On 17 March 2022, Prof. Dr. Thomas Giegerich participated online in the “II. International Conference: Legal Issues in Turkey – European Union Relations” organised by the Jean Monnet Chair on Legal Issues in Turkey-EU Relations at the Law Faculty of Ankara University (Prof. Dr. İlke Göçmen). Prof. Giegerich made a presentation on “Common but Differentiated Responsibilities of Turkey and the EU in Relation to Irregular Migration”. He identified an EU-Turkey Migration Management Partnership (MMP) with various hard-law and soft-law components. The MMP is characterised by a number of elements reminiscent of the altruistic principle of common but differentiated responsibilities which is firmly established in international environmental law. However, the special legal and political relationship between the EU and Turkey, based on the Association Agreement and Turkey’s application for EU membership, intersects with the MMP and introduces egoistic elements into the partnership that seem to dominate the altruistic common but differentiated responsibility elements.
