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Presentation on Central european free trade organization
1.
2. WHAT IS IT?
A TRADE AGREEMENT (ALSO KNOWN AS TRADEPACT)IS A WIDE
RANGING TAX, TARIFF AND TRADE TREATY THAT OFTEN INCLUDES
INVESTMENT GUARANTEES. THE MOST COMMON TRADE AGREEMENTS
ARE OF THE PREFERENTIAL AND FREE TRADE TYPES ARE CONCLUDED IN
ORDER TO REDUCE (OR ELIMINATE) TARIFFS, QUOTAS AND OTHER TRADE
RESTRICTIONS ON ITEMS TRADED BETWEEN THE SIGNATORIES.
THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (CEFTA) IS A TRADE
AGREEMENT BETWEEN NON-EU COUNTRIES IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE.
3. HISTORY
• THE ORIGINAL CEFTA AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BY THE VISEGRÁD GROUP COUNTRIES, THAT IS BY
POLAND, HUNGARY AND CZECH AND SLOVAK REPUBLICSON 21 DECEMBER 1992 IN KRAKÓW, POLAND. IT
CAME INTO FORCE IN JULY 1994. THROUGH CEFTA, PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES HOPED TO MOBILIZE
EFFORTS TO INTEGRATE INTO WESTERN EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS AND THROUGH THIS, TO JOIN
EUROPEAN POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SECURITY AND LEGAL SYSTEMS, THEREBY CONSOLIDATING
DEMOCRACY AND FREE-MARKET ECONOMICS.
4. 2006 AGREEMENT
• ALL OF THE PARTIES OF THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT HAD NOW JOINED THE EU AND THUS LEFT CEFTA. THEREFORE
IT WAS DECIDED TO EXTEND CEFTA TO COVER THE REST OF THE BALKAN STATES.
• ON 6 APRIL 2006, AT THE SOUTH EAST EUROPE PRIME MINISTERS SUMMIT IN BUCHAREST, A JOINT
DECLARATION ON EXPANSION OF CEFTA TO ALBANIA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, MOLDOVA, SERBIA,
MONTENEGRO AND UNMIK ON BEHALF OF KOSOVO WAS ADOPTED.
• THE NEW ENLARGED AGREEMENT WAS INITIALLED ON 9 NOVEMBER 2006 IN BRUSSELS AND WAS SIGNED ON
19 DECEMBER 2006 AT THE SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN PRIME MINISTERS SUMMIT IN BUCHAREST.
• THE AIM OF THE AGREEMENT WAS TO ESTABLISH A FREE TRADE ZONE IN THE REGION BY 31 DECEMBER 2010.
5. MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA
•World Trade Organization membership or commitment to respect all WTO regulations
•Any European Union Association Agreement
•Free Trade Agreements with the current CEFTA member states
7. OBJECTIVES
SERVICES: A PROGRESSIVE LIBERALISATION AND MUTUAL OPENING OF THE SERVICES
MARKET.
INVESTMENT:ENSURING STABLE AND EQUITABLE TREATMENT OF INVESTORS AND
COMPLEMENTING THE TRADE LIBERALISATION GAINS WITH INVESTMENT
OPPORTUNITIES.
GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT:A PROGRESSIVE AND EFFECTIVE OPENING OF THE
GOVERNMENTS’ PROCUREMENT MARKETS BY MAY 2010.
PROTECTIONOF INTELLECTUALPROPERTY:ENSURE ADEQUATE AND EFFECTIVE
PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL
STANDARDS, IN PARTICULAR WITH TRIPS.