Turkey-EU Customs Union has been one of the cornerstones of the bilateral trade between Turkey and the EU for almost 25 years. Apart from numerous benefits it has brought within the years to both sides, not only developments in global economy and trade but also some design faults and inadequacies of the Customs Union have made the modernisation of this special relationship and addition of new areas to its scope necessary.

Although the steps on the road to the modernisation of the Customs Union started to be taken after 2014, the European Commission has been waiting for the mandate from the Council to commence the negotiations for years. The German Presidency of the EU Council had been awaited in hope thanks to the deeply-rooted relations between Turkey and the EU’s locomotive country that is believed to play a role in launching the negotiations. However, the German Presidency is coincided with the rising tensions in Turkey-EU relations stemming particularly from Turkey’s hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The policy brief written by IKV Junior Researcher Merve Özcan Altan entitled “Expectations vs. Realities: Implications of Germany’s EU Presidency for the Modernisation of Turkey-EU Customs Union” was published by IKV Brief Series. After having examined the relevant analyses and studies conducted by the World Bank and the European Commission to show the basis for the need to update the Customs Union, the brief note shed light on the political developments occurred during the second half of 2020 to compare the expectations from and realities of Germany’s EU Presidency with regard to the modernisation of the Customs Union.

In order to read the brief note, please click here.