE”  BETWEEN  THE  EU  AND  CANDIDATE 
COUNTRIES? 

1.1. 

Introduction 

The  enlargement  of  the  European  Union  to  ten  new  member  States  on  1  May  2004  further 
strengthened the unity of the European continent and enhanced peace, stability and security. 
However, one of the lessons that can be drawn from the previous enlargement is that citizens 
in EU Member States were not sufficiently informed nor prepared. Any future enlargement of 
the EU needs to be supported by a strong, deep and sustained dialogue between the societies 
of the candidate countries and in the EU member States, as well as with the EU institutions. 
This  would  help  to  bridge  the  information  gap,  achieve  better  mutual  knowledge  and  bring 
citizens and different cultures, political and economic systems closer together, thus ensuring a 
stronger awareness of the opportunities as well as the challenges of future accessions. 

1.2. 

The dialogue relating to future enlargement 

In  this  context,  in  October  2004,  the  Commission’s  recommendation  on  Turkey’s  progress 
towards accession1 proposed the development of a dialogue between EU Member States and 
Turkey,  “where  concerns  and  perceptions  can  be  discussed  in  a  frank  and  open  manner.  It 
noted that “Civil society should play the most important role in this dialogue, which should be 
facilitated by the EU.”  

The  Commission  recognised  that  in  the  case  of  Turkey,  a  dialogue  aiming  at  improving 
mutual  knowledge  and  encouraging  a  debate  on  perceptions  regarding  society  and  political 
issues on both sides is particularly necessary. Public opinion in Turkey is strongly supportive 
of EU membership, but information on the history, the functioning, rules and policies of the 
European  Union  remains  poor.  Within  the  EU,  public  opinion  is  divided  on  the  issue,  with 
differences  of  opinion  within  and  between  Member  States.  The  lively  debate  that  has  been 
ongoing  in  this  respect  focuses  on  a  number  of  different  themes,  ranging  from  questions 
concerning  culture  and  religion  to  those  of  a  more  practical  nature.  On  the  one  hand  it  has 
been  argued  that  the  Turkish  State  and  society  have  values  and  practices  incompatible  with 
EU  standards.  On  the  other  hand  Turkey  has  been  described  as  a  country  with  a  different 
cultural  background  adhering  to  democratic  principles  in  the  same  manner  as  EU  Member 
States.  The  expected  impact  of  Turkish  accession  related  to  the  country’s  size,  income,  and 
geographical location is also widely debated2.  

On  17  December  2004  the  European  Council  endorsed  the  European  Commission 
recommendation  and  broadened  its  scope  by  stipulating  that  “parallel  to  accession 
negotiations,  the  Union  will  engage  with  every candidate  state  in  an  intensive  political  and 

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Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament, Recommendation 
of the European Commission on Turkey’s progress towards accession - COM(2004) 656. As concluded 
by the 17 December 2004 European Council, accession negotiations with Turkey will start on 3 October 
2005, once  it has  signed  the  protocol  on  the  adaptation of  the Ankara agreement  and  provided  that it 
brings  into  force  six  pieces  of  legislation  identified  by  the  Commission  (Brussels  European  Council, 
16/17 December 2004. Presidency Conclusions 17/12/2004 Nr: 16238/1/04 Rev1). 
On  this  aspect,  see  also  Commission  Staff  Working  Document,  Issues  arising  from  Turkey’s 
Membership perspective - SEC(2004) 1202. 

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cultural  dialogue3.  With  the  aim  of  enhancing  mutual  understanding  by  bringing  people 
together, this inclusive dialogue also will involve civil society.” 

The  civil  society  dialogue4  will  thus  concern  Croatia  as  well5,  although  the  dialogue  with 
regard to Croatia may be of a somewhat different nature from that on Turkey. The dialogue 
with  Croatia  aims  more  towards  enhancing  public  debate  in  Croatia  on  EU  membership, 
especially leading to a deeper understanding and acceptance of EU values and standards. In 
addition  to  more  general  political  issues,  this  dialogue  is  particularly  important  in  certain 
areas  of  the  EU  acquis  such  as,  for  example,  the  environment,  food  safety  and  consumer 
protection, as well as the obligations in the field of external assistance.  

In the Thessalonica European Council in June 2003, the EU has emphasised that the future of 
the  Western  Balkans  lies  in  the  European  Union.  Depending  on  each  country’s  progress  in 
complying  with  the  Copenhagen  criteria  and  the  conditionality  of  the  stabilisation  and 
association  process,  the  European  Council  might  decide,  on  the  basis  of  an  opinion  of  the 
Commission,  on  the  opening  of  accession  negotiations.  In  that  context,  a  number  of  the 
ongoing  and  future  activities  envisaged  for  current  candidates  countries  may  also  be 
introduced for other Western Balkan countries as appropriate. 

The main objective of the civil society dialogue to be developed with Turkey and Croatia is to 
better  inform  public  opinions  from  the  EU  and  candidate  countries,  by  addressing  the 
opportunities  as  well  as  the  challenges  posed  by  future  enlargement.  With  reference  to 
Turkey, the dialogue will encourage a discussion  on perceptions  regarding everyday culture 
and values expressed by the society and the State on both sides. To achieve these objectives, 
the  dialogue  will  increase  bilateral  exchanges,  thereby  contributing  to  the  increased 
participation  of  civil  society  in  the  political,  cultural  and  economic  development  of  the 
candidate  countries  concerned.  It  will  thus  support  the  further  development  of  a  lively  and 
vibrant  civil  society  in  the  candidate  countries,  which  is  key  to  the  consolidation  of  human 
rights and democracy, in line with the political criteria for accession. 

In short, the objectives of the civil society dialogue can be summarised as follows: 

–  strengthen contacts and mutual exchange of experience between all sectors of civil society 

in the member States and Candidate countries; 

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A political dialogue with Turkey takes place in the framework of the regular monitoring of the political 
criteria,  consisting  in  the  permanent  follow  up  of  Turkey’s  progress  towards  compliance  with  the 
Copenhagen  political  criteria  related  to  democracy  and  the  rule  of  law,  respect  for  human  rights  and 
minorities. The Commission has regular meetings with the Turkish authorities on this subject. 
In  the  Commission’s  recommendation  what  will  be  referred  to  as  the  “civil  society  dialogue”  in  this 
document was in fact the third pillar of a three-pillar policy vis-à-vis Turkey. The first pillar focused on 
reinforcing  the  political  reform  process  in  Turkey,  the  second  pillar  consisted  of  conducting 
negotiations  under  a  revised  methodological  approach  and  the  third  pillar  was  about  a  EU-Turkey 
dialogue. 
Following the decision of the European Council of 17 and 18 June 2004 that Croatia was a candidate 
country, the European Council of 16 and 17 December 2004 decided that accession negotiations would 
be  opened  on  17  March  2005  provided  that  there  was  full  cooperation  with  the  UN  International 
Criminal  Tribunal  for  the  former  Yugoslavia  in  The  Hague  (ICTY).  However,  in  the  absence  of  full 
cooperation,  the  start  of  negotiations  was  postponed  by  the  General  Affairs  and  External  Relations 
Council of 16 March 2005 until the Council can confirm that Croatia is fully cooperating with ICTY. 

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–  ensure a better knowledge and understanding of the candidate countries concerned within 
the  European  Union,  including  their  history  and  their  culture,  thus  allowing  for  a  better 
awareness of the opportunities and challenges of future enlargement; 

–  ensure a better knowledge and understanding of the European Union within the candidate 
countries, including the values on which it is founded, its functioning and its policies.  

1.3. 

Definition of civil society 

Although the concept of civil society can be defined in many ways, the broadest and the most 
inclusive  definition  possible  will  be  employed  by  the  civil  society  dialogue6.  Civil  society 
would  thus  include:  the  labour-market  actors,  i.e.  the  social  partners  (trade  unions  and 
employers  federations);  organisations  representing  social  and  economic  players  at  large 
(consumer  organisations  for  instance,);  non-governmental  organisations  (NGOs)  and 
community-based  organisations, i.e.  organisations  at  grassroots  level  through  which  citizens 
participate  in  local  and  municipal  life  (e.g.  youth  or  family  associations);  religious 
communities and media.  

All  society  structures  outside  of  government  and  public  administration,  whether  based  on  a 
voluntary  or  mandatory  membership  (this  is  the  case  for  Chambers  of  Commerce  in  certain 
countries, for instance) are encouraged to participate in the dialogue. Local communities and 
municipalities will be included in the dialogue, while the education, media and culture sectors 
are  also  expected  to  play  a  key  role.  Finally,  as  explained  below,  the  dialogue  includes 
exchanges between opinion leaders from national and European institutions. 

This  Communication  sets  out  a  policy  framework  as  regards  the  development  of  a  civil 
society dialogue between the EU and candidate countries. It will first focus on strengthening 
some ongoing activities, carried out both at national and EU level. It will then propose new 
activities aimed at developing the dialogue further.  

2. 

STRENGTHENING ONGOING ACTIVITIES 

2.1. 

Croatia 

Civil  society  in  Croatia  has,  naturally,  developed  within  its  own  particular  context.  The  EU 
has been working with Croatian civil society in the context of its specific policy towards the 
Western  Balkans  -  the  Stabilisation  and  Association  process.  This  civil  society  dialogue 
involves  several  actors  including  the  parliament,  media,  educational  institutions,  minorities, 
professional  organisations  and  various  other  NGOs.  This  dialogue  has  been  reinforced 
following  the  entry  into  force  of  the  EU-Croatia  Stabilisation  and  Association  Agreement 
(SAA) on 1 February 2005. For example, the first EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee 
meeting took place in Zagreb on 3-4 March 2005.  

Furthermore, the civil society dialogue benefits from the increasing participation of Croatia in 
Community  programmes,  such  as  such  as  the  6th  Framework  Programme  for  RTD,  Youth, 
Gender  Equality,  Tempus,  Employment,  Life-Third  Countries  programme,  which  are 

6 

The  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  (EESC)  defines  civil  society  organisations  as  ”all 
organisational  structures  whose  members  have  objectives  and  responsibilities  that  are  of  general 
interest and who also act as mediators between the public authorities and citizens”. 

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facilitated by the SAA as well as pre-accession assistance. Moreover, with the full association 
of  Croatia  to  the  6th  Framework  Programme  as  of  1  January  2006  (together  with  an  initial 
action plan), Croatia will have the same status as Member States in the field of Research and 
Technological  Development.  This  will  represent  a  unique  opportunity  to  develop  the 
integration  of  the  Croatian  scientific  civil  society  in  the  EU's  Research  Area.  Under  the 
Tempus  programme  the  Commission  makes  available  an  annual  budget  of  €  4  million  to 
encourage projects between EU and  Croatian  higher education institutions which  also reach 
out to civil society actors. Additionally, a number of Member States are also engaging in and 
promoting bilateral cultural and educational contacts and activities as well as other forms of 
cooperation between themselves and Croatia. 

2.2. 

Turkey 

Turkey has a history of close political and economic ties with the European institutions dating 
back  to  the  signature  of  an  Association  Agreement  in  1963,  which  subsequently  led  to  the 
establishment of a Customs Union in 1995. Close bilateral interaction, at institutional but also 
at grass-root level, has taken place since the early sixties and has intensified since the official 
recognition  of  Turkey  as  a  candidate  country  in  1999.  As  shown  below,  national  and 
European institutions have developed a number of bilateral activities with Turkey which fall 
under  the  scope  of  the  civil  society  dialogue.  These  activities  will  need  to  be  continued, 
strengthened, and in some cases streamlined and better promoted. 

2.2.1.  National public institutions 

2.2.1.1.   

Bilateral relations 

Member  States  are  quite  active  in  promoting  mutual  exchanges,  including  mobility 
programmes,  scholarships,  media  development,  financial  support  to  NGO  development, 
exchanges  between  professional  organisations,  school  links  and  so  on.  In  addition,  cultural 
relations  between  Member  States  and  Turkey  are  particularly  intense  and  in  some  cases 
benefit from the establishment in Turkey of cultural institutes linked to Member States. The 
Turkish  government  has  also  been  active  in  promoting  cultural  events,  public  relations 
activities  and  parliamentary  contacts.  It  is  expected  that  all  these  activities  will  continue, 
intensify  and  diversify  in  the  future,  thus  furthering  the  development  of  the  civil  society 
dialogue. 

2.2.1.2.   

Turkish communities in Members States 

Member  States  and  the  Turkish  authorities,  in  co-operation  with  NGOs  and  civil  society 
organisations, have also been active in facilitating the integration of Turkish communities in 
their  host  countries.  Turkish  nationals  constitute  by  far  the  largest  group  of  third-country 
nationals in the EU, and the presence of such communities helps shape Turkey’s image in the 
EU7.  Activities  should  be  further  reinforced  in  this  area,  to  encourage  the  Turkish 
communities living in Member States to participate more actively in the EU-Turkey dialogue. 
Member  States  should  continue  to  have  a  leading  role  in  implementing  projects,  in  co-

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Commission Staff Working Document, Issues arising from Turkey’s Membership perspective, cited: “a 
total of about 3 million Turkish nationals officially registered in the EU-15 in 2002. The main recipient 
countries  are  Germany  (77.8%  of  those  migrant  workers,  or  2.3 million  persons),  France  (7.9%,  or 
230 000 persons), Austria (4.7%, 135 000 persons) and the Netherlands (4.4%, or 128 000 persons) ”. 

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operation  with  the  broadest  array  of  partners  ranging  from  local  associations  to  prominent 
figures of Turkish origin in host countries, to academic experts. 

2.2.2.  Parliaments, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Committee of 

the Regions (CoR) 

Inter-parliamentary  relations,  contacts  involving  political  parties  and  sustained  personal 
contacts between members of parliaments contribute to promoting mutual understanding, and 
will represent a key dimension of the civil society dialogue. The European Parliament and its 
Turkish  counterpart have had  a crucial  role in developing a dialogue. In particular, the EU-
Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee has offered for many years a platform for exchanges 
between  elected  members  of  both  sides.  Fruitful  exchanges  have  also  taken  place  between 
national  parliaments.  It  is  expected  that  activities  of  this  kind  will  increase.  Moreover,  an 
enhanced programme of internships of Turkish parliamentary assistants in the parliaments of 
the Member States and in the European Parliament should be envisaged. Finally, exchanges 
between  youth  and  women  branches  of  Turkish  and  EU  political  parties  should  be 
encouraged. 

EU  institutions  such  as  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  (EESC)  have  been 
active  in  establishing  links  with  Turkey.  Already  ten  years  ago  the  EESC  set  up  a  Joint 
Consultative  Committee  (JCC)  with  Turkey,  with  the  aim  of  promoting  dialogue  and  co-
operation  between  economic  and  social  interest  groups  from  both  sides.  The  JCC  clearly 
contributes  to  the  dialogue  between  civil  societies,  and  envisages  organising  specific 
initiatives  to  develop  this  further.  A  similar  role  should  be  played  by  the  Committee  of  the 
Regions, in particular as concerns the promotion of a dialogue between local communities in 
Turkey and in Member States. 

2.2.3.  EU-Funded ongoing activities 

2.2.3.1.  Development of civil society 

In  the  past  few  years,  Turkey  has  experienced  an  impressive  development  of  civil  society. 
NGOs  covering  a  broad  range  of  issues  have  grown  increasingly  vocal  and  have  been 
struggling  to  become  social  and  political  centres  of  influence.  Since  2001,  the  EU  has 
implemented  a  Civil  Society  Development  Programme,  a  sizeable  component  of  which  is 
aimed  at  strengthening  the  development  of  NGOs  in  Turkey8.  In  addition,  the  European 
Initiative  for  Democracy  and  Human  Rights  has  focused  on  Turkey  and  supported  NGOs 
through  micro  and  macro-projects.  The  pre-accession  financial  assistance  programme  for 
Turkey provided by the EU will continue to make the strengthening of freedom of association 
and the development of civil society a priority in the future programming exercises. For 2005 
€ 8 million are earmarked in this area. 

2.2.3.2.  Social dialogue, employment and social affairs 

Social partners and social NGOs play a key role in the elaboration and implementation of EU 
legislation  in  the  areas  of  labour  law,  health  and  safety  at  work,  gender  equality  and  non-

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In  this  framework,  for  example,  a  civil  society  development  centre  (CSDC)  was  set  up  to  provide 
support and assistance to NGOs, and several micro-project programmes were funded, such as the Local 
Civic Initiative and the Greek-Turkish Civic Dialogue. 

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discrimination9. They are also active in designing, implementing and monitoring employment, 
social inclusion and social protection strategies and policies. The Commission has as a result 
always  paid  great  attention  to  developing  contacts  with  social  partners  and  civil  society 
organisations involved in social fields in Turkey, in particular with a view to bringing them 
closer  to  EU  standards  and  ensuring  full  respect  for  trade  union  rights  as  defined  by  the 
International Labour Organisation (ILO).  

The Commission will continue its policy of establishing close links and networking activities 
with  such  organisations  in  Turkey.  Furthermore,  it  will  strengthen  Turkish  participation  in 
Community  programmes  in  this  area.  Turkey  already  participates  in  the  Community 
programmes dedicated to gender equality, anti-discrimination, combating social exclusion and 
Employment Incentive Measures. In this context Turkey should fully participate in all areas of 
transnational co-operation, thereby allowing Turkish entities to respond directly to open calls 
for  proposals  and  fostering  the  civil  society  dialogue  potential  of  the  programmes.  Pre-
accession  funds  should  be  allocated  to  finance  the  related  increase  of  Turkey's  financial 
contribution. 

2.2.3.3.  Community programmes Socrates, Youth, Leonardo da Vinci 

Activities carried out in the area of training and education are probably the most suitable to 
enhance citizens’ links and increase mutual knowledge and understanding. Since April 2004 
Turkey  has  participated  as  full  member  in  Community  programmes  Socrates,  Youth  and 
Leonardo  da  Vinci.  The  Socrates  programme  strengthens  the  European  dimension  in 
education  through  transnational  projects  and  promotion  of  staff  and  learner  mobility 
throughout  the  participating  countries  at  all  levels  of  education  (school,  higher  and  adult 
education). The Youth programme gives the opportunity to young people, youth workers and 
youth organisations to develop transnational exchanges and non-formal educational activities. 
Finally,  the  Leonardo  da  Vinci  vocational  training  programme  promotes  transnational  co-
operation between institutional players in vocational training, in an effort to increase mobility, 
to foster innovation and to improve the quality of training.  

The  significant  number  of  applications  and  participants  during  2004  and  the  considerable 
increase of applications further to the 2005 call for proposals show that the Turkish public has 
great expectations as regards these programmes. It was estimated that a total number of 9 000 
participants  took  part  in  the  three  programmes  during  the  first  year.  The  National  Turkish 
Agency expects these figures to double by 2006. These programmes have great relevance and 
potential in Turkey, a country of 17 million students. Furthermore, a lot remains to be done to 
ensure  reciprocity,  as  in  2004  visiting  students  to  Turkey  from  other  countries  remained 
limited  in  number.  The  overall  budget  allocation  for  Turkey’s  participation  in  the  three 
programmes amounts to approximately € 30 million in 2005 (almost 2/3 of which provided as 
pre-accession Community support and 1/3 by the Turkish national budget). The Commission 
will  encourage  an  enhanced  Turkish  participation  in  the  programmes  for  example  by 
examining  the  possibility  to  provide  additional  funding  from  the  pre-accession  funds  to 
complement the programme grants. 

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Social  dialogue  is  an  integral  part  of  the  EU  acquis  in  the  social  area  and  social  partners  have  a 
privileged  role  in  the  legislative  process  at  EU  level  through  the  compulsory  consultation  process 
foreseen  in  Article  138  of  the  Treaty  and  the  possibility  of  concluding  agreements  which  can  be 
implemented through Council Directives. Moreover, social partners and civil society organisations are 
also key actors in the co-ordination of policies in the areas of employment, social inclusion and social 
protection. 

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2.2.3.4.  Other ongoing activities in the academic area 

The  Jean  Monnet  Scholarship  programme,  managed  by  the  EC  delegation  in  Ankara,  funds 
post-graduate scholarships aimed at improving the expertise of Turkish young people in the 
area  of  European  integration  and  at  strengthening  bonds  between  Turkish  and  EU  citizens. 
The  programme  has  been  running  for  approximately  15  years  and  has  allowed  several 
hundred  Turkish  scholars  to  get  acquainted  with  issues  related  to  European  integration  and 
civilization.  It  also  has  played  a  role  in  strengthening  the  links  between  EU  and  Turkish 
academic  institutions.  In  the  future  the  Commission  will  strengthen  the  programme  by 
increasing  its  budget  allocation.  Other  related  initiatives  will  be  considered,  such  as  the 
establishment of a Jean Monnet Alumni Association and the extension of the programme to 
EU applications for study in Turkey. 

The  Jean  Monnet  Action  “European  Integration  in  University  Studies”,  managed  by  the 
European Commission (DG Education and Culture), is an initiative open to Member and non 
Member States. It aims to stimulate academic excellence in the field of European integration 
studies and foster academic reflection on current European integration policy priorities. The 
initiative  supports  high-level  conferences  and  thematic  groups  by  bringing  together  Jean 
Monnet professors, policy-makers and civil society. Currently, there are 7 Jean Monnet Chairs 
and  26  Jean  Monnet  Modules  or  Courses  at  Turkish  universities.  As  a  way  to  enhance  the 
dialogue on issues concerning European integration between the Turkish academic world and 
the academics of the European Union, the European Commission invites further participation 
of Turkish universities. 

2.2.3.5.  Human Resources and Mobility Actions in Research (Marie Curie Actions) 

Within  the  framework  of  Turkey's  full  association  with  the  Framework  Programmes  for 
Research,  Technological  development  and  demonstration,  the  Marie  Curie  Actions  offer  a 
coherent  set  of  structured  mobility  schemes  for  researchers  geared  to  the  development  and 
transfer  of  research  competencies,  the  consolidation  and  widening  of  career  prospects  for 
researchers at all stages and the promotion of excellence in European research.  

3. 

INTRODUCING NEW ACTIVITIES 

The new activities outlined below are aimed at complementing the ongoing ones. However, 
the  development  of  the  civil  society  dialogue  is  a  long  term  process  which  will  accompany 
accession negotiations in the future. Consequently its precise scope cannot be entirely defined 
in  advance,  as  it  is  bound  to  evolve  in  line  with  to  the  needs  and  suggestions  expressed  by 
civil society. 

In  all  activities,  the  European  Commission  will  play  a  role  by  facilitating  and  supporting 
projects  taking  place  within  the  framework  of  the  civil  society  dialogue.  It  will  also  help 
promote the results of the projects. However, it will be up to the actors of civil society to take 
the initiative, select specific themes to be developed and play an active role in conducting the 
dialogue. 

3.1. 

Croatia 

Civil society dialogue with Croatia will evolve in light of a number of factors, for example as 
EU-Croatia relations deepen, as regional co-operation increases and as reconciliation with the 

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region further develops. A number of the ongoing and future activities, outlined in more detail 
for  Turkey,  may  also  be  introduced  or  further  developed  with  Croatia,  as  appropriate.  For 
example, it would be of benefit if the civil society dialogue with Croatia further develops in 
fields related more directly to the practical impact of the EU accession process. This should 
generate  greater  understanding  of  the  benefits  and  challenges  of  EU  integration,  as  well  as 
encourage a debate on the EU’s fundamental values. To this end, contacts between economic 
and social partners, NGOs, professional and business organisations and the media in the EU 
and  in  Croatia  should  be  encouraged,  as  well  as  the  involvement  of  other  important  civil 
society actors such as religious communities. 

3.2. 

Turkey 

3.2.1.  NGOs, social partners and professional organisations 

3.2.1.1.  Long-term partnerships 

Building on the experience acquired to help develop civil society in Turkey, the Commission 
will establish a dedicated civil society dialogue grant scheme, with the objective of providing 
NGOs  and  other  civil  society  organisations  with  the  necessary  assistance  to  co-finance 
bilateral exchange projects with EU counterparts aimed at improving mutual knowledge and 
ensuring collaboration, namely through exchanges of best practices.  

Such  increased  international  exposure  should  also  be  aimed  at  helping  Turkish  NGOs  grow 
stronger  and  participate  more  actively  in  EU  debates.  Organisations  active  in  such  crucial 
areas  as  youth,  gender-equality,  environment,  consumer  rights,  cultural  rights,  civil  and 
human  rights,  and  combating  social  exclusion  and  discrimination  of  all  kinds,  should  be 
particularly  encouraged  to  establish  a  dialogue  with  their  EU  counterparts.  Priority  will  be 
given  to  projects  aimed  at  establishing  long-term,  sustainable  relations  between  EU  and 
Turkish  NGO  groupings,  where  applicable.  Furthermore,  efforts  will  be  made  to  have  the 
circle of project developers and  partners include those NGOs based in remote areas, or that 
have been scarcely involved in EU-funded projects thus far. 

The civil society dialogue will also extensively involve the business community, professional 
organisations and social partners from both sides. In this regard, the Commission will support 
long-term partnerships between Turkish organisations and their EU counterparts. Partnerships 
will also be encouraged between sectoral organisations from both sides and between Turkish 
national organisations and their partners based in EU Member States. Exchanges between EU 
and  Turkish  counterparts  should  particularly  be  developed  in  areas  such  as  the  agriculture 
sector, the judiciary, lawyers and their respective associations, as well as equality bodies. 

3.2.1.2.  Gender-equality 

Through close links between women’s rights and equal opportunities organisations in the EU 
and in Turkey, the civil society dialogue will contribute to the objectives of strengthening the 
position and participation of women in all aspects of Turkish society, as well as tackling other 
problems,  such  as  domestic  violence,  as  highlighted  in  the  recommendations  of  the  recent 
European Parliament report on the role of women in Turkey in social, economic and political 
activities10.  Particular  consideration  will  have  to  be  given  to  women’s  representation  in  the 

10 

European Parliament Draft Report (A6-0175/2005) final. 

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labour market, their representation in political decision making, whether on national level or 
on  regional  and  local  level.  The  Commission  will  seek  to  include  gender  equality  and  the 
equal opportunity dimension in all activities covered in this communication. 

3.2.2.  Business Council EU-Turkey 

During past negotiations, the business sector has played a crucial role, by developing bilateral 
trade  and  investment  flows,  facilitating  exchanges  and  increasing  mutual  knowledge.  The 
possibility  will  be  investigated  of  setting  up  a  Euro-Turkey  Business  Council,  with 
comparison  made  to  similar  successful  projects  carried  out  in  Central  European  candidate 
countries  during  accession  negotiations.  This  Council  could  operate  as  a  forum  of  the  main 
EU companies active in Turkey and their Turkish counterparts, with a view to acting as a link 
between  European  institutions  and  the  local  business  associations  in  the  interest  of  further 
developing trade and investments. 

3.2.3.  Local communities and town-twinning 

Transnational co-operation between local communities is a major factor to strengthen peace, 
stability  and  democracy.  The  concept  of  twinning  between  local  municipalities  has  strongly 
developed in Europe since the end of the Second World War, as means of overcoming past 
grievances  between  neighbouring  countries,  bringing  people  together  and  strengthening 
mutual ties. Almost 13 000 municipalities in the EU, including in new Member States, have 
established twinning arrangements so far.  

As far as Turkey is concerned, while a number of town-twinning arrangements with EU cities 
have come about in recent years, a general framework to boost the opportunities to develop 
further  such  a  fruitful  tool  of  co-operation  is  lacking.  Under  the  civil  society  dialogue,  the 
Commission  will  examine  how  to  support  twinning  between  EU  and  Turkish  cities,  with  a 
view to improving their mutual knowledge, developing common projects, organising seminars 
on topics of common interest, and encouraging participation at grass-roots level. As for other 
activities  covered  by  this  communication,  particular  efforts  will  be  made  to  involve  local 
communities from remote and disadvantaged regions.  

In  particular,  the  Commission  has  proposed  for  the  period  2007-2013  a  Community 
programme called “Citizens for Europe”, aimed at promoting active European citizenship. It 
will  encourage  cooperation  between  citizens  and  civil  society  organisations  from  different 
countries.  It  will  emphasise  trans-national  exchanges,  especially  between  citizens  and 
organisations  from  current  and  future  Members  States.  Approximately  40  %  of  this 
programme will be devoted to town twinning and citizens projects. Turkey could participate 
in  this  programme,  in  accordance  with  the  general  terms  and  conditions  set  out  in  the 
framework  agreement  concerning  its  participation  in  the  Community  programmes,  its 
participation being partly financed by the pre-accession funds. 

3.2.4.  Youth, University and professional exchanges 

The  Commission  will  put  a  strong  emphasis  on  developing  exchanges  between  EU  and 
candidate  countries  in  this  area,  by  strengthening  their  participation  in  the  relevant  ongoing 
EU  exchange  programmes,  as  described  above.  Furthermore,  in  view  of  starting  new 
initiatives in this area, the Commission will open a broad consultation with the University and 
education sectors both in the EU and Turkey. 

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In  the  area  of  education,  the  Commission  will  assess  whether  the  existing  mechanisms  are 
sufficient  to  reach  all  target  groups.  For  example  increased  support  may  be  provided  to 
encourage  exchange  of  secondary  school  pupils,  or  projects  aimed  at  encouraging  the 
knowledge of mutual history. Other projects to be discussed may include online activities for 
under 18-year-old pupils, such as participating in on-line EU accession negotiation debates.  

The Commission intends to encourage a closer institutional co-operation among Universities 
based in the EU and in Turkey, in view not only of exchange of experience and development 
of  curricula,  but  also  of  setting  up  common  independent  academic  institutions  open  to 
students from both sides. Such institutions should carry out research and teaching activities on 
EU  and  Turkish  identity,  history,  culture  and  civilisation,  as  well  as  develop  teaching 
programmes on EU integration. In this respect, the Commission may support the setting up of 
local  branches  of  graduate  and  postgraduate  highly  reputed  EU  and  Turkish  academic 
institutions.  Alternatively,  the  Commission  may  support  increased  links  of  Turkey-based 
academic  institutions  focusing  on  EU  studies  with  similar  graduate  and  postgraduate  EU-
based similar institutions, in view of creating common Departments or Institutes.  

Furthermore,  the  Commission  will  encourage  direct  co-operation  between  academic 
institutions in the EU and in Turkey in particular as concerns the subjects of law, economy, 
social science and history which are relevant to the EU-Turkey dialogue. Academic research 
and  publications  carried  out  jointly  by  Turkish  and  EU  academics  will  be  supported  in  all 
these  areas.  Organisation  of  intellectual  debates  such  as  seminars,  conferences,  and 
workshops will also be supported. Awareness-raising activities aimed at wide dissemination 
of the research results will be encouraged. Finally, the Commission will assess the possibility 
of  developing  a  programme  of  short  internships  for  the  exchange  of  young  professionals  in 
various areas.  

3.2.5.  Cultural exchanges 

The  development  of  intercultural  exchanges  plays  a  crucial  role  within  the  civil  society 
dialogue  and  will  be  given  priority.  Under  the  new  generation  of  European  Horizons  and 
Mosaic  programmes,  now  merged  under  one  single  programme  and  managed  by  the  EC 
Delegation in Ankara, the Commission will enable cross-border cooperation between Turkish 
NGOs  and  their  EU  partners  operating  in  the  cultural  and  arts  sector.  This  will  include  for 
example  financing  joint  workshops  and  on-line  cultural  forums.  Two  different  sets  of 
activities  can  be  envisaged:  one  that  is  open  to  children  (such  as  the  Turkish-European 
Children’s  orchestra  already  receiving  support)  and  a  broader  one  aimed  at  adults,  ranging 
from visual arts to the training of the culture sector, from heritage to popular culture. 

Furthermore,  the  Commission  will  support  regular  cultural  events  such  as  exhibitions, 
festivals, conferences, exchanges of artists in order to spread knowledge of Turkish arts in the 
EU and vice versa. In addition, a Euro-Turkey cultural award for the arts will be introduced, 
and the participation of the Turkish cultural sectors in existing European Community awards 
will be encouraged. Finally, the Commission will actively encourage Turkish cultural NGOs 
to  access  the  EU  networks  and  partners  and  inform  them  on  existing  possibilities  for 
crossborder co-operation. 

3.2.6.  Participation in Community Culture and Media programmes 

Turkey does not currently participate in two Community programmes which could provide a 
key contribution in promoting EU-Turkey mutual relations in two key areas: the Culture 2000 

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and  the  MEDIA  Plus  programmes.  Culture  2000  provides  grants  to co-operation projects in 
all  artistic  and  cultural  fields  (performing  arts,  plastic  and  visual  arts,  literature,  heritage, 
cultural history, etc.). MEDIA Plus aims at strengthening the competitiveness of the European 
audiovisual  industry  with  a  series  of  support  measures  including  training  initiatives  for 
audiovisual  industry  professionals,  the  development  of  production  projects  (feature  films, 
television  drama,  documentaries,  animation  and  new  media),  as  well  as  the  distribution  and 
promotion of European audiovisual works.  

The Commission would welcome Turkish participation in the Culture 2000 and its successor 
programmes,  in  particular  with  a  view  to  spurring  EU-Turkey  intercultural  dialogue  and 
mutual knowledge.  The Commission also  encourages Turkish participation in MEDIA Plus, 
in  particular  with  a  view  to  catalysing  production  of  television  and  cinema  products  with 
European  content.  However,  the  participation  by  candidate  countries  in  the  MEDIA 
programme is subject, according to its legal basis, to a prior examination of the compatibility 
of  the  candidates’  national  legislation  with  the  Community  audiovisual  acquis.  The 
Commission has encouraged the Turkish authorities to align its legislation as soon possible, 
so that it may benefit from the possibilities offered by the MEDIA programme.  

3.2.7.  Language training 

A  major  hurdle  on  the  way  of  increased  cooperation  between  Turkish  civil  society 
organisations  and  their  EU  counterparts,  particularly  as  concerns  organisations  based  in  the 
furthermost Turkish provinces, is the lack of knowledge of foreign languages. This problem 
affects  most  NGOs,  not  least  in  the  cultural  field,  and  cuts  across  all  areas  covered  by  this 
communication. The Commission will therefore support activities aimed at language learning 
and at the promotion of interpretation and translation into and from Turkish. The Commission 
will  work  with  Member  States’  cultural  organizations  to  enable  language  training,  and  will 
identify priority sectors. 

3.2.8.  Encouraging public debates, including on-line 

The Commission will do its utmost to encourage an open public debate with the participation 
of actors from both sides on the enlargement process, Turkish prospects of accession and all 
other cultural, political and institutional themes related to the civil society dialogue, with the 
aim  of  improving  mutual  understanding.  Key  opinion  leaders  from  accession  countries  and 
the EU will be invited to take part in multi-media debates taking place in EU Member States. 
Debates  should  also  involve  NGO  and  grass-roots  participants  and  stimulate  wider  public 
interest and dialogue. 

The creation of Internet-supported platforms for the development of a virtual debate on topics 
related  to  the  civil  society  dialogue  will  also  be  encouraged.  A  Web  site  providing 
information  on  Turkey  and  the  enlargement  process,  as  well  as  civil  society  dialogue 
activities, with links to NGOs, schools, universities, research centres will be set up. Regular 
"chats"  on  accession-related  topics,  with  the  participation  of  key  actors  and  other  interested 
parties will be organised regularly. 

3.2.9.  Media 

The  continuous  work  on  EU  information  and  communication  concerning  Turkey  will  be 
strengthened  and  intensified,  in  particular  to  raise  awareness  on  the  activities  of  the  civil 
society dialogue carried out in other areas, with priority given to an audio-visual component. 

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The  Commission  will  support  and  part  finance  television  programmes  introducing  various 
aspects  of  life  and  society  in  Turkey  and  in  EU  countries,  as  well  as  informing  Turkish 
audiences about the EU, its rules and its policies, aimed at the general public both in the EU 
and  in  Turkey,  including  the  Turkish  migrant  communities  in  the  European  Union.  Special 
attention  will  be  devoted  to  programmes  produced  by  regional  and  local  media  groups. 
Partnership projects between television companies from both sides aimed at producing joint 
programmes will also be supported. 

3.2.10.  Exchange and awareness-raising of journalists 

A  programme  of  seminars  involving  EU  and  Turkish  journalists  will  be  established,  with  a 
view  to  giving  the  opportunity  to  Turkish  and  EU  journalists  to  learn  more  about  issues 
related  to  Turkish  accession,  develop  an  improved  mutual  understanding,  and  to  provide 
opportunities for the exchange of best practices.  

The  programme  may  be  developed  with  the  support  of  organisations  representative  of 
journalists and other non-profit organisations at EU level. However, in order for the training 
programme to have an increased impact in Member States, the Commission will give priority 
to the development of direct contacts between professional organisations of journalists from 
Turkey and from EU Member States, in particular through mutual visits and joint seminars. 
Two components of this programme may be envisaged, i.e. one aiming at young journalists, 
and  one  more  focused  on  high-level  regular  encounters  between  leading  editors  from  both 
sides and prominent policy-making figures in the EU and in the Member States. 

3.2.11.  Religious communities and associations 

As  spelled  out  in  the  Commission  recommendation  of  October  2004,  the  civil  society 
dialogue should also focus on religious issues. An open, transparent and regular dialogue with 
churches  and  other  religious  associations  or  communities  and  organizations  will  thus  be 
encouraged, respecting fully their specific identity and contribution.  

Since the 1980s the Commission has maintained a dialogue on European integration between 
churches  and  religions  in  accession  countries  and  EU  Member  States  on  the  one  hand  and 
European institutions on the other. A growing number of religious organisations have already 
appointed  representatives  in  Brussels  to  carry  out  this  work,  who  could  be  instrumental  in 
developing this dimension of the dialogue. 

4. 

IMPLEMENTATION MODALITIES 

4.1. 

Advice from leading personalities 

The Commission will conduct regular consultation of leading personalities from the EU and 
Turkey, chosen on the basis of their expertise in EU-Turkey relations and their involvement in 
civil society, with the purpose of seeking their advice on making proposals for future actions 
to  be  undertaken.  Furthermore,  such  personalities  may  be  invited  to  take  part  directly  in 
conferences, seminars and other events in the framework of the civil society dialogue. 

4.2. 

Financial support 

In  principle,  activities  proposed  in  this  Communication  will  be  co-financed  under  the  pre-
accession  assistance  budget  for  the  relevant  candidate  countries,  following  currently 

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applicable rules and procedures. In addition, events and activities may be financed by media 
groups,  business  associations  and  social  partners,  cultural  institutions,  and  public  or  private 
institutions  more  generally.  The  Commission  may  endorse  such  events  responding  to  the 
objectives  of  the  civil  society  dialogue.  Bilateral  and  multilateral  activities  sponsored  and 
financed by the EU and candidate countries’ governments will continue and be strengthened 
in the future.  

For EU-funded activities concerning Turkey, the EU will make use of the financial allocation 
available under the Turkey pre-accession assistance programme, which will increase from € 
300  million  in  2005  to  €  500  million  in  2006.  The  Commission  will  seek  to  allocate  the 
necessary funding to the foreseen activities of the civil society dialogue, thereby broadening 
the share of activities currently funded under the heading of ‘political and cultural dialogue’ 
in  the  planning  document  for  pre-accession  financial  assistance.  It  can  be  tentatively 
anticipated  that  8  to  10%  of  the  total  amount  yearly  available  would  be  needed  to  finance 
activities under the civil society dialogue, including participation in Community programmes. 
As  far  as  the  2006  programming  exercise  is  concerned  a  total  amount  of  €  40  million  is 
envisaged.  

As regards Community programmes, candidate countries provide a contribution to the budget. 
This contribution is partly covered by the national budget of candidate countries and partly by 
pre-accession  funding.  In  order  to  strengthen  participation  in  the  ongoing  programmes,  the 
Commission  will  in  the  future  allocate  an  appropriate  share  of  pre  accession  support  to 
Candidate countries’ participation. In the shorter term, other forms of additional funding may 
be envisaged. In the case of other programmes in which candidate countries do not currently 
participate  the  Commission  will  encourage  them  to  do  so,  and  will  provide  support  if 
necessary to ensure a smooth and beneficial functioning of the programmes. For other specific 
activities,  the  Commission  may  also  pay  direct  grants  to  some  beneficiaries,  when 
appropriate,  in  pursuance  of  specific  objectives  under  the  civil  society  dialogue  and  in 
accordance with the Financial Regulation and its implementing rules.  

The  Communication  Strategy  on  Enlargement  shares  with  the  civil  society  dialogue  the 
objective  of  enhancing  public  debate  on  future  enlargements  in  the  EU  and  the  candidate 
countries,  and  will  thus  support  the  civil  society  dialogue  in  several  respects.  The 
communication  and  information  budget  allocated  to  Delegations  in  candidate  countries  as 
well  as  the  PRINCE  programme  budget  for  enlargement,  targeted  to  actions  within  the 
European Union may be used in this respect. 

To manage and implement projects related to the civil society dialogue the Commission will 
rely  on  its  existing  structures  and  resources,  both  in  Brussels  and  in  the  EC  Delegations  in 
candidate countries, as well as appropriate bodies in candidate countries. Only if needed, in 
consideration  of  future  developments,  will  the  possibility  of  setting  up  additional  specific 
structures  be  considered.  Existing  foundations,  aimed  at  promoting  mutual  knowledge  and 
cultural exchanges between the EU and other world regions may be considered as examples. 

4.3. 

The visa issue 

Turkish citizens are currently subject to a visa obligation, which may prove to be a bottleneck 
restricting participation in some of the activities discussed in this Communication, especially 
if there is a significant increase in demand for visas at relatively short notice. Thus any further 
streamlining of visa procedures would be welcome as regards participants in the civil society 
dialogue.  In  order  to  ensure  that  the  civil  society  dialogue  functions  smoothly,  the  full  co-

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operation of  the Member  States (who are responsible for issuing visas) will be necessary to 
ensure that participants are able to obtain visas in a timely fashion and without being required 
to submit excessive supporting documentation. 

5. 

MONITORING AND REPORTING 

The  present  Communication  is  only  a  first  step  on  the  way  to  strengthening  a  dialogue 
between civil societies in Turkey and Croatia and in the EU. As the dialogue will proceed in 
parallel with accession negotiations, the needs and objectives will evolve over time, and may 
require re-orientation. 

The  Commission  will  ensure  a  regular  follow  up  on  the  activities  developed  and  results 
achieved.  The  regular  reports  on  Turkey,  published  on  a  yearly  basis,  will  feature  a  special 
section  on  the  civil  society  dialogue,  covering  the  main  activities  and  results.  In  addition,  a 
dedicated  section  within  the  EU  Web-supported  portal  Europa  will  be  devoted  to  the 
dissemination of information on ongoing projects and on initiatives related to the civil society 
dialogue.  

Besides broad polls investigating on the popular support towards EU enlargement, there is a 
lack of factual information in particular as concerns EU-Turkey cultural relations and mutual 
perceptions.  To  bridge  this  gap,  the  Commission  will  establish  a  more  effective  regular 
monitoring of EU and Turkey civil societies and mutual attitudes, serving as guidance in view 
of  the  future  policy  evolution  of  the  dialogue.  The  possibility  of  commissioning  a  specific 
study on EU-Turkey mutual perceptions may also be considered. 

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