§ Lord Kilclooneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress there has been, since the referendum on the Annan Plan, to remove obstacles to trade between Turkish Cyprus and the European Union; and, whether such imports still require approval from the Greek Cypriot authorities. [HL3180]
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)The 26 April General Affairs and External Relations Council tasked the Commission to come forward with proposals to end the international economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. We look forward to those proposals and have been encouraged by the extra impetus given to them by the UN Secretary-General.
The Green Line Regulation, agreed on 28 April, was a major step forward. It establishes the rules under which Turkish Cypriots can currently trade with the EU.
We continue to work with our EU and international partners to ensure that all Cypriots can enjoy the benefits of EU membership, and that efforts to reunify the island are underpinned by practical measures to reduce disparities between the two sides. We believe that the Government of Cyprus share that aim.