GENERAL AFFAIRS AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS: TURKEY NEGOTIATION DECISIONS GO DOWN TO THE WIRE AS MINISTERS MEET.

Turkish trials.

Austria reportedly maintained calls for 'alternatives' to full membership or 'interim solutions' to be provided for in the negotiating framework as EU ambassadors met on September 29 in Brussels. The framework, which sets out the guiding principles and procedures for the negotiations, must be agreed by EU member states by October 3 and the planned start of talks.

The draft framework is apparently acceptable to other member states but Vienna's reservation means that some last-minute ministerial haggling will presumably be required. EU sources indicated that an extraordinary dinner would be held the night before the October 3 External Relations Council to allow Foreign Ministers to discuss the matter. However, it is a scenario that could complicate the choreography for the official opening of accession talks.

A Turkish diplomat told Europe Information on September 29 that Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was planning to attend on October 3, but the source made clear that "he wants to see the negotiating mandate before coming to Luxembourg". Separately, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman underlined that Turkey could not accept any formula other than full EU membership.

Croatia.

Ministers are also set to discuss the prospects for starting membership talks with Croatia. A fresh meeting of the EU's 'task force' on the key issue of Zagreb's war crimes cooperation is expected to be held on Monday morning. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Carla Del Ponte, is due to brief the task force on her latest reading of Croatia's efforts.

Zagreb is hoping that the task force will come up with a positive assessment - based on what it believes is successful cooperation with ICTY and implementation of a war crimes 'action plan' - allowing the Council of Ministers to decide on the opening of accession talks.

Serbia and Montenegro.

Foreign Ministers are set to adopt a mandate for the European Commission to negotiate a new Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EU and Serbia and Montenegro, designed to draw the latter closer to...