EU Turkey Delegation - Feasibility Assessment of the Global Business Bridges Initiative
Completed project (May 2012 - October 2012)
Origin of funding: Delegation of the European Union to Turkey
The EU-Turkey Global Business Bridges Initiative (GBBI) aims to facilitate EU –Turkey collaboration for joint trade and investments in the neighboring third countries while strengthening these countries’ ties to global economy and acting as a catalyst for their economic reform agenda. The modus operandi of the GBBI is holding matchmaking events in 2013 to bring together small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) from the three sides: EU, Turkey and the three pilot countries, which were selected as Egypt, Tunisia and Palestine. TEPAV was contracted to undertake the feasibility assessment of the Initiative and to identify the sectors and value chains which are conductive for trilateral business cooperation in the pilot countries.
The general purpose of the study was to identify the opportunities and the challenges for joint EU-Turkey trade and investment initiatives on the following third country markets so as to create a positive strategic impact on these countries’ reform agenda and industrial development. The first objective was to identify the feasible economic areas which would maximize complementarities between EU, Turkish and pilot country SMEs to form trilateral business linkages. Second objective was to provide information regarding the general economic context in the pilot countries, along with specific information on the identified sectors and their institutional underpinnings. Last objective was to suggest measures to enhance the overall feasibility of the Initiative. The target groups were identified as follows: EU Delegation to Turkey, related Ministries (Customs and Trade, Economy, Science, Industry and Technology, Development, Foreign Affairs, EU Affairs), business associations and economic think tanks in Turkey, authorities in charge of business environment, trade and investments, business associations and local economic think tanks, the EU Delegations in Egypt and Tunisia, the European Commission, Directorate General for Enlargement and EU External Action Service.
A research study was prepared and submitted by TEPAV;
- To identify economically active sectors and those sectors with not only a promising future potential but also possessing room for trilateral business synergies; (through the compilation and analysis of necessary regulatory, economic and business information, including fact-finding missions to Egypt, Tunisia, Palestine, Spain and Brussels)
- To determine areas/sectors of joint interest for EU-Turkey investments and trade collaboration in Egypt, Tunisia and Palestine for the short-run, and promising areas for the long run. These sectors were selected so as to have most positive impact on the selected country’s economy, and industrial development, i.e. sectors with higher backward and forward linkages in the supply chain and employment creation, sectors which generate higher value added for the societies in question, in the form of transfer of know-how and technology, and improving human capital and qualifications, internationalization of SMEs, as well as promoting youth and women entrepreneurship..
- To provide information on the existing regulatory and economic market barriers, and the problems related to physical infrastructure; on the governments’ FDI or trade facilitation support mechanisms in the selected countries; existing EU programs in the selected country for trade and investment facilitation;
- To provide policy recommendations, which, if implemented would further support the feasibility of the GBBI.
