Belgian deputy PM Prevot says the time has come to update the Turkey-EU Customs Union
Belgian deputy prime minister and foreign minister Maxime Prevot said the time had come to renew the Turkey-EU Customs Union agreement. The remarks were made at a trade summit with a Turkish business delegation in Brussels.
Belgium's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Maxime Prevot, said the Turkey-European Union Customs Union should be modernised. He made the remarks at the Turkish-Belgian Business Forum in Brussels. According to Anadolu Agency, Prevot stressed that the existing framework, in place since 1995, lags current economic realities.
Renewing the Customs Union has long been on Ankara's agenda, with calls to broaden it to cover mutual market access, services and agriculture. The recent softer tone from Brussels coincides with Europe's search for competitiveness and resilient supply chains. Both sides noted that bilateral trade has grown steadily over the past five years.
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar also met Belgian firms during the same week. Ankara wants Customs Union negotiations to move to a technical stage. Obstacles linked to Cyprus and Egypt still prevent the European Commission from placing the file before the Council.
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