TEPAV|EPRI, in cooperation with TOBB, designed a round-table meeting called "Strengthening Civil Society Dialogue with Europe" on May 17, 2005 that brought together representatives from non-governmental public and private institutions.
The decision of the EU on opening accession talks with Turkey implies a new era for the EU-Turkey relations. December 17, 2004 conclusions emphasized the importance of the third pillar that suggests a strengthened political and cultural dialogue between the people of the EU member states and Turkey. Consequently, Turkey needs to be thoroughly prepared in order to facilitate a smooth integration process underway for the last 50 years. As a key-note speaker Jan Olsson, EU-Turkey Joint Consultative Committee Co-chairman, shared his experiences and informed the invitees on how to improve the civil society dialogue among Turkey and EU countries. He also explained what role the Turkish business community can play during the EU accession process.