European Commission, MEMO, Brussels, 23 June 2014:
On 27 June 2014 the EU will sign
Association Agreements with Georgia and the Republic of Moldova and
complete the signature process with Ukraine, each providing for a Deep
and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.
This is an important moment both
for the EU and for the countries concerned as the Agreements will
significantly deepen political and economic ties between the signatories
with a long-term perspective of closer political association and
economic integration.
1. What are the objectives and contents of the Association Agreements?
The
Association Agreements aim to deepen political and economic relations
between the EU and the other signatories and to gradually integrate
these countries in the EU's Internal Market, the largest single market
in the world. This entails creating a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade
Area (DCFTA) between the EU and each of these countries.
Following
the signature much work will remain to be done on domestic reforms. In
this area, the EU and each country will cooperate on: strengthening the
rule of law, advancing judicial reforms, fighting corruption, ensuring
respect for fundamental rights and freedoms and strengthening democratic
institutions.
Main areas of cooperation:
Core reforms:
reforms are foreseen in a number of key areas, including public
governance, justice, law enforcement, economic recovery and growth,
consumer protection and sectors such as energy, transport, environmental
protection, industrial development, social development and protection,
education, youth and culture.
Values:
the Agreement puts a strong emphasis on democracy and the rule of law,
human rights and fundamental freedoms, good governance, a
well-functioning market economy and sustainable development.
Trade:
the Agreements will offer their signatories a framework for modernising
their trade relations and for developing their economies. Opening the
markets through the progressive removal of customs tariffs and quotas,
and harmonising laws, norms and regulations in various trade-related
sectors will make this possible.
As well as contributing to
stability and the promotion of democratic values in the EU's
neighbourhood, the agreements will benefit EU businesses by opening up
new markets and providing for a more secure business environment when
investing in these three countries.
2. Signature and provisional application
The EU will sign the above three
agreements on the 27 June 2014 in the margins of the European Council
meeting in Brussels. The Association Agreements with Moldova and Georgia
will be signed in their entirety, while the signing of the Ukraine
Association Agreement concerns the chapters left after the political
ones were signed on 21 March.
The Agreements with all three
countries foresee provisional application so that an impact may be
expected to a large extent already prior to ratification by the European
Parliament and EU member states, a process that may take some time to
complete.
The Association Agreements
provide for provisional application to start on the first day of the
second month after both the EU and the respective partner countries have
fulfilled required procedures on their side. Signature and the
consequent implementation of the Association Agreements will confirm and
seal political association and economic integration with the EU, but
the greater the commitment and implementation of the Agreements, the
greater the opportunities they will offer. Earmarked for provisional
application are provisions regarding such important EU values as
democracy, human rights and the rule of law as well as the principles of
a free market economy, sustainable development and effective
multilateralism.
For Georgia and Moldova
important provisions regarding conflict prevention, crisis management
and regional stability are to be implemented.
For Ukraine there is a
provision on regional application (consistent with the non-recognition
policy of the illegal annexation of Crimea) included in the Final Act to
the Agreement....................................http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-430_en.htm?locale=en
23/6/14
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