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