International organizations: members. Customs Union countries: list

In 1995, the countries of the Customs Union were identified, united by economic and trade relations. These are today Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia with Kyrgyzstan and Armenia that joined them. The countries of the Customs Union formed a single territory with the abolition of all duties on products sold within these borders. There is the same customs tariff for all and the same requirements have been created regarding the regulation of trade relations with other countries.

Before 2012 and after

Uniform standards were introduced, which the countries of the Customs Union undertook to comply with, thus protecting their own markets from low-quality imported products, as well as smoothing out the roughness of the trade and economic spheres within the Union. The same 2007 agreement provides for the creation of a commission that has become a regulatory body covering all countries of the Customs Union. Her term of work ended in July 2012, and she was replaced by an even more powerful organization - the EEC, which began its activities six months before the end of the Customs Commission. The Eurasian Economic Commission has an order of magnitude more powers, ten times more people are involved in its staff.

The Customs Commission formed regulations And legal documents, which were necessarily considered and signed by all participants, that is, by three people - the chairman and two members of the commission. It should be noted that such a commonwealth plan as the Eurasian countries of the Customs Union with Russia is far from the first experience in the history of mankind. In the nineteenth century, the German Customs Union was created, later the EU Customs Union, the South African Customs Union, and so on. This is nothing more than an interstate agreement between more than two countries on the abolition of customs trade duties, one of the forms of collective protectionism.

How does this happen

Every time a customs union is created, the participating countries negotiate the creation of multi-state bodies that will coordinate and harmonize foreign trade policy. Meetings are periodically held at the level of ministers of the relevant departments, relying in their work on a permanent interstate secretariat. The Customs Union, whose member countries have interstate integration, also creates supranational bodies. This is a more advanced form of integration than, for example, simple free trade zones. The EEC, on the other hand, is a permanent regulatory supranational body of the EAEU, which was previously the less advanced Customs Union and the Common Economic Space (CES).

This modern form of a single trade and economic union was created in 2011 by the decision of three presidents - the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and Russian Federation- and sealed by an agreement dated November 18 this year. By status, this organization is a supranational governing body, and is subordinate to the SEEC (Supreme Eurasian Economic Council), and the decisions of the commission are mandatory implemented by all countries - members of the Customs Union, the EAEU and the CES. The main task for the EEC is to provide all the conditions for the development and functioning of these three formations, as well as to improve the sphere of integration within the boundaries of these associations.

Powers

All powers of the Customs Union Commission were transferred to the Eurasian Economic Commission. In addition, there are also additional functions, there are quite a lot of them. The spheres of authority are very wide, the commission deals with customs-tariff and non-tariff regulation, customs administration, and technical regulation. Compliance with sanitary, phytosanitary and veterinary standards is of global importance, and here too the EEC is covered. Countries - members of the Customs Union enjoy import customs duties, which were credited and distributed by the commission. It also establishes trade regimes in relation to foreign countries. The commission is entrusted with the duty to keep statistics of mutual and foreign trade, build macroeconomic and competitive policies, distribute agricultural and industrial subsidies.

Under the authority of the Customs Union Commission is energy policy, under its leadership, natural monopolies are created, municipal and state procurements. Each function of the EEC has the goal of flourishing mutual trade in investments and services, it controls the monetary policy. Also under its department - transportation and transport, protection of the results of individualization of services, works, goods, intellectual activity. The EEC deals with labor migration, financial markets - banking, insurance, markets valuable papers and currency. And also in the areas of her interest, there is much more, which is quite difficult to list without rewriting multi-page documents. From the main point: it is the commission that implements international treaties, forms the contractual and legal framework of the CU and the EEC. The countries of the single Customs Union, being parties to this association, make share contributions approved by the heads of state of the parties.

History and prospects

So, in 1995, the leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus signed agreements on the establishment of the Customs Union. Later they were joined by Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan. In 2000, on the basis of this organization, the Eurasian economic union. In 2007, the Customs Union Commission was established as a single acting, permanent regulatory body. This path turned out to be quite difficult for Tajikistan, and this needs to be discussed separately. Below there will be a chapter dedicated to Tajikistan and its path to the Customs Union, which this country has not yet mastered. Perhaps in 2017 he will become its sixth member.

In 2010, the Customs Code was introduced, and in 2011, the Declaration on Economic Integration and its Second Step, the CES (Common Economic Space), was adopted, which entered into force only in 2012 in the form of seventeen interstate agreements, where the legal basis was laid this organization. At the same time, the turn came to form the Eurasian Economic Commission, which replaced the Commission of the Customs Union. In January 2015, a comprehensive agreement on the Eurasian Economic Union was signed, which became the third step towards the creation of an advanced customs system on the territory of the above states. In 2016, five countries signed this treaty. Which countries are part of the New Type Customs Union? Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia.

Structure

In 2012, there were six hundred employees of the commission, in six months - eight hundred and fifty, and in 2013 - already more than a thousand. All of them are international employees. The EEC operates at two levels - the EEC Board and the EEC Council. The latter directs the activities of the commission, it has five representatives: from each participating country - the vice-premier of the national government. Meetings are held monthly. The Council includes I. I. Shuvalov from Russia, O. M. Pankratov from Kyrgyzstan, A. U. Mamin from Kazakhstan, V. S. Matyushevsky from Belarus, and V. V. Gabrielyan from Armenia. They take turns in alphabetical order. Decisions are made by consensus.

The executive body of the commission is the EEC Collegium, which carries out further integration within the borders of the CU and the CES. There are ten members, two people from each country, one of them presides. The countries that are members of the Customs Union appoint members and the Chairman of the Board for a period of four years, and extension of powers (at the level of heads of state) is also provided. Meetings are held weekly.

CU and Tajikistan

With the creation of the TC, it became possible to unite in a certain format (supranational organization) part of the space of the deceased Soviet Union. In essence, the Customs Union is the result of the manifestation of the will of the leaders of the three countries, which is aimed at removing barriers, at integration, freedom of movement of services, goods, all types of capital, including human capital, through the transparent borders of the participating countries. Logically, the union needs to expand, if not to sixteen members, but as many as possible. But from an economic point of view, this step is very risky. Regarding the entry into the CU of Tajikistan, the discussion has not ceased for many years, it is still burning. It must be said that, just like Kyrgyzstan, the Tajiks signaled their desire to join in a very contradictory way.

First, it is one of the poorest countries in Central Asia. There is no access to the sea, all around are mountains, where a civil war has lasted for five years since 1992. The entire infrastructure suffered, especially the economic one. Now the economy of this country is based on cotton production, light and textile industry. IN Lately mining began - aluminum, coal, antimony, silver and gold. Also, power plants built under the Soviet Union are still operating in the republic. But in general, the situation in the country still remains deplorable. Almost the entire able-bodied population has left Tajikistan, mostly to Russia, from where money transfers are sent to families. Of course, this country would still be accepted into the Customs Union, but before Kyrgyzstan joined the Customs Union, Tajikistan did not have common borders with the Customs Union.

Territory

The single territory of the Customs Union is the countries that are its members and all their expanses. These are the terms of the agreements that are signed by the leaders of the CU: the boundaries of individual territories within any country participating in the CU are the boundaries of the CU. Within these states, customs borders have been eliminated, customs barriers have been removed, customs duties are not applied, and mutual trade is flourishing without any administrative restrictions.

Services, goods, capital and labor force flow freely throughout the territory, the domestic legislation of each participating country is unified with the creation of supranational regulation in the field of law. All this contributes to the growth and stability of all participating national economies.

Tasks

Only the main tasks that the countries of the Customs Union perform are presented here. List:

1. Create a single customs territory within the boundaries of the participating countries.

2. Introduce the regime of the absence of non-tariff and tariff restrictions in trade, except for those cases that are stipulated in special regulations.

3. Completely abolish customs control in the participating countries on their internal borders.

5. Use the same type of mechanisms in the regulation of trade and the economy, which are based on universal market principles of management and economic legislation harmonized for this purpose.

6. Establish the work of unified bodies managing the Customs Union.

Trade relations with countries that are not members of the CU along the entire external border exist according to different rules. They apply common customs tariffs, use uniform measures of non-tariff regulation, pursue a single customs policy and apply uniform customs regimes.

Positive sides

Compared to the functions of a free trade area, the CU has many advantages provided to all economic entities in the participating countries. First of all, the costs of creating, processing, moving, transporting goods across the territories of the CU countries are reduced.

In addition, financial and time costs are reduced due to the absence of administrative restrictions. The number of customs procedures is being reduced, while goods from other countries not participating in the CU must overcome many customs barriers. With the help of the vehicle, new markets are opened more easily. Customs legislation is being simplified and unified.

prospects

Countries such as Tunisia, Syria and Turkey intended to join the Eurasian Economic Union. So far, nothing is known about the specifics of actions regarding the implementation of these desires, but it may also happen that with the entry into the number of countries of a single customs space with Russia, political tensions in these states will stabilize. In any case, much says that these intentions in these countries are being discussed and weighed. Another country that is now a potential candidate for joining the CU is Uzbekistan.

With the death of President Karimov, who clearly did not want to integrate into any of the regional organizations, policy in the state has changed. Uzbekistan is experiencing the most difficult economic situation, with little hope of improvement. TS would be extremely beneficial to him. It is worth remembering that it is from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in Russia that the largest number of migrants. There are also many from Kyrgyzstan, but they have a much more stable legal status because this country is a member of the Customs Union. The customs union is still one of the steps to strengthen ties between the states of the former USSR. Through economic ties, through economic and technological chains - to the restoration of renewed ties and new political realities.

The Customs Union is an agreement adopted by the members of the Eurasian Economic Union, the purpose of which is cancellation of customs payments in trade relations. Based on these agreements, common ways of implementing economic activity, a platform for quality assessments and certification.

This achieves abolition customs control on the borders within the Union, are general provisions regulation of economic activity for the external borders of the CU. In view of this, a common customs space is being created, using a generally accepted approach to the implementation of border controls. Another distinctive feature is the equality of citizens of the customs area during employment.

In 2018, the Customs Union consists of the next members of the EAEU:

• Republic of Armenia (since 2015);
• Republic of Belarus (since 2010);
• Republic of Kazakhstan (since 2010);
• Kyrgyz Republic (since 2015);
• Russian Federation (since 2010).

The desire to become a party to this agreement was voiced by Syria and Tunisia. In addition, it is known about the proposal to include Turkey in the CU agreement. However, no specific procedures have been adopted so far for the entry of these states into the ranks of the Union.

It is clearly seen that the functioning of the Customs Union is a good help to strengthen economic relations countries located on the territory of the former Soviet countries. It can also be said that the approach established in the agreement by the participating countries speaks of restoration of lost ties in modern conditions.

Customs duties are distributed using a single shared distribution mechanism.

Given this information, it can be stated that the Customs Union, as we know it today, serves serious tool for economic association countries that are members of the EAEU.

To understand what the activities of the Customs Union are, it will not be superfluous to get an understanding of how it was formed to its current state.

The emergence of the Customs Union was initially presented as one of the steps in the integration of the CIS countries. This was evidenced in the agreement on the establishment of an economic union, signed on September 24, 1993.

Step by step moving towards this goal, in 1995, two states (Russia and Belarus) concluded an agreement between themselves on the establishment of the Customs Union. Later, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan also entered this group.

More than 10 years later, in 2007, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia signed a pact to unite their territories into a single customs region and establish the Customs Union.

In order to specify the previously concluded agreements, from 2009 to 2010 more than 40 additional agreements were concluded. Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan decided that, starting from 2012, a Common Market due to the unification of countries into a single economic space.

On July 1, 2010, another important agreement was concluded, which launched the work of the Customs Code.

On July 1, 2011, the current customs control at the borders between the countries was canceled and general rules on the borders with states that are not in agreement. Until 2013, uniform legislative norms for the parties to the agreement are being formed.

2014 - The Republic of Armenia is a member of the Customs Union. 2015 - The Republic of Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Customs Union.

On January 1, 2018, a new unified Customs Code of the EAEU. It was created to automate and simplify a number of customs processes.

Territory and administration

The unification of the borders of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan has become the basis for the emergence of the Common Customs Space. This is how the territory of the Customs Union was formed. In addition, it includes certain territories or objects under the jurisdiction of the parties to the agreement.

The limit of the territory is the border of the Customs Union with third-party states. Moreover, the existence of a border near certain territories that are under the jurisdiction of the Member States of the Union is normatively fixed.

The Eurasian Economic Union is managed and coordinated by two bodies:

1. Interstate Council- the supreme body of a supranational nature, consists of heads of state and head of government of the Customs Union.
2. Commission of the Customs Union- an agency that deals with issues related to the formation of customs regulations and regulates foreign trade policy.

Directions and conditions

By creating the Customs Union, the countries proclaimed main goal social and economic progress. In the future, this implies an increase in trade and services that are produced by economic entities.

The increase in sales was originally expected directly in the space of the vehicle itself due to following conditions:

1. The abolition of customs procedures within the Union, which was supposed to make products manufactured within the framework of a single space more attractive, due to.
2. Increasing trade through the abolition of customs control at internal borders.
3. Adoption of uniform requirements and integration of security standards.

Achievement of goals and perspectives

Having collected the available information about the emergence and activities of the Customs Union, we can conclude that the results of increasing the turnover of goods and services are published much less frequently than let's say the news about the signing of new agreements, i.e. its declarative part.

But, nevertheless, analyzing the stated goals during the creation of the CU, as well as observing their implementation, one cannot remain silent that the simplification of trade has been achieved, the competitive conditions for economic entities of the CU states have been improved.

It follows from this that the Customs Union is on the way to achieving its goals, however, in addition to time, this requires the mutual interest of both the states themselves and economic elements within the Union.

The customs union is made up of countries that have the same economic past, but today these states are very different from each other. Of course, and in Soviet time The republics differed in their specialization, but after gaining independence, there were still a lot of changes that affect the world market and the division of labor.

However, there are also common interests. For example, many participating countries remain dependent on the Russian market. This trend is economic and geopolitical in nature.

All through the time leading positions in the process of integration and stabilization of the EAEU and the Customs Union played the Russian Federation. This was made possible thanks to her stable economic growth until 2014, when commodity prices remained high, helping to finance the processes triggered by the agreements.

Although such a policy did not predict rapid economic growth, it nevertheless assumed the strengthening of Russia's position on the world stage.

The history of relations between the parties to the agreements is similar to a series of compromises that were built on the basis of the role of Russia and the positions of the partner countries. For example, there were repeated statements from Belarus about its priorities: a common economic space with the same prices for oil and gas, admission to public procurement of the Russian Federation.

To achieve these goals, the Republic went to increase tariffs on imported cars in the absence of its own production. Because of these measures, it was necessary to establish rules for certification of light industry goods which hurt the retail industry.

In addition, the standards adopted at the CU level were unified with the WTO model, despite the fact that Belarus is not a member of this organization, unlike Russia. Enterprises of the Republic have not received access to Russia's programs for import substitution.

All this served as obstacles for Belarus on the way to achieve its goals in full.

It should not be overlooked that the signed CU agreements contain various exceptions, clarifications, anti-dumping and countervailing measures that have become an obstacle to achieving common benefits and equal conditions for all countries. IN different time in fact, each party to the agreement expressed disagreement with the terms of the agreements.

Although customs posts at the borders between the parties to the agreement were eliminated, preserved border zones between countries. Sanitary control at internal borders also continued. The absence of trusting relationships in the practice of interaction was revealed. An example of this is the disagreements that flare up from time to time between Russia and Belarus.

To date, it cannot be said that the goals that were declared in the agreement on the creation of the CU have been achieved. This can be seen from the decrease in the turnover of goods within the customs area. There are also no benefits for economic development, when compared with the time before the signing of agreements.

But there are still signs that in the absence of an agreement, the situation would worsen more rapidly. The manifestation of the crisis would have had a larger and deeper character. A significant number of enterprises gain relative benefits by participating in trade relations within the Customs Union.

Distribution methods customs duties among countries, they also talk about favorable trends for the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan. Initially, a large share in the budget of the Russian Federation was supposed.

The agreements signed by the parties benefited the production of cars. Duty-free sale of cars assembled by manufacturers of participating countries has become available. In this way, conditions have been created for the implementation of projects who previously could not be successful.

What is a Customs Union? Details are on the video.

06.11.2018

Customs Union (CU)- an interstate agreement within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The Customs Union assumes the abolition of customs duties and similar payments in mutual trade between the member countries of the union. In addition, the Customs Union is unifying methods for assessing quality and certification, creating a single database on certain aspects of economic activity.

The conclusion of the Union is the basis for the creation of a single customs space on the territory of its participants and the transfer of customs barriers to the external borders of the Union. Based on this, all countries of the customs area apply a single, coordinated approach to customs procedures and goods imported and exported across the borders of the CU.

Also, throughout the territory of the Customs Union, equal rights are assumed for citizens of the participating countries in employment.

Members of the Customs Union at present (2016) are members of the EAEU:

• Republic of Armenia;
• Republic of Belarus;
• The Republic of Kazakhstan;
• Republic of Kyrgyzstan;
• The Russian Federation.

Syria and Tunisia announced their intention to join the CU, and a proposal was made to admit Turkey to the Union. However, nothing is known about specific actions to implement these intentions.

The governing and coordination bodies in the EAEU are:

• The Supreme Eurasian Economic Council is a supranational body consisting of the heads of states of the EAEU members;
• The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) is a permanent regulatory body of the EAEU. The competence of the EEC includes, among other things, issues of international trade and customs regulation.

It would be fair to say that the Customs Union is one of the stages of the plan to strengthen economic ties between some states on the territory of the former USSR. In a certain sense, this can be seen as the restoration of once existing economic and technological chains, taking into account new, political and economic realities.

An important aspect of the Union's activity was the system of centralized distribution of customs duties paid when crossing the borders of the Common Economic Space.

• Russia accounts for 85.33% of the total;
• Kazakhstan receives - 7.11%;
• Belarus - 4.55%;
• Kyrgyzstan - 1.9%;
• Armenia - 1.11%.

In addition, the CU has a mechanism for the coordinated collection and distribution of indirect taxes.

Thus, in its current state, the Customs Union is a way of economic integration of the states that are members of the EAEU.

Official information about the Customs Union can be obtained from the website of the Eurasian Economic Union - eurasiancommission.org.

The history of the creation of the vehicle

For a better understanding of the prerequisites and goals for the creation of the Customs Union, it would be useful to consider the evolution of integration processes in the post-Soviet space:

• 1995 - Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia sign the first agreement on the establishment of the Customs Union. Subsequently, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan join the agreement;
• 2007 - Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia conclude an agreement on a single customs territory and the construction of the Customs Union;
• 2009 - previously concluded agreements are filled with concrete content, about 40 international treaties are signed. A decision is made to form from January 1, 2010 a single customs area on the territory of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan;
• 2010 - the Common Customs Tariff comes into force, the Common Customs Code for the three states is adopted;
• 2011 - customs control is removed from the borders between the CU states and transferred to their external borders with third countries;
• 2011 - 2013 - the development and adoption of legislative norms common for the countries of the Union continues, the first unified technical regulation on product safety;
• 2015 - Armenia and Kyrgyzstan join the Customs Union.
• 2016 - Entry into force of the Agreement on a free trade zone between the EAEU and Vietnam. Statement of the Presidents of the EAEU countries "On the Digital Agenda of the Eurasian Economic Union".
• 2017 - "White Paper" of barriers, exemptions and restrictions. Signing and ratification of the Treaty on the Customs Code of the EAEU.
• 2018 - Entry into force of the Treaty on the Customs Code of the EAEU. Granting the Republic of Moldova the status of an observer country to the EAEU. Signing of the Agreement on trade and economic cooperation between the EAEU and the PRC. Signing of an Interim Agreement leading to the creation of a free trade zone between the EAEU and Iran.

It must be said that the integration processes, with different speed and results, constantly went the entire described period. Legislation and customs tariffs in trade with third countries were gradually brought to general norms.

Goals of the Customs Union and their implementation

The immediate goal of the Customs Union was to increase the markets for goods and services produced by its members. The calculation was made, first of all, on the growth of sales within the Common Customs Space of the Union. This was supposed to be achieved by:

• Cancellation of internal customs payments, which should contribute to the price attractiveness of products manufactured in the Union;
• Acceleration of the turnover of goods in connection with the abolition of customs control and clearance when they are moved within the CU;
• Adoption of general sanitary-epidemiological and veterinary requirements, common standards for the safety of goods and services, mutual recognition of test results.

To unify approaches to quality and safety, an interstate agreement was concluded on mandatory certification of products specified in the "Unified list of products subject to mandatory assessment (confirmation) of conformity within the framework of the Customs Union with the issuance of single documents." For 2016, more than three dozen regulations on the requirements for the safety and quality of goods, works and services have been agreed. Certificates issued by any state are valid in all others.

The next goal of the Customs Union should be called the joint protection of the internal market of the Customs Union, the creation of favorable conditions for the production and sale, first of all, of the domestic products of the member countries of the Union. At this point, the program of mutual understanding between the states turned out to be somewhat less than in matters of mutual trade. Each country had its own priorities in the development of production, while protecting the interests of neighbors sometimes had a bad effect on importing enterprises and the population.

Contradictions in the TC

The customs union united states with a common past, including economic, but different present, primarily economic. Each of the former Soviet republics had its own specialization even during the Soviet period, and during the years of independence there were many other changes related to attempts to find their place in the world market and in the regional division of labor. Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, states equally distant geographically and in structure, have few mutual interests. But there are similar interests. Since the Soviet times, the economic structure of both countries has been built in such a way that it needs Russian market sales. The situation in Kazakhstan and Armenia is somewhat different, but for them, too, ties with Russia are extremely important, largely for geopolitical reasons.

At the same time, the Russian economy, until the end of 2014, successfully grew due to high, gas and other raw materials. What gave the Russian Federation financial opportunities to finance integration processes. This course of action may not have promised immediate economic benefits, but it did suggest Russia's growing influence on the world stage. Thus, the real locomotive of the processes of Eurasian unification in general and the Customs Union in particular has always been the Russian Federation.

The history of the integration processes of the last decades looks like a series of compromises between the influence of Russia and the interests of its neighbors. For example, Belarus has repeatedly stated that it is not the Customs Union itself that is important to it, but a single economic space with equal prices for oil and gas and the admission of enterprises of the Republic to Russian public procurement. For the sake of this, Belarus agreed to increase tariffs for the import of passenger cars in 2010-2011, without own production similar products. Such a “sacrifice” also became the reason for the announcement of mandatory certification of light industry goods, which hit hard on retail trade. In addition, the internal standards of the Customs Union had to be brought into line with the norms, although Russia is a member of this organization (and uses the appropriate opportunities in international trade), but Belarus is not.

So far, the Republic of Belarus has not received the desired benefits in full, because. questions about equal with domestic prices for energy carriers are postponed until 2025. Also, Belarusian enterprises did not receive opportunities to participate in the Russian import substitution program.

It should be noted that the Customs Union agreements have many exceptions and clarifications, anti-dumping, protective and countervailing measures that do not allow talking about a common benefit and equal conditions for all members of the organization. Practically each of the CU states at certain moments expressed its dissatisfaction with the contractual terms.

Despite the elimination customs posts within the Union, border controls between states are maintained. Also, checks by services continue at internal borders. sanitary control. The practice of their work demonstrates neither mutual trust nor the announced unity of approaches. An example of this is the “food wars” that periodically arise between Russia and Belarus. Their usual scenario begins with the non-recognition of the quality of products certified by the Belarusian side and leads to a ban on deliveries to Russian consumers "until the defects are eliminated."

Advantages of the Customs Union

At the moment (2016), it is impossible to talk about the achievement of the goals declared at the conclusion of the Customs Union, the internal trade turnover between the CU participants is falling. There are also no special advantages for the economy compared to the period before the conclusion of the agreements.

At the same time, there are reasons to believe that without the agreement on the Customs Union, the situation would look even more depressing. Crisis phenomena in each individual economy could have a greater scale and depth. Presence in the Customs Union gives many enterprises comparative advantage in the domestic market.

The shared distribution of customs duties between the CU states also looks favorable for Belarus and Kazakhstan (initially, the Russian Federation claimed to transfer 93% of the total to its own).

The agreements in force in the Customs Union make it possible to sell duty-free cars produced on the territory of the Union in the industrial assembly mode. Thanks to this, Belarus received foreign investment in the construction of enterprises for the production of passenger cars. Until that time, such projects were not successful due to the small volume of the Belarusian sales market proper.

The practice of applying customs agreements

Studying the published information about the creation and functioning of the Customs Union, it is easy to see that the declarative part, i.e. ratified interstate agreements and general documents are mentioned much more often than specific figures for increasing trade turnover.

But the Union should obviously not be treated as a PR campaign. There is a noticeable simplification of the movement of goods, a decrease in the number of administrative procedures, and some improvement in competitive conditions among enterprises of the CU member countries. Probably, it takes time and mutual interest not only of state institutions, but also of economic entities within the CU to fill the agreed unified rules with economic content.

In Astana (Kazakhstan) by the presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Entered into force on January 1, 2015.

The Eurasian Economic Union was created on the basis of the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus and the Common Economic Space as an international organization for regional economic integration with international legal personality.

Within the framework of the Union, freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and work force, conducting a coordinated, coordinated or unified policy in key sectors of the economy.

The idea of ​​creating the EAEU was laid down in the Declaration on Eurasian Economic Integration adopted by the presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan on November 18, 2011. It fixed the goals of Eurasian economic integration for the future, including proclaiming the task of creating the Eurasian Economic Union by January 1, 2015.

The creation of the EAEU means a transition to the next stage of integration after the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space.

The main goals of the Union are:

— creation of conditions for the stable development of the economies of the Member States in the interests of raising the living standards of their population;

- the desire to form a single market for goods, services, capital and labor resources within the Union;

— comprehensive modernization, cooperation and increasing the competitiveness of national economies in the global economy.

The supreme body of the EAEU is the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (SEEC), which includes the heads of member states. The SEEC considers the fundamental issues of the Union's activities, determines the strategy, directions and prospects for the development of integration and makes decisions aimed at realizing the goals of the Union. Meetings of the Supreme Council are held at least once a year. Extraordinary meetings of the Supreme Council may be convened on the initiative of any of the Member States or the Chairman of the Supreme Council to resolve urgent issues of the Union's activities.

Implementation and control over the execution of the EAEU Treaty, international treaties within the Union and decisions of the Supreme Council are ensured by the Intergovernmental Council (EMC), consisting of the heads of government of the Member States. Meetings of the Intergovernmental Council are held as needed, but at least twice a year.

The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) is a permanent supranational regulatory body of the Union headquartered in Moscow. The main tasks of the Commission are to ensure the conditions for the functioning and development of the Union, as well as the development of proposals in the field of economic integration within the Union.

The Court of the Union is the judicial body of the Union, which ensures the application by the Member States and bodies of the Union of the Treaty on the EAEU and other international treaties within the Union.

Financing of the activities of the Union's bodies is carried out at the expense of the Union's budget, which is formed in Russian rubles at the expense of the share contributions of the Member States.

Chairmanship in the SEEC, EMC and the EEC Council (the level of vice-premiers) in the order of the Russian alphabet by one member state for one calendar year without the right to renew.

In 2017, Kyrgyzstan presides over these bodies.

The Union is open to entry by any state that shares its goals and principles, on terms agreed by the member states. There is also a procedure for secession from the Union.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Among the largest modern international associations— Eurasian Formally, it was established in 2014, but by the time the agreement on its creation was signed, the EAEU member states already had considerable experience of interaction in the mode of active economic integration. What are the specifics of the EAEU? What is it - economic or political association?

General information about the organization

Let's start the study of the question posed by considering the key facts about the relevant organization. What are the most noteworthy facts about the EAEU? What is this structure?

The Eurasian Economic Union, or EAEU, is an association within the framework of international economic cooperation of several states of the Eurasian region - Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Armenia. Other countries are expected to join this association, since the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is an open structure. The main thing is that candidates for joining the association share the goals of this organization and show readiness to fulfill the obligations stipulated by the relevant agreements. The creation of the structure was preceded by the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Community, as well as the Customs Union (which continues to function as one of the structures of the EAEU).

How did the idea of ​​forming the EAEU come about?

As evidenced by a number of sources, the state that was the first to initiate the processes of economic integration in the post-Soviet space, which grew into the establishment of the EAEU, is Kazakhstan. Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed the relevant idea at a speech at Moscow State University in 1994. Subsequently, the concept was supported by other former Soviet republics - Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.

The main advantage of being a member of the Eurasian Economic Union is freedom economic activity entities registered in it on the territory of all member countries of the union. It is expected that on the basis of the institutions of the EAEU a single trading space will soon be formed, characterized by common standards and norms for doing business.

Is there a place for political interaction?

So, what is the EAEU, an exclusively economic structure, or an association, which, perhaps, will be characterized by a political component of integration? At the moment and in the near future, as various sources testify, it would be more correct to speak of the first interpretation of the essence of the association. That is, the political aspect is excluded. Countries will integrate in pursuit of economic interests.

There is evidence of initiatives regarding the creation of some supranational parliamentary structures within the framework of the EAEU. But the Republic of Belarus and Kazakhstan, as evidenced by a number of sources, do not consider the possibility of their participation in building their respective countries. They want to maintain full sovereignty, agreeing only to economic integration.

At the same time, for many experts and ordinary people it is obvious how close the political relations of the countries that are members of the EAEU are. The composition of this structure is formed by the closest allies who do not have publicly expressed fundamental disagreements about the difficult situation on the world stage. This allows some analysts to conclude that economic integration within the association under consideration would be very difficult if there were significant political differences between the member countries of the association.

History of the EAEU

A better understanding of the specifics of the EAEU (what kind of organization it is) will help us to study some facts from the history of the association. In 1995, the heads of several states - Belarus, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, a little later - Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, formalized agreements establishing the Customs Union. On their basis, the Eurasian Economic Community, or EurAsEC, was established in 2000. In 2010, a new association appeared - the Customs Union. In 2012, the Common Economic Space was opened - first with the participation of the states that are members of the CU, then - Armenia and Kyrgyzstan joined the structure.

In 2014, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus signed an agreement on the creation of the EAEU. Later, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan joined it. The provisions of the relevant document came into force in 2015. The Customs Union of the EAEU continues, as we noted above, to function. It includes the same countries as the EAEU.

progressive development

Thus, the member states of the EAEU - the Republic of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan - began to interact long before the corresponding association was established in modern form. According to some analysts, the Eurasian Economic Union is an example international organization with the progressive, systematic development of integration processes, which can predetermine the significant stability of the corresponding structure.

Stages of development of the EAEU

Several stages of development of the Eurasian Economic Union have been identified. The first is the establishment of a free trade zone, the development of norms according to which trade between the EAEU member countries can be carried out without duties. At the same time, each state retains independence in terms of conducting trade with third countries.

The next stage in the development of the EAEU is the formation of the Customs Union, which implies the formation of an economic space within which the movement of goods will be carried out without hindrance. At the same time, the rules of foreign trade common to all countries participating in the association should also be determined.

The most important stage in the development of the union is the formation of a single market. It is expected that it will be created within the framework of which it will be possible to freely exchange not only goods, but also services, capital and personnel - between the member states of the association.

The next stage is the formation of an economic union, the participants of which will be able to coordinate the priorities of the implementation of economic policy among themselves.

After the listed tasks are solved, it remains to achieve full economic integration of the states included in the association. This implies the creation of a supranational structure that will determine priorities in building economic and social policy in all countries that are members of the union.

Advantages of the EAEU

Let's take a closer look at the key benefits that members of the EAEU receive. We noted above that among the key ones is the freedom of economic activity of economic entities that are registered in any state of the union throughout the territory of the EAEU. But this is far from the only advantage of the entry of the state into the organization we are studying.

Members of the EAEU will have the opportunity to:

enjoy the benefits low prices for many goods, as well as reducing the costs associated with the transportation of goods;

Develop markets more dynamically by increasing competition;

Increase labor productivity;

To increase the volume of the economy due to the growth in demand for manufactured goods;

Provide employment for citizens.

Prospects for GDP Growth

Even for such economically powerful players as Russia, the EAEU - the most important factor economic growth. Russia's GDP, according to some economists, can, thanks to the country's entry into the association under consideration, receive a very powerful growth stimulus. Other EAEU member countries — Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus — can achieve impressive GDP growth rates.

Social aspect of integration

Apart from the positive economic effect, the EAEU member countries are expected to integrate into social aspect. International business activities, according to many experts, will help establish partnerships and stimulate the strengthening of friendship between nations. Integration processes are facilitated by the common Soviet past of the peoples living in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. The cultural and, which is very important, the linguistic proximity of the EAEU states is obvious. The composition of the organization is formed by countries in which the Russian language is familiar to most of the population. Thus, many factors can contribute to the successful solution of the tasks facing the heads of state of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Supranational structures

The Treaty on the EAEU has been signed, it is up to its implementation. Among the most important tasks in the framework of the development of the Eurasian Economic Union is the creation of a number of supranational institutions whose activities will be aimed at promoting integration economic processes. According to a number of public sources, the formation of some basic institutions of the EAEU is expected. What structures can these be?

First of all, these are various commissions:

Economics;

By raw materials(it will be engaged in setting prices, as well as quotas for goods and fuel, coordinating the policy in the sphere of circulation of precious metals);

For interstate financial and industrial associations and enterprises;

By entering the currency for settlements;

On environmental issues.

It is also planned to create a special Fund, the competence of which is cooperation in the most different areas: in the economy, in the development of science and technology. It is assumed that this organization will deal with the financing of various studies, help the participants in cooperation in solving a wide range of issues - legal, financial or, for example, environmental.

Other major supranational structures of the EAEU that are planned to be created are the International investment bank, as well as arbitration of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Among the successfully created associations that are part of the management structure of the EAEU, we will study the features of its activities in more detail.

Eurasian Economic Commission

It can be noted that the EEC was established in 2011, that is, even before the agreement on the creation of the EAEU was signed. It was founded by Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. Initially, this organization was created to manage processes at the level of such a structure as the Customs Union. The EAEU is a structure in the development of which the Commission is called upon to directly participate now.

The EEC has established a council and a collegium. The first structure should include deputy heads of governments of the member states of the association. The collegium should consist of three people from the member countries of the EAEU. The Commission provides for the creation of separate departments.

The Eurasian Economic Commission is the most important, but not the most important, supranational governing body of the EAEU. It is subordinate to the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. Consider the key facts about him.

This structure, like the Eurasian Economic Commission, was created a few years before the states signed the agreement on the creation of the EAEU. Thus, for a long time it was considered a supranational body in the structure of the Customs Union, as well as the Common Economic Space. The Council is formed by the heads of the EAEU member states. At least once a year, it must meet at the highest level. The heads of government of the participating countries of the association must meet at least 2 times a year. A feature of the functioning of the Council is that decisions are made in the format of consensus. Approved Provisions are mandatory for implementation in the EAEU member countries.

Prospects for the EAEU

How do analysts assess the prospects for the development of the EAEU? Above, we noted that some experts believe that along with economic integration, the political rapprochement of the member states of the association is inevitable. There are experts who share this point of view. There are experts who completely disagree with her. The main argument of those analysts who see the prospects for the politicization of the EAEU is that Russia, as the leading economic player in the association, will in one way or another influence the decisions made by the authorities of the EAEU member states. Opponents of this point of view believe that, on the contrary, it is not in the interests of the Russian Federation to show excessive interest in the politicization of the corresponding international association.

Provided that a balance is maintained between the economic and political components in the EAEU, the prospects for the union, based on a number of objective indicators, are assessed by many analysts as very positive. Thus, the total GDP of the member states of the structure under consideration will be comparable with the indicators of the world's leading economies. Taking into account the scientific and resource potential of the EAEU, the volume of economic systems of the member countries of the union can grow significantly in the future.

Worldwide collaboration

According to a number of analysts, the prospects for cooperation with the EAEU are attractive for countries that seem to be far from the economic space formed by the countries that signed the EAEU treaty - Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Armenia. For example, Vietnam recently signed a free trade agreement with the EAEU.

Syria and Egypt show interest in cooperation. This gives analysts a reason to say that the Eurasian Economic Union can become the most powerful player in the world market.