Cyprus's application for membership

Mr BERTENS (ELDR, NL) pointed out that Cyprus, which now had a thriving economy, was an important element in Europe’s policy in the Mediterranean basin. The EU should make every effort to ensure that Cyprus’ application was successful and to eliminate the dividing line between the Turks and the Greeks. Mr VAN DEN BROEK stated that Cyprus should not be held to ransom over the relations between the Union and Turkey, even though trade between the Community and Turkey had to be normalised, on condition that the Turkish Government made far-reaching guarantees in the field of human rights. In any case, the Commissioner stated that it was important to use the time before accession to try to integrate into the EU the entire island of Cyprus.