Trade Policies and Institutions in the Countries of South Eastern Europe in the EU Stabilization and Association Process : Regional Report
The study is organized in the three sections following the introduction, by which Section I reviews the economic performance of the five Balkan countries - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro - with a focu...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Policy Note |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
Washington, DC
2013
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/03/2233787/trade-policies-institutions-countries-south-eastern-europe-eu-stabilization-association-process http://hdl.handle.net/10986/14767 |
| Summary: | The study is organized in the three
sections following the introduction, by which Section I
reviews the economic performance of the five Balkan
countries - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,
Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro - with a focus on
international trade. A discussion follows in Section II on
the current status regarding participation in the World
Trade Organization (WTO), relations with the European Union
(EU), and relations with each other, and other countries in
Central and Eastern Europe, all of which affect the
conditions for market access for their exports. Then follows
an institutional and policy analysis regarding trade in
goods and services, including the main challenges these
countries face in global integration. The study stipulates
the political economy of reducing trade controls is
difficult, especially if it is to be done on an autonomous
basis; however, the accession (EU) process gives governments
a vehicle they can use to push forward reforms that would
otherwise be difficult to implement. Moreover, WTO members,
need to take the opportunity of the new Round of
multilateral trade negotiations (agreed in Doha), to reduce
existing trade barriers further, both in merchandise trade,
and in services. But it is important to strengthen
institutions for regional cooperation, supported within the
framework of the Stability Pact, which provides a useful
forum for cooperation on trade policy. |
|---|