Slovenia took over the EU Presidency from Portugal.

 

Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus and Malta joined the Euro zone area.

 

The Visa Facilitation and Readmission agreements between the EU and five Eastern Balkan countries (Bosnia Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia) entered into force.

 

 

 

 

The Economic and Social Council meeting chaired by the Prime minister was realized.

 

 

 

 

European Year of Intercultural Dialogue was inaugurated in Ljubljana in Slovenia.

 

 

 

 

MEP Marios Matsakis (ALDE) submitted a plan on the settlement of the Cyprus issue to EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn.

 

 

 

 

The International Crisis Group presented its report “Cyprus: Reversing the Drift to Partition”.

 

The European Muslim” Charter of Values” was signed.

 

 

 

 

The First Alliance of Civilizations Forum took place in Madrid.

 

 

 

The EU President, Slovenia’s President Janez Jansa, submitted its programme to the European Parliament

 

A bilateral agreement on the access to goods and services markets was signed between the EU and Ukraine.

 

 

 

Agreements on energy security were signed between Bulgaria and Russia.

 

 

 

 

 

Poland withdrew its veto on the start of talks between Russia and the EU on a new partnership agreement.

 

The Council of Agricultural Ministers reached an agreement to begin the simplifications on cross-compliance implementations

 

 

 

 

Prof. Dr. Işıl Karakaş has been elected as a judge to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The World Economic Forum took place in Davos. ( 23-27 January)

 

The ECHR published its annual report showing that the country with the highest number of judgments taken against was Turkey.

 

The European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs approved the report regarding the Lisbon Strategy.

 

The European Commission has officially announced the package on climate change that would come into force in 2002.

 

 

The Report on EU gender equality was published.

 

 

 

The Court of Justice of the European Communities announced its verdict regarding the preliminary ruling from the Court of Appeal (England and Wales) concerning the interpretation of the decision nº1/80 of the Association Council.

 

 

 

The European Council on General and Foreign Relations meeting was held in Brussels.

 

 

 

 

Slovenia and Malta ratified the Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

 

 

The Directive on EU Postal Services was approved.

 

 

 

 

 

Romania ratified the Lisbon Treaty.

 

The Congress in France made the necessary constitutional changes in order to be able to ratify the Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

 

 

 

The General Council of the World Trade Organization approved Ukraine’s Membership.

 

 

 

 

The COREPER approved the Accession Partnership Document prepared for Croatia.

 

 

 

 

 

The European company network initiated its works.

 

The Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Germany. (7-10 February)

 

 

 

 

France approved the Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The European Commission published its fifth report on EU citizenship.

 

 

 

 

The first round of Presidential election took place in the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus.

 

Kosovo proclaimed its independence.

 

 

 

 

 

The European Council approved the Accession Partnership Document prepared for Turkey.

The European Council on General and Foreign Relations meeting took place.

 

The Free Trade Agreement between EU and Ukraine came into force.

 

 

 

 

 

The European Parliament approved the Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

 

 

The European Parliament approved the report ‘The demographic future of Europe’ prepared by Françoise Castex.

 

 

 

 

AKEL party candidate Dimitris Hristofyas has won the elections in the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus.

 

Serj Sarkisyan was elected the President of Armenia.

 

 

 

 

EP’s Foreign Relations Committee  approved the Croatia Progress report prepared by Hannes Swoboda.

 

 

 

 

 

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors welcomed a new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) to which Turkey was taking part.

 

The EU Council meeting Justice and Home Affairs took place.

 

The European Energy Conference took place.

 

 

 

 

 

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council and the Commission adopted the 2009 Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion and on Employment.

 

 

 

 

Germany and France reached an agreement on the “Union for Mediterranean”.

 

The EP discussed the constitutional reforms regarding its democratization process, principal rights and the cultural rights of minorities in Turkey

 

 

 

The European Commission presented a Communication on "Western Balkans: Enhancing the European Perspective".

 

The Members of Parliament have rejected the proposals to hold a UK-wide referendum on whether to ratify the EU's Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

 

The Council of Europe, Committee for the Prevention of Torture  presented its report regarding Turkey.

 

 

 

 

The EP and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce signed an agreement to simplify the visa procedures.

 

 

 

 

EU-US Ministerial Troika Meeting on Justice and Home Affairs took place in Slovenia. (12-13 March)

 

 

 

 

EU Council Spring Summit took place in Brussels. (13-14 March)

 

 

 

 

Estonia’s Prime Minister Andrus Ansip visited Turkey.

 

 

 

 

 

Bulgaria ratified the Lisbon Treaty.

 

The Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Hristofyas came together for the first time.

 

 

 

 

 

Six working groups were formed on the Cyprus issue by Turkish Cypriot negotiator Özdil Nami and the Presidential Commissioner in the Greek Cypriot Administration Yorgo Yakovu.

 

 

 

 

 

The report prepared by Ria Oomen- Ruijten has been discussed in the EP’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

 

An informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers took place.

 

 

 

 

 

The EU new member states Czech, Estonia, Letonia, Latvia, Malta, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia abolished their air control borders.

 

 

 

 

Portugal ratified the Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

 

NATO annual meeting was held in Bucharest. (2-4 April)

 

 

The “2007 Enlargement Strategy Report”  was presented to the EP’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

 

 

 

 

 

Slovakia applied to the European Central Bank to join the Eurozone.

 

 

 

The draft negotiation document for the USA Visa Exemption Programme was approved.

 

EU- Central Asian Troika meeting was held.

 

 

 

 

 

 

EC President José Manuel Barroso and Commissioner Olli Rehn visited Turkey. (10-12 April)

 

The 24^th Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee meeting was held in Istanbul.

 

 

Slovakia and Poland ratified the Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

 

The report prepared by Ria Oomen- Ruijten on the developments in Turkey in 2007 was approved by the EP’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

 

Austria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ursula Plasnik visited Turkey.

 

 

 

A meeting was held between the EU and Croatia: the EU decided to open two chapters for screening (energy and transport).

 

 

 

 

The EP adopted the 2007 Progress Report on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

 

The Portuguese Parliament ratified the Lisbon Treaty.

 

Denmark ratified the Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

 

 

Denmark and Austria  ratified EU's Lisbon Treaty.

Germany's Bundestag ratified EU'S Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

 

 

The EU and Serbia signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement.

 

 

 

President of Turkey Abdullah Gül attended the 15^th Middle Eastern European Countries Presidents Meeting.

 

 

 

 

The EU President, Slovenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitrij Rupel, came to Turkey.

 

 

 

 

Turkey - EU Troyka meeting took place in Ankara.

 

 

 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chief Negotiator Ali Babacan met the EU President Presidency Slovenia’s President Danilo Türk.

 

 

 

 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chief Negotiator Ali Babacan met the Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb.

 

 

 

 

The Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Hristofyas as well as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) Tayé- Brook came together at the government controlled area in Lefkoşa.

 

 

 

The President of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Mehmet Ali Talat visited Brussels as the guest of the Slovenian’s EU President Dimitrij Rupel.

 

 

 

 

Austria’s President Heinz Fischer visited Turkey. (20-22 May)

 

 

The report on Turkey prepared by European Parliament Member Ria Oomen- Ruijten was accepted with 467 votes.

 

 

 

 

The Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Hristofyas as well as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) Tayé- Brook came together at the government controlled area in Lefkoşa.

 

 

 

The Turkey- EU Association Committee  realized its 46^th meeting in Brussels.

 

The Turkey- EU Joint Parliamentary Committee realized its 59^th meeting in Brussels.

 

 

 

Luxembourg ratified the Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

The UN presented its Cyprus report.

 

 

 

 

President Abdullah Gül visited Croatia.

 

 

 

Ireland rejected the Lisbon Treaty.

 

The chapters on “Company law” and “Intellectual Property law” in Turkey were opened.

 

 

 

Agreement to start screening of the acquis chapters ‘Company law’ and ‘Intellectual Property law’ at the 5^th international conference.

 

 

 

The House of Lords (UK) ratified the Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

The International Crisis Group published its Cyprus report.

 

 

 

 

The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini visited Turkey.

 

 

 

France took over the EU Presidency from Spain.

 

 

 

Trade Ministers from the European Union and the Mediterranean countries met in Marseilles to discuss the next steps towards the goal of a deep and comprehensive Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area by 2010.

 

 

 

The Netherlands ratified the Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

 

The EU enlargement process report was approved by the European Parliament.

 

 

 

 

The Framework Agreement for cooperation between Turkey and the European Union for assistance under the Instrument for Pre-accession (IPA) was signed.

 

 

 

Alexander Downer became the United Nations’ Special Adviser on Cyprus.

 

 

 

The UK officially ratified the European Union's Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

 

The Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Hristofyas agreed to start the negotiations on the 3rd of September 2008.

 

 

 

Start of Cyprus negotiations.

 

 

 

 

First round of Cyprus negotiations.

 

 

 

Turkey-EU Troika Meeting took place.

 

 

 

Second round of Cyprus negotiations.

 

 

 

The Council of Europe'sParliamentary Assembly accepted the Report on “Cyprus’situation”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President Abdullah Gül visited Estonia and met President Toomas Hendrik.

 

 

 

An agreement on further steps which are needed to restore confidence  and  to reach proper functioning of the financial system in the Eurozone countries was reached at an emergency summit of Heads of State or Government.

 

 

 

 

The EU Member States and the EU Council Summit took place.

 

 

 

Turkey was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

 

 

 

The meeting of the “Union for Mediterranean” took place in Marseilles, France.

 

 

 

IKV organized a meeting with the European Parliament on the occasion of the 45^th Anniversary of the Ankara Agreement.

 

 

 

The EC presented its Enlargement Strategy and the Progress Report of the candidate and potential candidate countries.

 

 

The 25^th Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee meeting was held in Paris.

 

 

 

Sweden ratified the Lisbon Treaty.

 

The European Parliament approved the EU blue card which makes it easier for highly skilled workers to immigrate to EU countries.

 

 

 

The European Parliament published the draft of its Turkey report.

 

 

 

The Members of the EP’s Foreign Affairs Committee visited Ankara and Istanbul.

 

Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan came to Turkey.

 

 

 

 

The European Parliament Committee visited Turkey as a guest of the European Development Foundation.

 

 

 

The Czech Republic's highest court ruled that the Lisbon Treaty was consistent with the country's constitution.

 

 

 

The 60^th Turkey- EU Joint Parliamentary Commission meeting took place.

 

 

 

 

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Ministerial Council took place in Helsinki.

 

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) affirmed  the legality of the ban in the cases related to the wearing of the Muslim veil in the French public schools.

 

 

 

 

EU Foreign Affairs Council gathered in Brussels.

 

 

Switzerland became part of the Schengen area.

 

 

 

The International Crisis Group published a report concerning Turkey-EU relations.

 

 

 

The Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Hristofyas came together for the 12^th time in order  to find a solution for Cyprus.

 

 

 

The chapters "Free movement of capital" and ‘"nformation society and media" were opened for screening at the 6^th International Conference.

 

 

 

The Netherlands declared to sponsor three projects related to EU accession in Turkey.

 

 

 

The National Programme of Turkey with regard to the adoption of the European Union Acquis was published in the Official Journal.