The period covered by this report is from early October 2008 to mid-September 2009. Progress is measured on the basis of decisions taken, legislation adopted and measures implemented. As a rule, legislation or measures which are under preparation or awaiting Parliamentary approval have not been taken into account. This approach ensures equal treatment across all reports and permits an objective assessment.
The report is based on information gathered and analysed by the Commission. In addition, many sources have been used, including contributions from the government of Turkey, the EU Member States, European Parliament reports1, and information from various international and non-governmental organisations. The Commission draws detailed conclusions regarding Turkey in its separate communication on enlargement2, based on the technical analysis contained in this report.