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12/13/06

The Economist: Enlargement trouble

Economist.com

The economist: "Enlargement troubles"

Dec 13th 2006
From The Economist print edition
How did the European Union come to this pass with Turkey—and with enlargement in general?

IT MIGHT have been worse. On December 11th European Union foreign ministers agreed to suspend eight out of 35 “chapters” in Turkey's negotiations to join the EU. This punishment was made only marginally more tolerable by the knowledge that Germany wanted a hefty 21 chapters frozen, and by the news that the EU had promised to re-examine (though not lift) its economic blockade of Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus. But the Turks were swift to rail at the EU's “injustice”.

Turkey is not the only country in the south-eastern corner of Europe whose relations with the EU are now in limbo. Talks with Serbia over an association agreement were called off in May. And, seven years after the war in Kosovo, the EU has little idea what to do with that independence-seeking statelet."

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