Countries included in the Eurasian Economic Union. Customs Union of the Eurasian Economic Union (nuances)

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

: Armenia (since January 2, 2015), Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (since August 12, 2015) and Russia.

Population EAEU countries as of January 1, 2016 - 182.7 million people (2.5% of the world population). The gross domestic product in the EAEU countries in 2014 amounted to $2.2 trillion (3.2% in the structure of world GDP). Volume industrial production reached $1.3 trillion (3.7% of global industrial production). The volume of foreign trade in goods of the EAEU with third countries in 2014 amounted to $877.6 billion (3.7% of world exports, 2.3% of world imports).

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

Within the framework of the Union, freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and labor is ensured, as well as the implementation of 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 sets out the goals of Eurasian economic integration for the future, including the declared 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:

— creating conditions for the stable development of the economies of the member states in the interests of increasing standard of living their population;

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

— comprehensive modernization, cooperation and increased competitiveness national economies in a global economy.

The highest body of the EAEU is the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (SEEC), which includes the heads of member states. SEES is considering fundamental issues activities of the Union, 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. To resolve urgent issues of the Union's activities, extraordinary meetings of the Supreme Council may be convened at the initiative of any of the member states or the chairman of the Supreme Council.

Implementation and control over the execution of the EAEU Treaty, international treaties within the framework of the Union and the decisions of the Supreme Council, it is ensured by the Intergovernmental Council (EGC), consisting of the heads of government of the member states. Meetings of the Intergovernmental Council are held as necessary, but at least twice a year.

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

The Union Court is a judicial body of the Union that ensures the application by member states and bodies of the Union of the Treaty on the EAEU and other international treaties within the Union.

The chairmanship of the SEEC, EMU and the EEC Council (the level of vice-premiers) is carried out on a rotational basis in the order of the Russian alphabet by one member state for one calendar year without the right of extension.

In 2016, Kazakhstan presides over these bodies.

The Union is open to entry by any state that shares its goals and principles, under conditions agreed upon by the member states. There is also a procedure for leaving the Union.

The activities of the Union's bodies are financed from the Union's budget, which is formed in Russian rubles through the share contributions of the Member States.

The EAEU budget for 2016 is 7,734,627.0 thousand rubles.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Legal basis of the EAEU

Basic provisions. Article 1.

1. ... The Eurasian Economic Union (hereinafter referred to as the Union, EAEU), within the framework of which the freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and labor is ensured, the implementation of a coordinated, agreed or unified policy in the sectors of the economy defined by this Treaty and international treaties within the Union.
2. The Union is an international organization for regional economic integration with international legal personality.

Goals of the Union. Article 4.

The main goals of the Union are:

• creating conditions for the stable development of the economies of the member states in the interests of improving 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.

Fundamental principles and norms of functioning of the EAEU. Article 3.

• respect for generally accepted principles international law, including the principles of sovereign equality of member states and their territorial integrity;
• respect for the peculiarities of the political structure of the member states;
• ensuring mutually beneficial cooperation, equality and consideration national interests Parties;
• compliance with the principles of a market economy and fair competition;
• functioning of the customs union without exceptions and restrictions after the end of the transition periods.

The principle of most favored nation treatment in trade- an economic and legal term meaning the establishment in international treaties and agreements of provisions under which each of the contracting parties undertakes to provide the other party, its individuals and legal entities with no less favorable conditions in the field of economic, trade and other relations that it provides or will provide in in the future to any third state, its individuals or legal entities.

The above principle is enshrined in the provisions of Article 1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 1947 - the fundamental document of the World Trade Organization, the norms and principles of operation of which are taken into account when applying the provisions of the Treaty on the EAEU (preamble to the Treaty on the EAEU).

The principle of free movement of capital, goods, services and labor, providing for the possibility of subjects economic relations carry out their activities without hindrance within the Common Economic Space, and therefore the absence of restrictions at the national level

History of the EAEU

Stage of “institutional integration”

The coming to power of Vladimir Putin in the Russian Federation and a certain stabilization of the socio-economic situation in key countries of the Eurasian Community in the early 2000s allowed the leaders of these countries to embark on more serious approaches to integration. During this period, the most important integration structures were established - EurAsEC and CSTO, which, however, for a long time have not yet realized their full potential, which is why it can be called the stage of “institutional integration”.

In 2000, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan established the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) in order to increase the efficiency of interaction, develop integration processes and deepen cooperation in various fields. In 2006, Uzbekistan joined the Community. The priorities of the new international organization were to increase the efficiency of interaction and develop integration.

In 2003, the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine, based on the concept of multi-level integration, within the CIS, concluded an Agreement on the formation of a Common Economic Space in order to create conditions for the stable and effective development of the economies of states and improving the living standards of their populations.

In August 2006, at an informal summit of the heads of state members of the Eurasian Economic Community in Sochi, a decision was made to intensify work on the formation of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia with the further possible accession of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to it.

Based on the agreements reached at the summit, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia in October 2007 signed an Agreement on the creation of a single customs territory and the formation of a Customs Union.

"Actual integration" stage

However, only the onset of the financial and economic crisis, which broke out in 2008 around the world, stimulated the search for new models for minimizing economic risks and sustainable development and finally determined the intensification of regional integration processes.

In June 2009, the highest body of the Customs Union determined the stages and timing of the formation of a single customs territory of the Customs Union (CU), designating January 1, 2010 as the beginning of the first stage of its formation.

By January 1, 2012, the legal framework of the SES was formed - a market with 170 million consumers, unified legislation, free movement of goods, services, capital and labor. The SES is based on coordinated actions in key areas of economic regulation: macroeconomics, competition, industrial and agricultural subsidies, transport, energy, and natural monopoly tariffs. For the population and business community, the benefits from the SES are obvious. Entrepreneurs have equal access to the common market of the three countries, can freely choose where to register their companies and conduct business, sell goods without unnecessary restrictions in any of the SES member states, have access to transport infrastructure, etc. Creation and phased debugging the mechanisms of the single market is an important part of the plans of the CU and CES member states for the transition from a resource-based economy to an innovative one.

On February 2, 2012, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) began work - for the first time in the twenty-year history of the Eurasian integration process, a permanent supranational regulatory body was created with real powers in a number of key areas of the economy. The EEC provides the conditions for the functioning and development of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space, and the development of proposals for the further development of integration.

2013 became one of the most significant periods in the improvement and development of Eurasian integration processes. In particular, work continued to ensure the accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Eurasian integration project, which began with a decision of the Interstate Council of the EurAsEC adopted back in 2011.

In May 2013, a Memorandum on deepening interaction between the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Kyrgyz Republic was signed. The purpose of concluding the Memorandum is to maintain and develop cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect, deepening the interaction of the Kyrgyz Republic with the member states of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space in various spheres of the economy.

On September 3, 2013, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan announced his country’s intention to join the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space and integrate further by participating in the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union. At the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on October 24, 2013 in Minsk, the Presidents of the participating countries considered the appeal of the Republic of Armenia and instructed the EEC to begin work on accession. The EEC Working Group created for this purpose developed a corresponding “road map”.

On December 24, 2013, the “road map” for the accession of the Republic of Armenia to the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space was approved at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the level of heads of state. The heads of state of the “customs troika” and Armenia adopted the Statement “On the participation of the Republic of Armenia in the Eurasian integration process,” which welcomed the intention of the Republic of Armenia to join the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space and subsequently become a full member of the Eurasian Economic Union.

In 2013–2014, the Eurasian Economic Commission and the authorized bodies of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, on instructions from the Presidents of their countries, actively prepared the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). With its adoption, the codification of international treaties constituting the regulatory legal framework of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space was completed.

During this period, 5 rounds of negotiations took place to finalize the draft Treaty, in which more than 700 experts from member states and the EEC took part. The final document, numbering more than 1000 pages, consists of 4 parts (including 28 sections, 118 articles) and 33 annexes.

On May 29, 2014, in Astana, during a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, Presidents Alexander Lukashenko, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Vladimir Putin signed the Treaty on the Establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union. Many politicians and experts called this project the most ambitious and at the same time the most realistic, based on calculated economic advantages and mutual benefits. Wide opportunities are opening up for the business community of the participating states: the Treaty gives the green light to the formation of new dynamic markets with uniform standards and requirements for goods, services, capital, and labor.

On October 10, 2014, the Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Armenia to the EAEU was signed in Minsk. The document was adopted at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, which was attended by the heads of its member states. On the same day, Presidents Alexander Lukashenko, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Vladimir Putin approved the road map for joining the Single Economic Space of the Kyrgyz Republic.

On December 23, 2014 in Moscow, at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambaev signed the Treaty on the Accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the EAEU.

The Eurasian Economic Union began to function on January 1, 2015. The Republic of Belarus became the first chairman of the highest bodies of the association - the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the level of heads of state, the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council at the level of heads of government and the EEC Council at the level of vice-premiers.

At the same time, on January 1, 2015, a single market for services began to operate in a number of sectors defined by the EAEU states, within which service providers were provided with the maximum level of freedom.

Total number of service sectors in single market is 43. In value terms, this is almost 50% of the total volume of services provided in the states of the Union. In the future, the Parties will strive to maximize the expansion of these sectors, including through a gradual reduction of exemptions and restrictions, which will strengthen the Eurasian integration project.

On January 2, 2015, after the completion of ratification procedures, the Republic of Armenia became a full member of the Eurasian Economic Union. In March 2015, the first documents were presented for public discussion, in October 2015 - the last of about forty that the EAEU countries and the Commission needed to adopt by the end of the year to begin work in the Union of Common Markets medicines and medical products.

On May 29, 2015, the EAEU countries and Vietnam signed an agreement to create a free trade zone. The document, which provides for the zeroing out of duties on 90% of goods, will allow increasing trade turnover by 2020 allied states and Vietnam more than doubled. The agreement marked the beginning of subsequent closer integration with countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

In May 2015, the Presidents of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union decided to begin negotiations with China to conclude an agreement on trade and economic cooperation. This is not a preferential agreement yet, but an important stage in development economic cooperation, which organizes the entire structure of relationships and creates the basis for further movement. Including with a view to possibly reaching an agreement on a free trade zone in the future. For effective organization of this activity, in October 2015, the Presidents adopted a decree on coordinating the actions of the Union countries on issues of linking the construction of the EAEU and the Economic Belt Silk Road. The official ones started at the beginning of 2016.

August 12, 2015 after the implementation of " road map"and the completion of ratification procedures, the Kyrgyz Republic became a full member of the Union.

In October 2015, at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the Presidents of the five allied countries approved the Main Directions of Economic Development of the EAEU until 2030 - an important document defining further coordination national politicians and ways to increase the competitiveness of the economies of the Union states. The effect of participation in the EAEU by 2030 for member states is estimated at up to 13% of additional GDP growth.

On January 1, 2016, the functioning of common markets for medicines and medical products begins in the Eurasian Economic Union. Formed in the EAEU one system in this area will ensure their safety and quality, create optimal conditions to develop and increase the competitiveness of the pharmaceutical industry and medical products produced in the countries of the Union, and to bring them to the world market.

Over the last four-year period, and especially actively in 2015 in connection with the acquisition of international legal personality by the Union after the signing of the Treaty on the EAEU, the EAEU member states, together with the EEC, strengthened the influence of the Union on the external contour. His authority and importance on international arena have increased noticeably. This is confirmed not only by the expansion of the Eurasian Economic Union through the accession of the Republic of Armenia and the Kyrgyz Republic, but also by the growing interest in close cooperation with the EAEU from many countries of the world: China, Vietnam, Israel, Egypt, India and others. An important element of the EAEU economic cooperation strategy should be direct dialogue between the Eurasian and European Commissions. The prerequisites for such a dialogue have been created.

In contrast to the global crisis, the consistent and successful transformation of the Eurasian space on the market continues economic principles with the preservation of political independence and the existing cultural identity of sovereign states.

Institutional structure of the EAEU

In 2012–2015, an effective institutional basis for Eurasian economic integration was formed: the Eurasian Economic Commission with headquarters in Moscow, the Court of the Eurasian Economic Union, located in Minsk. A decision was made to create a financial regulator by 2025, which will be located in Almaty.

The bodies of the Eurasian Economic Union are:

• Supreme Eurasian Economic Council;
• Eurasian Intergovernmental Council;
• Eurasian Economic Commission;
• Court of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Supreme Eurasian Economic Council

The Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (Supreme Council, SEEC) is supreme body Union, consisting of heads of state - members of the Union. The Supreme Council considers 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.

Decisions and orders of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council are made by consensus. The decisions of the Supreme Council are subject to execution by member states in the manner prescribed by their national legislation.

Meetings of the Supreme Council are held at least once a year. To resolve urgent issues of the activities of the union, extraordinary meetings of the Supreme Council may be convened at the initiative of any of the member states or the Chairman of the Supreme Council.

Meetings of the Supreme Council are held under the leadership of the Chairman of the Supreme Council. Members of the Commission Council, the Chairman of the Board of the Commission and other invited persons may participate in meetings of the Supreme Council at the invitation of the Chairman of the Supreme Council.

Eurasian Intergovernmental Council

The Eurasian Intergovernmental Council (Intergovernmental Council) is a body of the union consisting of heads of government of member states. The Intergovernmental Council ensures the implementation and monitoring of the execution of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union, international treaties within the framework of the union and decisions of the Supreme Council; considers, at the proposal of the Council of the Commission, issues on which consensus has not been reached; gives instructions to the Commission, and also exercises other powers provided for by the Treaty on the EAEU and international treaties within the union. Decisions and orders of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council are adopted by consensus and are subject to execution by member states in the manner prescribed by their national legislation.

Meetings of the Intergovernmental Council are held as necessary, but at least 2 times a year. To resolve urgent issues of the Union's activities, extraordinary meetings of the Intergovernmental Council may be convened at the initiative of any of the member states or the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Council.

Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC)

The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) is a permanent supranational regulatory body of the Eurasian Economic Union, which began working on February 2, 2012 on the basis of Appendix No. 1 to the Treaty on the EAEU and the Regulations on the Eurasian Economic Union economic commission. The main objectives of the EEC are to ensure conditions for the functioning and development of the union, as well as to develop proposals in the field of economic integration within the union. The EEC carries out its activities based on the principles

• ensuring mutual benefit, equality and taking into account the national interests of member states;
• economic feasibility of decisions made;
• openness, publicity, objectivity.

EAEU Court

The Court of the Eurasian Economic Union is also a permanent judicial body of the Eurasian Economic Union. It began its work on January 1, 2015 on the basis of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union and the Statute of the Court of the Eurasian Economic Union. The purpose of the Court is to ensure, in accordance with the provisions of the Statute, the uniform application by member states and bodies of the union of the Treaty, international treaties within the union, international treaties of the union with a third Party and decisions of the bodies of the union. The Court is composed of two judges from each member state, each serving a nine-year term of office. The Chairman of the Court and his deputy are elected to positions from the Court by the judges of the Court in accordance with the Rules and are approved by the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. The President of the Court and his deputy cannot be citizens of the same Member State. The status, composition, competence, procedure for functioning and formation of the Union Court are determined by the Statute of the Court of the Eurasian Economic Union in accordance with Appendix No. 2 to the Treaty on the EAEU. The Court considers disputes arising on the implementation of the Treaty, international treaties within the union and (or) decisions of the union bodies, at the request of a member state or at the request of an economic entity (Appendix No. 2 to the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union, Statute of the Court of the Eurasian Economic Union) .

Thus, from the above it is obvious that the formation of the EAEU was extremely dynamic and took place in a short time. Also in enough short period The main institutions of the bloc were formed to ensure its functioning. This development was due to both the internal needs of the member states and the influence of external factors.

Blocks and departments (areas of work) of the EEC

Blocks (areas of work) of the EEC (2016):

Departments of the EEC (2016):

• Department of Protocol and Organizational Support;
• Department of Finance;
• Legal Department;
• Department of Information Technology;
• Department for the Functioning of Internal Markets;
• Case Management Department;
• Integration Development Department;
• Department of Macroeconomic Policy;
• Department of Statistics;
• Department of Financial Policy;
• Department of Business Development;
• Department of Labor Migration;
• Department of Industrial Policy;
• Department of Agricultural Policy;
• Department of Customs, Tariff and Non-Tariff Regulation;
• Department of Internal Market Protection;
• Trade Policy Department;
• Department of Technical Regulation and Accreditation;
• Department of Sanitary, Phytosanitary and Veterinary Measures;
• Department of Customs Legislation and Law Enforcement Practice;
• Department of Customs Infrastructure;
• Department of Transport and Infrastructure;
• Department of Energy;
• Department of Antimonopoly Regulation;
• Department of Competition Policy and Public Procurement Policy.

Leading positions of the EAEU

The EAEU is the largest interstate entity in the world. Its territory occupies 20 million square meters or 15% of the world's landmass.

The EAEU is a leader in the production of oil (including gas condensate) and natural gas. In 2013, its share in global production of these energy resources was 18.4% and 14.9%, respectively. It ranks 3rd in total energy production (5.4%) and 4th in total coal production (4.8%).

The Union is the leader in the total production of potash fertilizers, it ranks 5th in steel production, and 3rd in cast iron.

The EAEU also occupies a leading position in the production of agricultural products. Thus, in 2013, it took 1st place in the cultivation of sunflower (for grain) and sugar beets, which represented 24.2% and 17.6% of the global level. By total number of potatoes grown, it ranked 3rd (11.3% of the world total), 4th in grain (9.7%), 5th in grains and legumes (4.3%) and meat products (livestock and poultry for slaughter) - 3.2%, and in terms of the number of vegetables and melons collected, it ranks 7th (1.9%). In milk production at the beginning of 2015, the EAEU ranked 3rd (7% of world production).

The share of the EAEU population with access to the Internet at the beginning of 2015 was 59.4% of the population, which represents 4.4% of global Internet users.

Macroeconomic policy of the EAEU

Macroeconomic sustainability and convergence

Ensuring macroeconomic sustainability is based on the Basic macroeconomic indicators that determine the sustainability of economic development established by Article 63 of the Treaty:

• annual sector consolidated budget deficit government controlled– does not exceed 3 percent of gross domestic product;
• general government debt does not exceed 50 percent of gross domestic product;
• inflation rate (consumer price index) in annual terms (December to December of the previous year, in percentage) – does not exceed by more than 5 percentage points the inflation rate in the Member State in which this indicator has the lowest value.

Due to the slowdown in economic activity and trade, lower commodity prices in on a global scale, as well as sanctions and counter-sanctions between the Russian Federation, the USA, the EU and some other states, the EAEU economy as a whole experienced an economic decline in 2014-2016. In turn, this led to a deterioration in the economic sustainability indicators of the EAEU member states and all member states exceeding the threshold value for one or another indicator during this period. Accordingly, from 2014 to 2016, the Commission held consultations with all member states of the EAEU on the situation with exceeding one or another indicator of economic sustainability, and also developed recommendations in 2016 for the Kyrgyz Republic (on debt), for the Republic of Armenia (budget deficit), for the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Belarus (inflation).

Report: Long-term forecast of economic development of the Eurasian Economic Union until 2030

From a long-term development perspective, the report identified three possible scenarios:

1) Inertial (Extended status quo)

2) Fragmentary (Transit-raw materials bridge)

3) Maximum (Own center of force)

Potential integration effects include:

• Growth of mutual trade
• Growth in non-oil and gas exports and reduction in the share of imports from third countries
• Growth of foreign direct investment

The potential effect of integration on the level of economic development of the Union, defined as the difference between the current and maximum level integration (“Extended Status Quo” and “Own Center of Power”) is estimated at US$210 billion at current prices, or US$140 billion at purchasing power parity in 2012 prices. The effect of participation in the Union by 2030 for member states is estimated at up to 13 percent of additional growth in gross domestic product.

The following have the greatest development potential within the Union:

1. In the area of ​​goods - production of pharmaceutical products and chemical products.
2. In the services sector, travel (covers goods and services purchased in a country during a visit by non-residents of that country for their own consumption or subsequent transfer to a third party) and transport services.

Indicators of integration and economic development of the EAEU

Direct investments in US dollars increased in all EAEU member states in 2012–2015. with the exception of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2015. At the same time, direct investment from other member states increased despite the 2015 recession in the EAEU, as well as despite a decrease in foreign direct investment in general (with the exception of the Kyrgyz Republic).

Despite the reduction in nominal volumes in 2014-2016 (which is largely explained by the decline in global commodity prices), it is necessary to note the increase in the share of mutual trade in the total volume of foreign trade in 2015-2016. This suggests that internal trade within the Union in crisis conditions turned out to be more stable than trade of the Union with third countries. Mine positive effect contributed to the entry into the EAEU of the Armenian Republic and the Kyrgyz Republic.

Since the formation of the Customs Union in 2010, the economic growth rate of this union has generally been quite good. They significantly exceeded the growth rate of the developed economies of the world. In 2011-2012 the integration effect even allowed the Customs Union to slightly exceed the world average in economic growth rates. However, falling prices for raw materials, slowdown in international trade growth and sanctions imposed between the Russian Federation and some Western countries led to a recession in the EAEU, which replaced the Customs Union. Today, the EAEU faces the task of returning to positive rates of economic growth.

Economic activity within the CU and EAEU has had a positive impact on all participants in these economic associations. Gross domestic product per capita at purchasing power parity (in US dollars) in 2015 compared to 2010 increased in all Member States from 15 to 27 percent.

The current account balance of the balance of payments as a percentage of GDP has also improved, but this improvement reflects a decrease in capital account financing and exchange rate adjustments as a result of the crisis and at this stage cannot be a positive indicator of development. On the other hand, the weakening of the national currencies of the EAEU in 2014-2016. can contribute to the development of exports.

Forms of international cooperation of the EAEU

1. Full Membership

The full member states of the EAEU are: the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation.

1. Observer state status

Any state has the right to apply to the Chairman of the SEEC with a request to grant it the status of an observer state in the EAEU. And then the Supreme Council, taking into account the interests of developing integration and achieving the goals of the Treaty on the EAEU, makes a decision to grant such status or to refuse to grant it. Observer status gives the opportunity to authorized representatives of the observer state to attend meetings of the Union bodies by invitation, to receive documents accepted by the Union bodies that are not documents of a confidential nature. However, this status does not give the right to participate in decision-making in the bodies of the Union. At the same time, the observer state is obliged to refrain from any actions that could harm the interests of the Union and member states, the object and purposes of the Treaty on the EAEU.

1. Memorandum of Cooperation and Understanding

The purpose of the Memorandum is to create a platform for the comprehensive development of trade and economic cooperation, identifying and eliminating barriers to trade. Within the framework of the Memorandum, bilateral consultations are held with the involvement of experts, which can be actively used by the EAEU member states and partner states. The first Memorandum was signed with Mongolia in 2015. At this stage, this concept of cooperation has been implemented with Chile, Peru, Singapore and Cambodia. The plans include Mexico, Cuba, APEC, Andean Community of Nations, African Union, East African Community, Brazil, Moroca, Jordan, Thailand, Bangladesh.

1. Trade agreements of two types: free trade area (FTA) and trade and economic cooperation

The free trade agreement with Vietnam came into force in October 2016. The lecturer noted that at the moment it is too early to talk about the results of such interaction, but in a year it is planned to observe positive trends. Joint research groups(between the EAEU and the relevant country) studying the feasibility of starting negotiations on an FTA are working with South Korea and Egypt. Negotiations on the creation of an FTA are ongoing with Singapore, India and Serbia.

Another form of trade agreement (trade and economic cooperation) in the form of a “non-preferential trade agreement” is being worked out with China.

Status of implementation of trade agreements of the EAEU with third countries (March 2017):

Results of 2016 and plans for the future:

Dmitry Yezhov summed up his speech with the results of 2016, which was defined by the President of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev as “the year of deepening international cooperation of the EAEU”:

• international EAEU cooperation in such directions as Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa;
• imports from the Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC) exceeded imports from European Union(EU).

Literature:

1. Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union. Astana, May 29, 2014
2. Kofner Yu. Eurasian Economic Union in the global economy and prospects for its development. Moscow, 2016
3. Official website of the Eurasian Economic Commission [ Electronic resource] // http://www.eurasiancommission.org/ Date of access: 04/24/2017.
4. History, logic, results and prospects for the development of the EAEU. Report of the EEC lecture at the National Research University Higher School of Economics [Electronic resource] // http://site/archives/2273
5. Macroeconomic policy of the EAEU. Report of the EEC lecture at the National Research University Higher School of Economics [Electronic resource] // http://site/archives/2524
6. Cooperation of the EAEU with third countries and international organizations.

Customs Union is an organization designed to facilitate foreign economic activity between the countries of Eurasia. Currently in list of customs union countries includes the Russian Federation, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. In this article we will take a closer look at the history of the union, as well as the rights and responsibilities that its members have.

Customs Union: stages of formation

The Customs Union was first created in 1995, when six member countries signed the first agreement establishing the organization. Initially, the list of countries of the customs union included Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, but later they (for a number of reasons) left this union. The customs union was finally formalized by a document from 2007, and in 2011 all customs control was moved outside the states that are members of the union. Thus, trade and transportation of goods within the countries that are part of this organization is significantly simplified.

IN different time Other countries from the continent wanted to join the Customs Union. For example, in 2013, Syria and Tajikistan expressed such an intention. And in 2016, such a possibility was even talked about in Tunisia. Trade with Serbia is also carried out under special conditions, which has signed agreements on simplifying the customs regime with all countries of the Customs Union. Many people mistakenly believe that the list of countries of the customs union also included Ukraine. However, in reality, such an agreement was never signed, since it was not compatible with Ukraine's intentions to join the EU.

Advantages of the customs union

06.11.2018

Customs Union (CU)- interstate agreement within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The CU involves the abolition of customs duties and similar payments in mutual trade between member countries of the union. In addition, the Customs Union unifies quality assessment and certification methods and creates a unified 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 members and the transfer of customs barriers to the external borders of the Union. Based on this, all countries in the customs area apply a single, coordinated approach to customs procedures and goods imported and exported across the borders of the Customs Union.

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

The participants of the Customs Union currently (2016) are members of the EAEU:

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

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

The management and coordination bodies in the EAEU are:

• The Supreme Eurasian Economic Council is a supranational body consisting of the heads of state 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 in the territory 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 activities has become the system of centralized distribution of customs duties paid when crossing the borders of the Common Economic Space.

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

In addition, the Customs Union has a mechanism for 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 on the website of the Eurasian Economic Union - eurasiancommission.org.

History of the creation of the vehicle

To better understand the prerequisites and goals of creating the Customs Union, it will 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 creation of the Customs Union. Subsequently, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan joined the agreement;
• 2007 - Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia enter into an Agreement on a single customs territory and the construction of the Customs Union;
• 2009 - previously concluded agreements are filled with specific content, about 40 international treaties are signed. A decision was made to form a single customs space on the territory of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan from January 1, 2010;
• 2010 - the Unified Customs Tariff comes into force, a common Customs Code for 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 common for the countries of the Union continues legislative norms, the first unified technical regulation on product safety appears;
• 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 by the presidents of the EAEU countries “On the digital agenda of the Eurasian Economic Union.”
• 2017 - " White paper» 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 in 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 integration processes, with different speeds and results, were constantly going on throughout the period described. 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 stated to be an increase in 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:

• The abolition of internal customs duties, which should contribute to the price attractiveness of products produced in the Union;
• Acceleration of the turnover of goods due to the abolition of customs control and clearance when moving them within the Customs Union;
• Adoption of general sanitary-epidemiological and veterinary requirements, uniform 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 Compliance within the Customs Union with the issuance of uniform documents.” For 2016, over three dozen regulations on requirements for the safety and quality of goods, works and services have been agreed upon. Certificates issued by any state are valid in all others.

The next goal of the Customs Union should be 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 domestic products of the Union member countries. At this point in the program, mutual understanding between states turned out to be somewhat less than in matters of mutual trade. Each country had own priorities in the development of production, while protecting the interests of neighbors sometimes had a negative impact on importing enterprises and the population.

Contradictions in the CU

The Customs Union united states with a common past, including economic, but a different present, primarily economic. Each of the ex Soviet republics and in Soviet period it had its own specialization, and during the years of independence there were many other changes associated with attempts to find its 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 Soviet times, the economic structure of both countries has been built in such a way that it requires a Russian sales market. The situation in Kazakhstan and Armenia is somewhat different, but for them, ties with Russia are extremely important, largely for geopolitical reasons.

In the same time Russian economy Until the end of 2014, it successfully grew due to high gas and other raw materials. Which 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 an increase in Russia's influence on the world stage. Thus, the Russian Federation has always remained the real driving force of the processes of the Eurasian unification in general and the Customs Union in particular.

The history of integration processes in recent decades looks like a series of compromises between Russia’s influence 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 access for enterprises of the Republic to Russian government procurement. For this purpose, Belarus agreed to increase import tariffs passenger cars in 2010-2011, without having its own production of such products. Such a “sacrifice” also became the reason for the announcement of mandatory certification of goods light industry, which hit small retail trade hard. Besides internal standards The CU had to be brought into compliance with the standards, although Russia is a member of this organization (and enjoys the corresponding opportunities in international trade), but Belarus does not.

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

It should be noted that the agreements of the Customs Union have many exceptions and clarifications, anti-dumping, protective and compensatory measures that do not allow us to talk about common benefits and equal conditions for all participants in the organization. Almost each of the CU states at certain points expressed their dissatisfaction with the contractual terms.

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

Advantages of the Customs Union

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

At the same time, there is reason to believe that without the agreement on the Customs Union the situation would have looked even more depressing. Crisis phenomena in each individual economy could have a greater scale and depth. Presence in the Customs Union gives many enterprises a comparative advantage in the intra-Union 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 provide the opportunity for duty-free sales of cars produced in 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 this time, such projects were not successful due to the small volume of the Belarusian sales market itself.

Practice of application of customs agreements

Studying the published information about the creation and functioning of the Customs Union, it is easy to notice 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 reduction in the number of administrative procedures, and some improvement competitive conditions from enterprises of the CU member countries. It is likely that filling agreed upon uniform rules with economic content requires time and mutual interest not only state institutions, but also business entities within the CU.

They have united into a single customs territory, within which all customs duties and any economic restrictions on mutual trade in goods cease to apply. The only exceptions are protective, anti-dumping and compensatory measures. Countries that participate in this union use a single customs tariff and uniform measures that regulate trade in goods with countries that are not members of this union.

It is planned that from the creation of this union, Russia can receive a profit of approximately 400 billion dollars by 2015, the profit of Kazakhstan and Belarus will be 16 billion each. Economic development participating countries will receive a powerful incentive for development and growth could be up to 15%. If the potential of the union is fully used, the time for transporting goods from China will be reduced by almost 4 times.

Who is part of the Customs Union

The Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation have been part of the union since 2010, the republic joined in 2010. Since 2013 he has been an observer.

History of the creation of the Customs Union

The history of the creation of the union begins in 1995. The first agreement was signed by Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus, which were later joined by, and. Subsequently, this agreement was transformed into the EurAsEC.

In 2007, on October 6, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia signed an Agreement on the creation of a single customs territory and the organization of the Customs Union. During 2009, about 40 international treaties were adopted and ratified, which formed the basis of the Customs Union.

In 2011, Kyrgyzstan joined the EurAsEC.

To ensure the normal operation and development of the Customs Union, the Eurasian Economic Commission was organized. It is chaired by Viktor Khristenko, Industry and Trade of Russia. The creation of this commission is a step towards the formation of the Eurasian Union.

General information about the Customs Union

Export. Exports confirmed by documents are exempt from paying excise taxes or the rate is zero.

Import. For goods imported into Russia from the territory and Kazakhstan, VAT and excise duty are levied by the Russian tax authorities.

Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. This is the main body of the Customs Union, which includes the heads and governments of the participating countries. The Council meets once a year at the level of heads of state and twice at the level of heads of government. The decisions made by the council are binding on all participants.

Eurasian Economic Commission. The EEC is the body regulating the activities of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space. The commission has been operating since January 1, 2012. Its main task is to ensure the normal functioning and development of the union.

The activities of the Commission are managed by the Commission Council, which includes representatives of each participating country.

Decisions are made by consensus.

The Commission has an executive body - a board, which consists of 9 members, three from each country.

The activities of the EEC are based on the Treaties adopted on November 18, 2011: “On the Eurasian Economic Commission” and the decisions of the Supreme Council on the regulations of the EEC.

Possible expansion of the Customs Union

Customs Union - open organization. Other countries can join it. At the beginning of 2013, Syria announced its intention to join the Customs Union.

Liberalization of trade of the Customs Union with third countries

The EEC and the countries included in the Customs Union are holding negotiations on the possibility of organizing free trade with a number of countries: Iran, Vietnam and other countries.

Current agreements

The free trade regime between Russia and Serbia has been in effect since 2000. Kazakhstan concluded the same agreement with Serbia in 2010. The Russian Federation, Belarus and Serbia have signed protocols on changes to additions to existing agreements.

In October 2011, an agreement on a free trade zone was signed (except for Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). In September 2012, the agreement came into force. Russia, Belarus and Ukraine were the first to ratify it.

Customs Union and WTO

The WTO's reaction to the creation of the CU was initially negative due to fears that the rules of the union would not comply with WTO rules. Russia defended its interests. Kazakhstan and Belarus independently decide on the issue of joining the WTO. In August 2012, Russia became a member of the WTO.

about the Customs Union

The Customs Union has its own news agency - EurAsEC EIA, which includes the newspaper "EurAsEC", etc. It is planned to create a TV channel and radio station

Popularity of the query "Customs Union" in the search engine

As we can see from the data of the Yandex search engine, the query “Customs Union” is popular in the Russian-language segment of the Internet of the Yandex search engine:

10,203,758 requests in search engine Yandex for a month,
- 4,336 mentions of the “Customs Union” in the media and on the websites of news agencies Yandex.News.

Along with the query “Customs Union”, Yandex users search for:

Customs Union Regulations 13,322 search queries per month in Yandex
- technical regulations of the customs union 12 034
- customs code of the customs union 8,673 search queries per month in Yandex
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