§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What document contains the undertakings given by Turkey concerning human rights and democracy at the time of ratification of the Customs Union with the European Union; and what individual or group within the European Union has responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the undertaking. [HL957]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)There is no document containing any commitments concerning human rights and democracy from Turkey at the time of the entry into force of the Customs Union with the European Community. The then Turkish Prime Minister, Mrs. Ciller, wrote to the European Parliament at the time of the ratification of the Customs Union Treaty, in December 1995, acknowledging that Turkey needed to make further progress in the field of human rights. The Commission is responsible for overseeing the functioning of that Customs Union, including progress on human rights reform. The Commission's latest report to the European Parliament on this subject was submitted on 4 March 1998.