Suchergebnisse

The European Union (EU) and Tunisia launched negotiations on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) in 2015. So far, progress has been limited. The enhanced integration of the Tunisian economy into the EU single market involves several controversial topics. Above and beyond the elimination of tariffs in sensitive agricultural sectors, these concern in particular the liberalization of trade in services, investment and public procurement. At the same time, the negotiations take place under challenging economic, political and social circumstances within the country and the MENA region, which call for a particularly prudent approach. Our assessment of expected economic impacts points to negative GDP effects and minor employment effects in Tunisia in the short to medium term in the case of full tariff liberalization and extensive harmonisation of the regulatory frameworks. Therefore, in the negotiations, the EU should prioritize short-term benefits for the Tunisian economy, mitigate adjustments costs and pro-actively support productive development and upgrading.

The trade relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union are a substantial part of enhancing economic and political relations among both parties. Recent years have been characterized by an expansion of the trade volume between two parties; the EU turned out to be Azerbaijan's biggest trade partner, in terms of both imports and exports. Moreover, trade in services and foreign direct investment relations were also on rise. On the other hand, Azerbaijan is one of the main energy suppliers of the European Union among European Neighborhood countries and is a key partner to guarantee energy security. The political ties of Azerbaijan with other commercial partners are diminishing the full expansion of its trade with the EU, for instance the Euro-Asian Union. Besides of political ties, also there are several barriers for the development of trade between Azerbaijan and the EU, for example, the tariff and non-tariff barriers. The latest ones refer to sanitary measures, production process, packaging, labor regulations, quotas, etc.

The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area: A New Legal Instrument for EU Integration without Membership -- Copyright -- Contents -- Foreword by Karel De Gucht (European Commissioner for Trade (2010-2014)) -- Acknowledgements -- List of Tables -- List of Abbreviations -- Introduction -- 1 The EU-Ukraine AA and the Union's Neighbourhood Relations: An Introduction -- 2 Research Objectives and (Academic) Relevance -- PART 1: Integration Agreements Concluded by the EU: Criteria and Overview -- 1: 'Integration Agreements' Concluded by the EU: A Useful but Tricky Legal Concept -- 2: The conditio sine qua non: The Obligation to Apply, Implement or Incorporate a Predetermined Selection of EU acquis -- 3: Criteria to Ensure the Uniform Interpretation and Application of the EU Law -- 3.1 Procedures to Amend or Update the Incorporated Acquis -- 3.2 Obligation for ECJ Case-law Conform Interpretation of the Incorporated Acquis -- 3.3 Judicial Mechanisms to Ensure a Uniform Interpretation and Application of the EU Law -- 4: Overview EU integration agreements -- PART 2: The EU and Ukraine: From Partnership and Cooperation towards Association -- 5: Background of the EU-Ukraine AA: The PCA and ENP -- 5.1 The EU-Ukraine Partnership and Cooperation Agreement -- 5.1.1 Political and Historical Background -- 5.1.2 Legal Basis, Objectives and "Essential Elements" of the PCA -- 5.1.3 Trade-related Provisions -- 5.1.4 Direct Effect of the PCA(s) -- 5.1.5 Institutional Framework -- 5.1.6 Concluding Remarks -- 5.2 The ENP and the EaP: The Policy Framework of the EU-Ukraine AA -- 5.2.1 Objectives and Instruments of the ENP -- 5.2.2 The EU-Ukraine Action Plan and Association Agenda: Instruments for EU Integration without Membership? -- 5.2.3 The ENP and Article 8 TEU

'Integration agreements' concluded by the EU : a useful but tricky legal concept -- The conditio sine qua non : the obligation to apply, implement or incorporate a predetermined selection of EU acquis -- Criteria to ensure the uniform interpretation and application of the EU law -- Overview EU integration agreements -- Background of the EU-Ukraine AA : the PCA and ENP -- Legal and political hurdles towards the signing and conclusion of the EU-Ukraine AA -- A legal analysis of the EU-Ukraine AA -- The EU-Ukraine DCFTA : a "deep" and "comprehensive" FTA? -- The 'traditional' scope of the DCFTA : trade in goods and flanking measures -- The DCFTA : market access conditionality and mechanisms to ensure the uniform interpretation and application of the EU acquis -- Horizontal DCFTA provisions and mechanisms -- An assessment of the EU-Ukraine DCFTA -- Sectoral integration agreements in the ENP : the energy community treaty and the common aviation area -- Conclusion

The EU-Georgia Association Agreement (AA) with its integral part on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) is an important step towards Georgia's close political association and gradual economic integration with the EU. The EU-Georgia DCFTA is considered as the best mechanism available to Georgia to promote exports, attract foreign direct investments and achieve high economic growth rate. In recent years Georgia's trade analysis demonstrates some optimistic developments in trade performance. However, in short period since provisional application of the DCFTA, its positive outcomes are not significant. Georgia's gains from the AA/DCFTA directly depend on scope and speed of legal approximation and regulatory convergence with the EU, which is challenging process, especially in short term. Nevertheless, it is clear that Georgia should continue economic reforms, namely reforms in all trade related areas in order to fully benefit from close economic and political relations with the EU foreseen by the agreement.

This paper reviews elements of the history of association agreements between the EU and countries that are covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). It considers the rationale for negotiation of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas with neighbouring countries based on research that assesses the design, salience and incentive effects of such agreements. It makes a case that developments in the global economy and the experience with using trade agreements to pursue deeper integration of markets suggest that alternatives to DCFTAs may be more effective instruments for cooperation for both sides. The 2015 review of the ENP creates new opportunities to consider such alternatives. These could span sectoral agreements, more focused efforts targeting specific policy areas that have a significant impact on trade costs, and initiatives that centre on the adoption of international standards and internationally recognized good regulatory practices.

Der Agrarsektor besitzt hohe Bedeutung für Tunesiens wirtschaftliche und gesellschaftliche Stabilität. Das neu verhandelte vertiefte und umfassende Handelsabkommen (DCFTA) mit der EU bietet Chancen für die Landwirtschaft, birgt aber auch Risiken für das gesamte Land. In Tunesien bestehen starke emotionale Widerstände gegenüber dem DCFTA. Sie sind ähnlich massiv wie die Vorbehalte, die in Deutschland dem Transatlantischen Freihandelsabkommen (TTIP) entgegengebracht wurden. Jenseits der Kritik an konkreten Verhandlungsinhalten speist sich die pauschale Ablehnung aus mehreren Quellen. Das sind die Angst vor europäischer Dominanz, schlechte Erfahrungen mit Transformationen im Agrarsektor, vor allem beim Landeigentum, sowie die in ganz Nordafrika vorherrschende Tradition, die Nahrungsversorgung durch protektionistische Handelspolitik zu sichern. Die vorliegenden Wirkungsanalysen weisen positive Wohlfahrtseffekte aus. Dennoch erscheinen viele Bedenken wegen ökologischer und sozialer Auswirkungen des DCFTA berechtigt. Die befürchteten negativen Effekte ließen sich aber durch konkrete Lösungen im Abkommen und besonders durch begleitende tunesische Politiken vermeiden. Dem pauschalen Widerstand nahezu aller Akteursgruppen in Tunesien kann die EU mit besserer Verhandlungskommunikation begegnen. Dabei sind Sensibilität und Respekt im Umgang mit tunesischen Befindlichkeiten ebenso wichtig wie der Appell an Verbindlichkeit und Eigenverantwortung auf tunesischer Seite. Vor allem sollten tunesische Wissenschaftler verstärkt an Wirkungsanalysen zum DCFTA beteiligt werden und sich dabei einem öffentlichen Austausch stellen. Unabhängig vom Erfolg oder Misserfolg der Verhandlungen ist ohnehin geboten, die tunesische Landwirtschaft intensiver zu fördern. So eröffnet der Bio-Sektor große Absatzchancen für Tunesien und attraktive Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten für junge Menschen.

This article analyses the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (EU-Ukraine AA). It argues that this new legal framework, which has the objective to establish a unique form of political association and economic integration, is characterized by three specific features: comprehensiveness, complexity and conditionality. After a brief background of the EU-Ukraine relations, the following aspects are scrutinized: legal basis and objectives, institutional framework and mechanisms of enhanced conditionality, and legislative approximation. In addition, constitutional challenges for the effective implementation of the EU-Ukraine AA are discussed. Based upon a comparison with other EU external agreements, it is demonstrated that the EU-Ukraine AA is an innovative legal instrument providing for a new type of integration without membership.