The European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) published its ENC Report entitled “A Modernized EU-Turkey Customs Union” – Expert Interviews and Analysis with in-depth interviews from relevant government policy makers inside the EU and Turkey, including also academics and private sector opinion-shapers on the topic of Customs Union reform. The Report is prepared by TEPAV G20 Studies Director M. Sait Akman and European Neighbourhood Council Director Samuel D. Vesterbye.

A Modernized EU-Turkey Customs Union – Expert Interviews and Analysis contains 9 structured interviews with business, government and academic experts from the following institutions: Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), The Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSIAD), Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK), European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME, European Development Foundation (IKV), Ifo Center for International Economics, the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Turkish Ministry of Economy, as well as academic and economic experts.

Expert views and analysis

On the 25th of January 2017, ENC held a preliminary Roundtable Policy Discussion in the European Parliament with the relevant stakeholders from business associations, industry sectors, think tanks and government. The objective was to discuss EU-Turkey economic relations, while preparing for the ENC Report on Customs Union reform.

The goal of the report is to outline the various perspectives on customs union reform in more detail, covering both the public and private sectors’ perspectives across Turkey and the EU, as well as a chapter on economic and political analysis; recommendations and what to expect in terms of negotiation and institutional timelines.

The current Report highlights the need for reform and indicates a list of recommendations for policy adjustments which will both help boost growth and employment in Europe and Turkey, while providing an increasingly important foreign policy anchor for the EU and Turkey.

The full report can be downloaded here.