Cyprus-Forum.com

[Pyrpolizer]

Germany is spending energy on finding a way to open the Lokmac1 crossing as a face-saving formula after realizing any efforts to help pass the European Union-promised direct trade regulations for northern Cyprus will be futile by the end of its term presidency expiring in July.

The German efforts on Lokmac1 became evident last week when Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat referred to a telephone conversation with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who only concentrated on the opening of the crossing.

http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/tcpr/200 ... pr.html#01

[Sotos]

Who is taking the presidency after Germany?

[Strahd]

Portugal and then Slovenia...

Cyprus July 2012!

[Sotos]

Portugal and then Slovenia...

Cyprus July 2012!

Before we joined the EU I heard that because the number of EU countries increased that after some time the presidency will be shared by 2 countries. Is this true? Or in 2012 the presidency will be all ours?

[Pyrpolizer]

The problem is can't those people ever realize that is impossible to have direct trade with an entity whose total law contradicts very basic EU laws? Direct Trade can only be through the legal state which is RoC through it's lewgal ports and Airports. Whatever regulations required to do that have already been implemented. If the TCs have poblems with the pseudo levying them additional taxes and additional VAT thats NOT OUR PROBLEM.

This matter has being going on for 3 terms so far, first we had the British, then Finalnd, now the Germans. I hope the Germans who are indeed known to be the No1 brains in Europe finally put an end to this paranoia that was initiated by the British.

Osmosis is the answer!

[Maria28]

What is the argument in favor of direct trade when Turkish Cypriots can use the ports of the Republic for their trade? Surely it is not a matter of distance.

[Pyrpolizer]

The argument they have is that the pseudo imposes them additional taxes.
Furthermore they pay for port/airport fees at the legal RoC ports that the pseudo refuses to acknowledge as expenses for purposes of taxation.

Furthermore they claim the Gcs put "obstacles", cause delays,and of course they don't have an unlimited list of products they can export.

The real problem in my opinion is that the TC commerce got used in doing bussiness with Turkey and it's very difficult to re-organise all that trading activity for exports to Europe. Most TC bussinesses seem to be in partnership with mainland Turkish ones who do all trade with Europe, so a TC bussinessman would propably have to become independent split from his mainland Turkish partner and become his competitor in Europe. Not very easy even if they had direct trade the way they wanted it.

Basically it is partial recognition they are after.... trade has almost nothing to do with it.

[Maria28]

Basically it is partial recognition they are after.... trade has almost nothing to do with it.

This is what I was afraid also. Is there any truth in the claims about the obstacles?

[shahmaran]

oh yeah thats basically IT

[Pyrpolizer]

The fact is there was ONLY one export last year for the astronimical value of............ CYP 1000!!! All Turkish Delights exported to UK in a groupage container. This is a tiny amount compared to the total trade the TCs do with Turkey or via Turkey to Europe. Like I said before even if the TCs get the direct trade the way they want it, nothing will change, their existing trade will continue as it is now with Turkey or via Turkey to Europe. Btw Turkey is the first and only country who achieved customs Union with EU before even starting her EU negotiations. How they managed that? Simple: they rate all EU products at zero tax. Thats why the BMWs broke the record in sales in the occupied last year...

All the trade is actually done locally through the Green line regulation and the traded products all end at GC supermarkets. I think last year the amount was 30 million? (I am not sure). The Tcs claim the GC put some unecessary obstacles after the products cross the Green line accompanied by EU phytosanitary certificates, in that they also call the RoC officials who issue new papers. From what I know these new papers are the movement certificates within the EU, they have nothing to do with the phytosanitary checks.