(BRUSSELS) - The European Union welcomed on Wednesday a decision by the Turkish parliament to soften rules on the freedom of expression as a "step forward."

"This is a constructive step forward in ensuring freedom of expression and we look forward to its effective implementation," the EU's current Slovenian presidency said in a statement.

"This step is both positive for Turkey and an indication of Turkey's continuing commitment to the reform process," it added.

Earlier Wednesday, Turkey's parliament voted a long-awaited amendment to a law penalising "insults to Turkishness", which had long been a source of tension with the EU.

"This amendment is a welcome step forward, and the Commission looks forward to further moves to change similar articles in order to ensure that ungrounded prosecutions stop," EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said.

"Now the Turkish authorities should focus on implementation of the reform to guarantee full freedom of expression for Turkish citizens," he added.

Text and Picture Copyright 2008 AFP. All other Copyright 2008 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.