Last month, EIPA brought together high level Turkish officials and experts to strengthen their knowledge of EU legal and institutional affairs and explore opportunities for EU–Türkiye cooperation under the EU Global Gateway strategy.
The activities were organised for the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs within the Luxembourg Technical Assistance Programme for Türkiye – Improving National Capacities to Adopt and Implement the Internal Market Acquis, with the support of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade.
Building practical knowledge of EU affairs
From 28 to 30 September, experts from the Directorate for EU Affairs and from other relevant Turkish ministries, agencies and public institutions attended a three-day workshop on EU Legal, Institutional and Policy Affairs. They strengthened their practical knowledge of key EU legal, institutional and policy developments and explored how these affect their daily work. The programme covered three main areas:
- The legal nature of the EU and the EU legal system, including EU legal instruments, the relationship between EU and national legal systems, and the obligations of Member States and candidate countries
- EU institutions and decision-making procedures, exploring the roles of the main EU institutions, EU rule-making procedures and the negotiation and adoption of international agreements
- EU external relations and accession policy, covering EU external policies, enlargement policy, the legal and policy framework for accession, and recent developments
A key theme throughout the workshop was the continuing relevance of EU affairs for the Turkish public administration. Regardless of the current state of the accession process, Turkish institutions interact daily with EU policies, legislation and initiatives across a wide range of sectors. Participants gained a clearer understanding of how the EU develops and implements its policies, enabling them to assess the implications for Türkiye and contribute more effectively to policy coordination and decision-making in areas linked to EU–Türkiye relations.
H.E. Ambassador Daniel Da Cruz, Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to Türkiye, and Ms Elif Kurşunlu, Director General for Relations with the European Union, opened the workshop. In their remarks, they emphasised the importance both countries attach to their longstanding cooperation and to the technical assistance programme that EIPA implements on behalf of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. EIPA experts Juan Diego Ramírez-Cárdenas Díaz and Wolfgang Koeth led the sessions.
Reflecting the close ties between Luxembourg and Türkiye, as well as the importance both countries attach to the technical assistance provided by EIPA, workshop participants and EIPA experts were welcomed by Ambassador Da Cruz at a reception held at the Residence on the evening of 30 September. The Guest of Honour was H.E. Ambassador Mehmet Kemal Bozay, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs.
Exploring Global Gateway opportunities for EU Türkiye cooperation
From 30 September to 1 October, EIPA organised a seminar on The EU Global Gateway: Opportunities for EU–Türkiye Cooperation in Environment, Climate and Health.
The EU Global Gateway has become one of the European Union’s main instruments for promoting international partnerships and strategic investment. As an EU candidate country and an important partner of the Union, Türkiye has a direct interest in understanding the priorities underpinning this initiative and the sectors in which it can generate new opportunities for cooperation. The seminar therefore provided participants with an opportunity to examine the policy objectives behind the Global Gateway, its links with areas such as energy, climate, connectivity and health, and its potential relevance for future EU–Türkiye cooperation. This knowledge is increasingly valuable for public officials seeking to anticipate policy developments and identify areas for collaboration.
Officials from the Directorate for EU Affairs joined representatives of Turkish ministries, agencies and public institutions working on EU coordination, accession-related reforms, environmental and climate policies, the energy transition, health, pharmaceutical regulation and EU-funded projects.
Participants examined the objectives, governance and financing of the Global Gateway and its links with EU enlargement and neighbourhood policies. Discussions then focused on areas with particular relevance for EU–Türkiye cooperation, including the green transition, climate resilience, sustainable connectivity and health security.
Sessions explored the European Green Deal, circular economy, renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate adaptation, as well as the European Health Union, preparedness for cross-border health threats, the EU pharmaceutical strategy and the resilience of critical medicine supply chains.
Looking ahead to future cooperation
Together, the two seminars connected participants’ understanding of EU law, institutions and policy-making with emerging priorities for EU–Türkiye cooperation, including climate action, the green and digital transitions, health security and sustainable investment.
The activities form part of EIPA’s ongoing cooperation with Luxembourg and Türkiye to strengthen national capacities and support the effective adoption and implementation of the EU acquis.
