Belarus works out proposals for enhanced EurAsEC integration
After taking over the EurAsEC presidency in October 2008, Belarus has worked out several initiative proposals aimed at enhancing integration processes in the Community, said Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky when a session of the EurAsEC Interstate Council of heads of government was opened in Moscow on December 12. Sergei Sidorsky said that President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko had sent an address to the presidents of EurAsEC states, with copies available to participants of the Interstate Council session. In his address the Belarusian head of state has outlined priorities of Belarus’ presidency in EurAsEC.
The number includes the completion of the Customs Union establishment, intensification of cooperation in power engineering and transport, implementation of interstate target programmes as well as the enhancement of EurAsEC’s role in the international community.
The address also reads that the deteriorating global crises make EurAsEC member-states unite efforts to effectively counter global challenges and threats. The modern stage of cooperation within the EurAsEC framework demands decisive measures for the sake of stepping up integration and consolidating the Community as a whole. Sergei Sidorsky asked participants of the session to back the proposals outlined by the Belarus President’s address.
“I am convinced that the active stance of the countries will allow filling EurAsEC operation with specific practical content while mutually beneficial cooperation will bring tangible results,” said Sergei Sidorsky.
Belarus has taken over the EurAsEC Interstate Council presidency on the level of the heads of government, said Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky following the session of this organization.
According to him, the session considered 23 issues, including the ones regarding the EurAsEC Customs Union formation. The session signed 15 intergovernmental agreements on the formation of the legal framework of the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan and 3 EurAsEC agreements.
Prime Ministers of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan have signed 15 intergovernmental agreements aimed to further the formation of the Customs Union legal framework.
The intergovernmental agreements are designed to unify customs regulation and trade regimes with the third countries.
Four of the documents that have been signed are agreements of direct application regarding customs and tariff regulation. They include an agreement on the terms and mechanism of tariff quotas application, a protocol of extraordinary cases of introducing customs duty rates different from the rates of the unified customs tariff, a protocol of granting tariff preferences and a protocol of a unified system of tariff preferences of the Customs Union.
The documents spell out the cases when one of the Customs Union members can introduce a higher or lower rate of import customs duties compared to that of the unified customs tariff regarding the goods coming from the third countries. The permission to introduce a lower rate can be issued in case of a substantial deficit of some products in order to meet the social or production demands of a country provided these demands can not be satisfied by the products from the other Customs Union member states. The introduction of a higher rate can be considered if it is essential for the development of individual branches of economy of the Customs Union participating countries.
The protocol of granting tariff preferences spells out the cases when the introduction of tariff preferences for the import of goods to the common customs area can be authorized only by the Customs Union Commission.
The protocol of a unified system of tariff preferences of the Customs Union defines the order of granting tariff preferences for the imports of goods to the common customs area from the developing or least developed countries the list of which is adopted by the Customs Union Commission.
According to the Belarusian Prime Minister, the participants of the session signed the documents authorizing the work of the Customs Union Commission.
Prime ministers of the EurAsEC member states have signed a number of agreements in the area of energy, investments and technical regulation, Belarusian Prime Minister told reporters.
The signed agreement on the common system of information support of the EurAsEC energy market creates the legal basis for development of the common energy market and the conduct of the common energy policy in the Commonwealth.
The agreement on stimulation and mutual protection of investments foresees the favourable conditions for investors of the EurAsEC member states.
The third agreement, which was inked on December 12, is the agreement on the EurAsEC information system in the area of technical regulation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures.
During the session of the EurAsEC Interstate Council, the heads of the governments have also approved the model agreement on adoption of technical regulations of the EurAsEC.
The EurAsEC member states will develop a plan of joint action to minimize the impact of the global financial crisis.
The agreement was reached by the heads of government of the Commonwealth, Sergei Sidorsky informed. This plan will be developed in the near future.
According to the Belarusian Prime Minister, the joint action by the EurAsEC member states was a key issues on the agenda of the session. Attending the session were the chiefs of the finance and economy ministries of all EurAsEC member states.
Sergei Sidorsky informed that President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko who was elected Chairman of the EurAsEC Interstate Council for 2009 has sent a message to the EurAsEC member states.
According to Sergei Sidorsky, the message points out the issues that require priority attention. It pertains to the development of the Customs Code and the unified customs tariff, the formation of the common energy and transportation market, development of a mechanism to implement EurAsEC decisions.
The message emphasizes the necessity to unconditionally execute the agreements that have been signed and to seize every opportunity to fulfill a major task that the EurAsEC faces – to raise the efficiency of the national economies for the benefit of the nations.