Turkish side will be monitoring closely implementations

ANKARA/BRUSSELS (AA) – The COREPER (Committee for Permanent Representatives) of the European Union (EU) in Brussels reached a consensus on a new Cyprus bylaw in which authorities previously given to Cypriot Greeks will be scythed. Expectedly, the Bylaw was voted on at the Justice and Internal Affairs Council in Luxembourg today.

The 15-page bylaw regulating the Green Line, property, human and service circulation on the island. It does not bring any new regulations regarding human passage and leaves the only authority on the subject to the Greek administration. However, the new bylaw increases the authorities of the European Commission (EC) for goods and service passage on the island. With this, goods and services produced in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will be passed to the South without customs control. Thus, the E.U. will be opened to TRNC goods indirectly. Eyes are now turned to a new package to be revealed bythe E.U. to lift the embargo on the TRNC. While the United Nations yesterday suggested to revise the sanctions on the TRNC in a decision draft prepared by the European Council Parliamentarians Assembly, Ankara targets the strengthening of the TRNC rather than its recognition.

But it is reported that the Turkish side was not satisfied with the bylaw for it didn’t meet the expectations completely.

TURKEY TO MONITOR IMPLEMENTATIONS

Meanwhile, the Turkish side will be monitoring closely the developments during the two months. Despite of bylaw’s being regulated, it has not satisfied the Turkish side.

The bylaw was approved yesterday after lengthy debates. By consulting with the Greek-Cypriot administration, the E.C. will decide on the method of checks for goods produced in the North and which institutions will be conducting those checks.

According to diplomatic sources, with this decision, E.C. authority in the North has increased considerably and the Commission forestalls the Greek side on the subject of rules of conduct for relations with the North. E.U. sources interpret the remark, ‘by consulting with Cypriot Greek administration’ to mean informing the Greek side. In the bylaw, Greeks are also prevented from making unilateral amendments. When they want changes, they have to seek the approval of the E.C.

The bylaw does not include detailed information about how trade will be conducted. The details will be determined within two months by the E.C. Export and documents will be developed with an institution designated by the E.C. or the Turkish-Cypriot Chamber of Commerce.

It is also guaranteed in the E.C. with the bylaw that detailed suggestions will be brought up within a few weeks about ending Northern Cyprus’s economic isolation. In an E.C. statement, emphasis was made on what preparations to end isolation have begun and the European Council will regularly be informed about the operations concerning the bylaw. In addition, in the event of any problems, the E.C. will make suggestions to the European Council for solutions.

The new detailed E.U. package is expected to contain 259 million euros in aid and clarification on unsolved issues in the bylaw. E.U. diplomats say it is impossible to complete this package before May 1st and that, within a few weeks, the said measures will be prepared and announced.

Proposals to increase the number of crossing points on the UN-administered Green Line — currently two — were not taken up, diplomats said.

The Green Line will become a de facto external border of the 25-member EU after Saturday, following the collapse of efforts to unite the island with a Greek Cypriot rejection of a UN peace plan in a referendum last weekend.

EU foreign ministers agreed earlier this week to take steps to end the economic isolation of northern Cyprus, whose inhabitants voted in favour of the UN plan.

The ministers on Monday pledged 259 million euros in aid to help end the economic isolation of northern Cyprus, while the European Commission said it plans to set up an office to coordinate funding of projects.

They also asked the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, to come up with proposals as to how to spend the money on the territory of the self-declared TRNC.

A commission spokesman warned however that it would take "a certain amount of time" to produce proposals.

"We won’t come up with proposals to spend 259 million euros between now and Friday," said Jean-Christophe Filori, spokesman for EU enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen.