Programme

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Tuesday 20 February

9.30 a.m.    Opening session

Welcoming words

  • Mr M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, President of TOBB, Co-chair of the Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee
  • Ms Annie van Wezel, Member of the EESC, Co-chair of the Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee

Welcome addresses

  • Mr Gabriel Munuera Vinals, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey
  • Mr Ömer Çelik, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator of the Republic of Turkey

Adoption of the agenda

10.30 a.m.   EU-Turkey relations - General developments

  • Ambassador Selim Yenel, Undersecretary of the Ministry for EU Affairs, Republic of Turkey
  • Mr Bendevi Palandöken, President of TESK
  • Mr Arno Metzler, Member of the EESC

Debate

11.15 a.m.       Coffee break

11.30 a.m. The Refugee Crisis

  • Mr Dimitris Dimitriadis, Member of the EESC and rapporteur on the EESC opinion on The role of Turkey in the Refugee Crisis
  • Ms Burcu Atılgan, TOBB, Presentation on the EU Funded Project: Living and Working Together: Integrating SuTPs (Syrians under temporary protection) to Turkish Economy
  • Ms Emma Clua Vandellos, Head of Section on Facility for Refugees in Turkey, EU Delegation to Turkey

Debate

1 p.m    Lunch break  

2.30 p.m.   Economic relations - General developments: The state of the economy in Turkey and EU-Turkey economic relations

  • Mr Ekrem Keskin, The Banks Association of Turkey (TBB)

Debate 

Modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union, trade and sustainable development

  • Mr Şemsi Bayraktar, President of TZOB - The Agricultural Policies to be Followed in Expanding the EU-Turkey Customs Union
  • Mr Kudret Önen, President of TİSK
  • Mr Ayhan Zeytinoğlu, President of İKV
  • Mr Mehmet Tan, Deputy Director General, DG for EU Affairs, Ministry of Economy
  • Ms Dilyana Slavova, Member of the EESC

Debate

The Blue Economy

  • Mr Dimitris Dimitriadis, Member of the EESC and rapporteur on the EESC opinion on Blue economy in the Western Mediterranean
  • Mrs Aylin Çağlayan Özcan, Director for Sectoral Policies, Ministry of EU Affairs

4.00 p.m.  Coffee break

4.30 p.m. – 6.30 p.m. Social issues and employment in Turkey - General Developments

  • Ms Nurcan Önder, Director General of Labour, Ministry of Labour and Social Security
  • Dr Hakan Ercan, Middle East Technical University, Ankara
  • Ms Cinzia Del Rio, Member of the EESC

Trade Union Rights in the public sector

  • Introductory remarks by Ms Annie van Wezel, Member of the EESC, Co-chair of the Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee
  • Mr Ali Yalçın, President of MEMUR-SEN
  • Mr Ahmet Demirci, Secretary General for Foreign Affairs, T.KAMU-SEN

Debate

Wednesday 21 February

9.00 a.m.                 

  • Adoption of the joint declaration
  • Closing remarks by Mr M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and Ms Annie van Wezel, Co-chairs of the EU-Turkey Joint Consultative Committee

11.15 a.m.    End of the meeting