Eu – russia relations and wto hamburg 4 december 2017 european union and eurasian economic union comparison and opportunities for cooperation

EU Common Commercial Policy: Article 207(1) TFEU

• The common commercial policy shall be based on uniform principles, particularly with regard to changes in tariff rates, the conclusion of tariff and trade agreements relating to trade in goods and services, and the commercial aspects of intellectual property, foreign direct investment, the achievement of uniformity in measures of liberalisation, export policy and measures to protect trade such as those to be taken in the event of dumping or subsidies.

EU-Russia relations

• Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) 1997
• Four common spaces
• Economy and Environment
• Freedom, Security and Justice
• External Security
• Research and Education, including Culture
• ESI in Moscow (MGIMO)
• 2010: Partnership for Modernization Facility

RUSSIA AND WTO

• RUSSIA IS A MEMBER SINCE AUGUST 2012
• FIRST TRADE POLICY REVIEW 2016, PROBLEMS
• IMPORT SUBSTITUTION POLICY: COMPLIANCE WITH WTO RULES
• LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IN THE FUNCTIONING OF THE EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION
• SUBSIDISING OF THE ENERGY SECTOR
• DOMINANT ROLE OF STATE OWNED COMPANIES ON THE MARKET

EU-RUSSIA COOPERATION

• OBJECTIVE AFTER 2012 WTO ACCESSION
• (COMPREHENSIVE) FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

Eurasian Economic Union

• Founded 1 January 2015
• 5 Member States
• Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russian Federation
• Belarus is not a WTO member
• Objectives
• Economic Union
• Internal market
• Customs Union
• Cooperation in specific sectors
• Legal personality

Eurasian Economic Union

• Article 1
• 1. The Parties establish the Eurasian Economic Union ensuring free movement of goods, services, capital and labour within its borders, as well as coordinated, agreed or common policy in the economic sectors determined under this Treaty and international treaties within the Union.
• 2. The Union shall be an international organisation of regional economic integration and shall have international legal personality.