IKV organised seminars in cooperation with Konya Chamber of Industry on 24 March 2017, with İzmir Chamber of Commerce on 28 March 2017 and with Afyon Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 29 March 2017 as a part of IKV’s project entitled “The Effects of the Modernised Customs Union Upon the Business World”. The project was launched at the beginning of 2017 and aims to raise awareness of the possible effects of the modernization of Turkey-EU Customs Union. So far IKV has organized 7 seminars in different provinces of Turkey and 1 in Brussels within the framework of this project.

In the aforementioned seminars, IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas gave some information with respect to the modernisation process of the Customs Union. Later, IKV Strategy and Business Development Director M. Gökhan Kilit gave a presentation regarding the effects of the modernisation of the Customs Union upon the agricultural sector. Finally, IKV Research Director Çisel İleri underscored the various EU funds of which the business world may benefit.

As it’s well known Turkish Minister of Economy Nihat Zeybekci and EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström agreed on to modernize Turkey-EU Customs Union on May 2016. From that onwards both parties started their preparations and carried out impact analysis. The official negotiations is expected to start this year.