Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe

							          CEFTA 2006
Improving Regional Trade in South
          Eastern Europe
   USAID: RCI Annual Forum
     Bucharest 1 November
      Stability Pact for SEE


   Political Framework to initiate and develop
    regional co-operation processes in SEE


   Members: SEE countries and territories and
    the international community

   3 areas of operation: democracy, economic
    development and justice and home affairs and
    security
     Regional Trade Policy


   SP Trade Working Group – SEE countries, EC,
    WTO, bilateral governments incl USA
   2001: MoU on Trade Policy and Facilitation
   2006: 32 bilateral free trade agreements
   2005: agreement to consolidate bilateral FTAs
    into a single FTA
   April 2006: SEE Prime Ministers meeting –
    enlargement and amendment of the Central
    European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)
          Status of CEFTA
             Agreement

   Four rounds of negotiation between June 2006
    and October 2006, chaired by the SP
   November 9 2006: Agreement to be initialled
   December 19 2006: Agreement to be signed at
    CEFTA Summit of Prime Ministers in
    Bucharest
   January 2007: EU Accession of Romania and
    Bulgaria
   July 2007: Entry into force – replacing bilateral
    FTAs
           Key Features of
            CEFTA 2006

   Modern, ambitious and inclusive FTA
   Liberalisation of industrial goods – 2008
   Further Liberalisation of agricultural goods
   Harmonisation of trade rules and procedures
   Reduction of Technical Barriers to Trade
   Common system of rules of origin
           Key Features of
            CEFTA 2006


   Investment Promotion
   New areas: Trade in services, intellectual
    property, government procurement
   Strengthened dispute settlement mechanism
   Strengthened institutional support framework
            Other Issues

   Non-tariff Barriers incl customs co-
    operation

   Infrastructure

   Information
     Further Information


   www.stabilitypact.org