A two-day detailed screening session covering Chapter 22, "Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments," opened in Brussels at the European Commission in October 2006, as part of Türkiye's EU accession negotiations.
The talks focus on structural funds and the cohesion fund, which together account for roughly one-third of the EU's annual budget. This year those funds total approximately 39.8 billion euros out of a 121.2 billion euro budget, and are designed to reduce development gaps among member states and between regions within individual countries.
Türkiye is not required to overhaul its legislation wholesale, but it is expected to raise the quality of regional, municipal, and city-level statistics, decentralize its public administration, and finalize the legal framework governing regional development agencies.
The Brussels session is part of a broader screening process: Türkiye has now completed detailed reviews of 31 of the 35 total chapters. The final scheduled meeting will address Chapter 23, "Judiciary and Fundamental Rights," on 12-13 October.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.