MEDIA ADVISORY
Brussels, 18 December 2006
South East Europe Summit — Getting Closer to Europe: A New Ambitious CEFTA
Date: 19 December 2006 – Bucharest (Romania)
Venue: Parliament Palace (Entrance C)
Contact / further information:
Stability Pact's Spokesperson Mr Dragan Barbutovski (Tel: +32-2-4018725 or +32-498-982984, press@stabilitypact.org)
Ms Oana Marinescu, Spokeswoman of the Romanian Government
(Tel: +40-21-3181156, fax: +40-21-3181139, e-mail presa@gov.ro)
Ms Alina Ban, Office of the Spokesperson of the Romanian Government
(Tel: +40-21-3181141, Mobile: +40-741-252555)
THEME OF THE MEETING
On 19 December, one of the Stability Pact’s long-standing objectives (consistently endorsed by the European Union) – the creation of a single Free Trade Agreement in South Eastern Europe (SEE) – will be achieved. The Prime Ministers of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, as well as the Special Representative of the Secretary General on behalf of Kosovo will sign the new modern, ambitious and enlarged Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA).
This event marks the end of seven months of negotiations under the auspices of the Stability Pact to amend the CEFTA agreement in line with the mandate given by SEE Prime Ministers on 6 April 2006.
This high-level meeting will be attended Special Co-ordinator Busek, the Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and a representative of the Finnish Presidency of the EU, reflecting the strong support of the EU for this regional initiative.
PROGRAMME
09.30 Arrival of Delegations
10.00 Family Photo of Heads of Delegation
10.15 Welcome Address
H.E. Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, Prime Minister of Romania
10.35 Opening Remarks
Representative of the EU Presidency
H.E. Olli Rehn, Commissioner for Enlargement
Dr Erhard Busek, Special Co-ordinator, Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
11.05 Statements from Negotiating Parties
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Moldova
Montenegro
Serbia
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
UNMIK/Kosovo
12.05 Adoption of Joint Declaration
12.10 Closing Statement
H.E. Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, Prime Minister of Romania
12.15 Access of press to witness the signing of the agreement
12.25 Signing Ceremony for CEFTA 2006
13.00 Press Conference
PRESS CONFERENCE
The press conference will take place on Tuesday, 19 December 2006 at 13:00 in the Parliament Palace. The press conference will be conducted in English with the following panellists:
The Romanian Prime Minister, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn
Representative of the EU Presidency
Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe Erhard Busek
Representative of the incoming CEFTA Chair – The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
ACCREDITATION
The Press Office of the Romanian Government handles Media Accreditation. Due to security procedures, please send them your contact details by Friday, December 15th, 2006 at 18.30 (name, media organisation, e-mail and phone, press card number,) to presa@gov.ro. For more information, please contact the Romanian Government Press Office (Tel: +40-21-3181141, +40-21-3181156).
BACKGROUND
The Stability Pact Working Group on Trade and CEFTA 2006
The Trade Working Group is one of the initiatives under the Stability Pact’s (SP) Working Table II (Economic Development and Co-operation) and provides a good example of how the Stability Pact can develop and implement regional strategies for economic development. The Group brings together senior trade policy officials from all South Eastern European countries/territories, international organisations (European Commission’s Trade Directorate, World Trade Organisation, World Bank) and interested bilateral governments (Germany, Hungary, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and USA). It is currently chaired by Albania and supported by the SP Secretariat.
Under the auspices of the Trade Working Group, the countries of SEE have significantly improved the trade environment in the region. Since signing the Memorandum of Understanding in June 2001, they have negotiated and ratified a network of 32 bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs), which have improved economic and political relations between the countries. The impact on regional trade flows is increasingly positive. The Group has set up a procedure to eliminate non-tariff barriers and has improved the regulatory environment for trade in services in the region.
At their meeting in Sofia on 10 June, 2005, Ministers of Economy of SEE instructed the Trade Working Group to determine the feasibility of developing an inclusive, modern and ambitious single agreement based on the Central Europe Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) to replace the many bilateral agreements. Such an agreement should allow for a harmonised trade regime throughout the region, compatible with the commitments of the countries/territories to the WTO and EU. It should also take account of modern trade policy issues such as trade in services, government procurement, state aid and intellectual property rights.
In March 2006, the Trade Working Group reported to Ministers on their discussions. They recommended that Ministers pursue a single FTA through the simultaneous enlargement and amendment of CEFTA to be known as CEFTA 2006. This would include all SEE countries and customs territories and would provide the type of modern, ambitious agreement needed to allow trade in the region to flourish.
At their Bucharest Summit on 6 April 2006, all SEE Prime Ministers and the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) on behalf of UNMIK/Kosovo launched the negotiations on the simultaneous enlargement and amendment of CEFTA with instructions to complete negotiations by the end of 2006.
The Stability Pact was asked to chair these negotiations and also provided technical and secretariat support. The European Commission in a further demonstration of its support for this process provided both technical and financial support for the various meetings and some international members of the SP Trade Working Group provided technical advice including the WTO, Switzerland and the USA. Such support has meant that the revised agreement is fully in line with the SEE parties EU and WTO obligations.
Four rounds of negotiations were held between June and October leading to a revised text being initialled on 9 November, thereby allowing the parties to sign the agreement at the CEFTA Summit of SEE Prime Ministers in Bucharest on 19 December. The amended agreement fulfils the recommendation of the SP Trade Working Group and the Prime Ministers' request for an inclusive, modern and ambitious agreement that will benefit the region both economically and politically.
A brief chronology of the development of a single FTA in SEE:
Sofia, June 2005
SEE Ministerial Statement of June 2005 agreeing to establishment of a single free trade agreement (FTA) in SEE and mandating the SP Trade Working Group to prepare this.
Zagreb, November 2005
Amendment of entry criteria for membership of CEFTA (Zagreb Declaration) such that all SEE countries and territories are eligible for membership.
Berlin, 14 February
Presentation of proposals by Romania as Chair of CEFTA, supported by the other CEFTA members to facilitate a greatly simplified approach to allow the achievement of a single FTA through a simultaneous enlargement and amendment of CEFTA. Agreement that negotiations to be held under the auspices of the SP Trade Working Group.
Brussels, 28 March
SP report to Ministers on feasibility of single FTA (including principles to underpin agreement and draft text), recommending that such an agreement be pursued through the simultaneous enlargement and amendment of CEFTA and recommending that governments seek a formal mandate for negotiations.
Bucharest, 6 April
High-Level Political Meeting to launch formal process of amendment and enlargement of CEFTA. Joint declaration adopted by the SEE Prime Ministers and supported by the EU Presidency, the European Commission and the Stability Pact regarding the aims and principles underpinning CEFTA 2006.
June to November 2006
Four rounds of technical negotiations chaired by the Stability Pact and supported by the EC leading to the initialling of the amended agreement by 8 parties on 9 November in Brussels. The door was left open for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia to find the necessary solutions to them to sign the agreement alongside their SEE colleagues on 19 December.
Bucharest 19 December 2006
CEFTA Summit of all SEE Prime Ministers and the SRSG on behalf of UNMIK/Kosovo to sign the agreement to simultaneously enlarge and amend CEFTA. Commitment to ratify as soon as possible to allow agreement come into force in mid 2007.
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PA2006/024
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