turkey-eu relations the role and contribution of tobb
TRANSCRIPT
Turkey-EU Relations Turkey-EU Relations
THE Role and Contribution THE Role and Contribution of TOBBof TOBB
Outline - Who are we?
- Chamber system- Network (national & international)
- How have we organized our work? - What do we do for the EU Accession Process?- Failures in the EU Accession Process
Who are we? Chamber system
• Continental chamber system – compulsory membership (similar to German, French, Spanish, Italian, Netherlands etc.)
• Non-profit organizations• Self financing• Election for all the governing bodies
Who are we? National Network
• A grassroots organization. • 1.3 million members;
– Small, medium and large enterprises – From all sectors of the economy
• 365 local chambers and commodity exchanges.
• 56 Sectoral Assemblies.
• World Chamber Federation • EUROCHAMBRES • Islamic Chamber of Commerce • ECO Chambers of Commerce and Industry• Association of Balkan Chambers of Commerce
and Industry
Who are we? International Network (1)
• ASCAME• International Road Transport Union • OECD- BIAC • Business Councils with 77 countries (Trough
Foreign Economic Relations Board – DEİK; an affiliate of TOB)
Who are we? International Network (2)
Turkey-EU Relations and the Business Community
Turkey-EU Relations • 31 July 1959, Application for association membership,• 12 September 1963, Association Agreement signed,• 1 January 1973, Additional Protocol entered into force,• 14 April 1987, Application for membership,• 1 January 1996, Customs Union • 11-12 December 1999, Turkey’s candidature was re-affirmed • 6 October 2004, The European Commission declared that “Turkey
sufficiently fulfils the Copenhagen Political Criteria”,• 17 December 2004, decision to start negotiations with Turkey was taken, • 3 October 2005, accession negotiations started,• 8 chapters opened for negotiations
How we have organized our work? Anchors
• Anchors of restructuring the work of TOBB; – Turkey’s Economic crisis of 2001 and the economic
reform program – EU Accession process– Globalization
• A new law for TOBB and Chamber system• Upgradee the existing structures,
– IKV– Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK)– TOBB Brussles Permanent Representation
• New institutions;– TEPAV: Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey– TOBB University of Economics and Technology– Turkish Business Research Organization (TUR&BO)– TOBB Washington Representative
How we have organized our work? Legislation & Institutions
For Better Policy Formulation:Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey
Established in 2004
Objective:Objective: To create an independent research capacityTo create an independent research capacity
for PSD and PPSD.for PSD and PPSD.
Three Institutes have been established:
-Economic Policy Research Institute
-Stability Institute
- Foreign Policy Institute
Investment on Education:TOBB-University of Economics Technology
Established in 2003.
The most preferred university
Academic S
uccess:
-Num
ber One: P
ublicatio
n per a
cademic
- (2005 –2006 R
esource
: YÖK)
• We need to build capacity at; – Policy making, – TOBB level, – local/chambers level, – corporate level,
• We need to work on acquis alignment • We need to work on civil society dialogue
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? Answers!
• TEPAV• TOBB-ETU• Strengthening the Economic Development
Foundation (İKV)
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? Policy making
!
TOBB
The General Assembly (1500 delegates & Representatives from the Local Chambers)
Board of Directors (15 Members - Elected by General Assembly)
President ( elected for 4 years - re-elected once)
Secretary General (appointed)
Brussles Representation
Washington Representation
İstanbul Office
Legal Adviser
Press Adviser
Advisers to SG
Deputy Secretary General Deputy Secretary General Deputy Secretary General
H.D. Chambers
H.D. EU Department
H.D. Trade and TIR Carnets
H.D. IT
H.D. Industry
H.D. Sectroral Assemblies
H.D. Foreign Ecn. Relations H.D. Administrative Affairs
H.D. Financial Affairs
H.D. Human Resources
• Stronger EU Secretariat at TOBB. – The number of staff has been increasing (from 1 to 17)– The EU division has been upgraded to Head of Department – More staff with EU background are employed in the
departments, such as, industry, environment, SME, Trade etc.
• TOBB EU Harmonization Commission – Established in May 2005,– Consists of 8 members (all businessmen)
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? at TOBBlevel
• Turkish Chamber Development Program I – TOBB-Eurochambres Joint project,– Financially supported by the EU from the MEDA Funds (1 milliion €)– Implemented in 2001-2002– 11 partnership between Turkish and EU chambers were established,– TOBB Chamber Accreditation system was introduced by TOBB and the
British Chambers of Commerce
• Objective: TCDP was designed to strengthen the role of Turkish Chambers of Commerce and Industry by developing their capacity to contribute to the internationalization of their member enterprises and to play a key role in local development.
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? at
chamber/local level
• Turkish Chamber Development Program II (2004-2005)– Follow up of TCDP I – Financially supported by the EU from the MEDA Funds (1
million €)– Implemented in 2004-2005– 10 partnership between Turkish and EU chambers were
established,– 10 chamber executives were trained on chamber
management
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? at
chamber/local level
• EU-Turkey Chamber Forum – – TOBB-Eurochambres project – 4,5 million financial contribution of the EU– Part of Turkey –EU Civil society dialogue – Objective; to strengthen the dialogue and co-operation
between the Turkish Chambers and their counterparts in the EU as members of civil society; thus promoting the integration of EU and Turkish business communities.
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? at
chamber/local level
• EU-Turkey Chamber Forum – activities;– Survey to assess the knowledge of Turkish companies on EU
affairs and relevant policies.– Establishment of 15-20 EU-Turkey Chamber partnerships. – Implementation of 12 EU Training Seminars in Turkey (Based on
the feedback of the survey).– Preparation of 6 EU Publications.– Participation of 30 Turkish Chamber representatives in
EUROCHAMBRES European Academies. – Creation of a Turkish Experts Database.– Accreditation of approx. 50 Turkish Chambers.
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? at
chamber/local level
CASE Project:Chambers working for the Implementation of the Acquis Chambers working for the Implementation of the Acquis and Business Ethics and Business Ethics
Objective;– To increase the level of awareness of companies on the relevant acquis and its
implications (consumer protection; environment, safety at work; standardization; )
– To ensure that Chambers have the capacity and tools to guide them in that process.
Duration: 18 months Components;
1. Development and implementation of the acquis: 40 executives from local chambers trained on Acquis Audit on May 2008, in
Istanbul 400 companies will be audited for acquis compliance.
2. Introduction of a CSR strategy among young entrepreneurs: 20 executives will be trained on CSR 100 companies will be visited for CSR strategy
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? at chamber
/local level
– Training programs on EU Project cycle management (EU financial contribution, TOBB and EUSG)
– IPA awareness raissing – information seminars (TOBB-Ministry of Industry and Trade)
– Academics for local development project; • TOBB – TEPAV Project • Objective; To contribute to the policy making capacity for the local
issues of the chambers by initiating links between Chambers and Academics,
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? at
chamber/local level
• Organized the women entrepreneurs at the national level trough the “TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Board”
• Organized the women entrepreneurs at the local level through the “Chamber Women Entrepreneurs Board”
• Objective: To support the women entrepreneurs in the coming elections of the chambers and TOBB.
• Chambers are encouraged for positive discrimination.
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? at
chamber/local level
• Turkey-EU Business Development Centers Project I;– TOBB project, – Financially supported by the EU from the MEDA Funds (17,5 million €)– Implemented in 2002-2006– Three Turkey-EU business centers were founded
• Turkey-EU Business Development Centers Project II;– TOBB project, – Financially supported by the EU (35 million €)– 14 Business centers will be founded in 2007-2009
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? at corporate level
• Seminars organized in cooperation between TOBB-TAIEX Since 2005;
– State Aids,– Competition – Standardization– Public procurement – Intellectual Property Rights – Road Transportation and infrastructure – Maritime transportation – Vocational Training – Product safety – Market Surveillance
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? at
corporate level
Shareholders %
TOBB 50,99
KOSGEB 48,54
TESK 0,43
MEKSA: Foundation for the Promotion of Vocational Training
TOSYÖV: Turkish Foundations for Small & Medium Business
Halkbank
Objective; to support the SME’s to access finance by providing a guarantee for their financing. Capital: 20 million NTLhttp://www.kgf.com.tr/eng
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? Credit Guarantee Fund
at corporate level
• Information for SME’s on;– Financial resources– Environmental Impact Reports (CED reports) – Taxation – Social security– Standardization – IPR – etc.
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? SME Information Portal
at corporate level
Data on industry;– By sector– By city– By employment – By foreign capital
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? Industrial Database
at corporate level
• There is a gap between the graduates the education system is supplying and the industry is demanding.
• TOBB Vocational Education Commission has been established and an interim report prepared and submitted to the Ministry of National Education.
• A seminar on Vocational education has been currently cunducted – (TOBB-TAIEX)
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? Vocational training
at corporate level
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? Accessio
n Process
Secretary General
Dep. Secretary General
Head of EU Department
TOBB Brussels
IKV
TOBB ETU
Working Group – Free Movement
of Goods
Composition of the Working TOBB staff (coordinator); sectoral representatives; chamber representatives; IKV; TEPAV; TOBB ETU Groups
-
Working Group – Public
Procurement
Working Group – Enterprise Policy
Working Group – Custom Union
Working Group – IPR
Some Global and regional projects of TOBB
In Turkey - Europe Documentation Centre / “EU i” - Meeting/ seminars to understand the EU Accession process - National Media Education Programme- Local Media Education Programme
IN
EU
EU Institutions - EU Council (meetings with head of states and governments) - European Commission (visits, meetings, Window to Turkey etc.)- European Parliament (visits, meetings)- European Economic and Social Committee (Turkey-EU JCC)
Member States - Bilateral chambers / platforms & business councils, chamber twining, - Meetings with Government representatives and officials from member states)- Visits from and to National Chamber Organizations; Joint events,
Organisations & think tanks
- EUROCHAMBRES; OECD; INEA; VEF, TEPAV Talking Turkey Project
What do we do for the EU Accession Process? TOBB EU Communication Strategy
- Limited access to the documents of negotiation process (we can have access to only certain parts of the screening report; we cannot see even the “draft” version of the negotiation position document).
- No “institutionalized” mechanism which enables the business community to intervene the accession process.
Failures of TOBB in the EU Accession Process