The European Union took a step forward in accession talks with Turkey today, just over a week after partially freezing negotiations due to Ankara's refusal to open ports to Cyprus.
EU ambassadors backed a "screening report" on how Turkey's enterprise and industry policies relate to EU requirements, after Cyprus, for the first time in months, did not obstruct a step in its rival's accession talks, officials said.
Approval of the screening report is an initial move towards launch of one of the chapters, or policy areas, into which EU accession talks are split.
Turkey has completed just one of 35 chapters since beginning its accession talks in October 2005.
Turkey had expressed hope its EU membership bid would move forward more significantly before Brussels shuts down for the Christmas holidays, with the opening of several chapters.
However, EU officials said the move was a clear sign that Turkey's EU bid remained on track despite a decision earlier this month to partially freeze membership talks to penalise Ankara for refusing to normalise trade with Cyprus.
On December 11th, EU states suspended eight chapters with Turkey but said talks should move forward in other areas.
Turkey's EU bid was at least partially responsible for the rejection by French and Dutch voters of a constitutional treaty that would facilitate EU enlargement after Bulgaria and Romania bring the size of the bloc to 27 states on January 1st.
Separately today, the EU ambassadors agreed to launch three more negotiating chapters with EU hopeful Croatia, which launched its accession talks at the same time as Turkey.