Through 12-13 April, Kyiv became the venue for the first inauguration
meeting of the Ukraine – EU Association Committee which deals with trade
issues. With this step the Committee has put in effect the institutional
mechanism of a free trade area between the two parties.
Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine/ Trade
Representative of Ukraine NataliaMykolska, as co-chair of the Committee,
represented Ukraine, while the EU was represented by Director General of the
Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission Ewa Synowiec.
During the discussion the parties considered primary results of functioning
of the free trade area with the EU. According to the recent data of the
customs, over first three months there was demonstrated an increase in exports
to the EU, primarily food products and beverages (+ 31%) and consumer goods (+
17%).
Ukrainian
exporters have exhibited growing interest in the market of the EU member
countries. Imports from the EU rose in the following commodity items: food
products and beverages (+ 6%), manufactured goods (+ 4%), capital equipment
(except transport), parts and hardware (+36%), vehicles and spare parts (+
76%), consumer goods (+11%).
The
establishment and functioning of the Trade Committee was envisaged by the
provisions of the Association Agreement (Article 465 (4)). The powers of the
Committee include addressing the issues of bilateral trade between the Parties,
as well as issues of implementation and functioning of the free trade area with
the EU.
The General structure of the Trade Committee also provides for the
operation of four special subcommittees, inter alia: on sanitary and
phytosanitary measures, customs issues and trade facilitation, indication of
origin of goods, trade and sustainable development.
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