On September 28, in Ohrid, under the Chairmanship of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, SEE Ministers responsible for trade and the Director of Economic Policy of the United Nations Interim Administrative Mission in Kosovo took a number of key decisions that will ensure the efficient and effective implementation of CEFTA 2006.
MEDIA ADVISORY
Date: 28 September, Ohrid, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Venue: Hotel Gorica, The Diamond Hall, 5-7 Naum Ohridski Street, Ohrid
Contact / further information:
Stability Pact's Spokesperson Mr Georgi Gotev (Tel: +32-2-401 87 25 or mobile +32-499-87 25, press@stabilitypact.org)
Ms Natasa Nikolova from the Ministry of Economy in Skopje,
Tel +389 2 3093534 or mobile +38970 323174, natasa.nikolova@economy.gov.mk
THEME OF THE MEETING
The Joint Committee of the Central Europe Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA 2006) member countries will convene in Ohrid, in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, on September 28, 2007, at the invitation of the Minister of Economy of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in her role as the Chair in Office of CEFTA 2006.
This is the first ministerial meeting under the newly enlarged and amended CEFTA, which came into effect for six of the eight Parties (Albania, Croatia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova and UNMIK/Kosovo) earlier this summer. The parliaments of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia ratified the agreement on September 24th.
Ministers of Economy/Trade from all the Parties and the Special Representative of the Secretary General, United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) on behalf of Kosovo will adopt a series of decisions to ensure the efficient and effective facilitation of this important economic agreement.
Among those invited to participate in this important regional event are Erhard Busek, Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, Hido Biščević, Appointed Secretary General of the Regional Co-operation Council, and Erwan Fouéré, Head of the EC Delegation in Skopje. The Stability Pact, the European Commission and other members of the international community have been staunch supporters of the regional trade agenda in South Eastern Europe have provided political, technical and financial support for the development of this agreement.
PROGRAMME
09:30 Chairman’s Welcome Address and Statement
HE Vera Rafajlovska;Minister of Economy;Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
09:40 Introductory Addresses
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HE Erwan Fouéré, Head of EC Delegation
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HE Erhard Busek, Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
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HE Hido Biščević, Secretary General of the Regional Co-operation Council
10:10 Statements and Review of the Results of the Experts Meeting
Heads of Delegation (in alphabetical order)
11: 30 Coffee Break
11:50 Adoption of Decisions regarding the Operation of CEFTA 2006
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Rules of Procedure for the Joint Committee
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Establishment of Sub-Committees (agriculture, customs co-operation and non-tariff barriers)
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Preparation of List of Mediators in accordance with Article 41.6
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Mandate for the CEFTA Secretariat (including tasks, staffing, financing and reporting)
12:20 Annual Meeting of the Prime Ministers of the CEFTA 2006 Parties
12:25 Chairmanship of CEFTA 2006 in 2008
12: 30 Adoption of Ministerial Statement
12:45 Closing Remarks and Signing Ceremony for Decisions Adopted
13:10 Press Conference
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. Following the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding in June 2001, they negotiated and ratified a network of 32 bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs), which improved economic and political relations between the countries. The impact on regional trade flows has been 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.
In 2005, at the request of SEE Ministers responsible for Trade, the Trade Working Group began to investigate the feasibility of developing a single free trade agreement for the region and submitted a positive report to Ministers in March 2006.
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 the enlarged and amended Central European Free Trade Agreement – CEFTA 2006:
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
After seven months of intense negotiations and last minute talks, all the countries of South Eastern Europe as well as UNMIK/Kosovo signed a new and improved Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) on 19 December in Bucharest, creating a free trade area in South Eastern Europe. This is the culmination of six years work under the auspices of the Stability Pact's Trade Working Group.
The new single FTA – known as CEFTA 2006 – is a modern trade agreement that harmonises trade rules across the region and incorporates new provisions such as trade in services, intellectual property rights, public procurement and investment promotion. Moreover, the revised text is completely in line with the rules of the World Trade Organisation and with the parties’ obligations towards the EU. Implementation of CEFTA 2006 is expected to give a significant boost to intra-regional trade and very importantly to improve the region's attractiveness as a destination for much needed foreign direct investment.
The European Commission and other partners have provided strong and substantial political, technical and financial support to this Stability Pact initiative.
26 July 2007
CEFTA 2006 came into force for five parties in South Eastern Europe - Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and UNMIK/Kosovo.
22 August 2007
CEFTA 2006 enters into force for Croatia
September 24, 2007
24 September 2007
CEFTA 2006 ratified by the Serbian Parliament and by the House of Peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina
28 September 2007
First Joint Committee Meeting of CEFTA 2006 held in Ohrid.
MA2007/018
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