Privileged partnership

As EU leaders gather for a summit on Wednesday on how to keep engaging with their Western Balkans neighbors, the bloc's once-successful enlargement policy faces an impasse, AP reported.

A privileged special partnership would be a substitute for a full membership.
According to the proposal, financial support, special arrangements for access to European markets and other benefits would be offered to the Western Balkan countries in exchange for a "silent withdrawal" of full membership.

"Observers in the region see France and The Netherlands' policy as not being fair and motivated by domestic politics and stereotypes," Bieber said. "This undermines the EU as being a fair player and having clear criteria, especially since the commission has given the green light for negotiation."

Turkey would reject any offer of partnership with the European Union that falls short of membership, Ankara's minister for EU affairs said, warning that the current situation gave Turkey no reason to maintain its migrant deal with the bloc.

Turkey will not accept a "privileged partnership" with the EU, the country's EU Minister Omer Celik has said, cited by Anadolu Agency .

"If we are offered a privileged partnership, we will not even consider it, and simply reject," Celik told news channel Haberturk on Friday.

Ruling German party wants Turkey's EU bid halted

BERLIN -- The CSU, "the sister party" of Angela Merkel's CDU, wants Turkey's EU accession to be halted in light of the recent threats issued by PM Erdogan to his critics.