Breaking the deadlock in EU-Turkmenistan relations
Published: 26 August 2021
Professor Luca Anceschi’s research has played a pivotal role in breaking a PCA ratification deadlock between the EU and Turkmenistan
The research
Turkmenistan is the only successor state of the Soviet Union not to have finalised a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the European Union (EU). Since 1998, the European Parliament has repeatedly declined to ratify a PCA due to concerns about the human rights record of the Turkmen regime.
From 2015 onwards, Professor Luca Anceschi’s research played a pivotal role in breaking this deadlock by demonstrating that PCA ratification should be viewed as a strategic priority for the EU and an instrument for rule-of-law promotion in Turkmenistan.
The impact
In late 2015, Luca was invited to advise the EU Parliament in drafting a policy roadmap to promote the ratification of the PCA among MEPs of different political persuasions. Through targeted engagement, he helped to build consensus for a positive vote on the PCA within the European Parliament: on 13 March 2019, MEPs voted to extend the extension to the Draft Interim Report regulating EU-Turkmenistan relations.
Following this positive vote, Luca's research has shaped the next step towards PCA ratification, which involves the implementation of a medium-term human rights monitoring mechanism in Turkmenistan. This mechanism will be overseen by a fully-fledged EU delegation in Ashgabat, which was inaugurated in late 2019.
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First published: 26 August 2021