Session III: The accession negotiations: ideas for a constructive dialogue Most Turkish people are unaware of the nature of the EU accession process. Many believe that Turkey and the EU will engage in genuine ‘negotiations’ where both sides make concessions. However, as was the case with all previous candidates, the EU will ask Turkey to comply with the Copenhagen accession criteria related to democracy and human rights; market-oriented economic reforms and the improvement of competitiveness; and the adoption, implementation and enforcement of some 80,000 pages of EU rules and regulations (the acquis communitaire). Since the acquis is a long-established body of law that is usually the result of sophisticated compromises between the existing EU countries, there is next to no room for manoeuvre in the negotiations. It seems imperative that the Turkish government (with help from the EU) explains the nature of the accession process to the public, the business community and the civil servants involved in the process. Otherwise public support for EU entry could fall quickly from currently high levels. Turkey needs to plan well in advance for the most difficult and costly parts of the acquis. In bringing the negotiations forward, Turkey could also learn from the valuable experience from previous candidates, in particular the Central and Eastern European countries.

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