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On 20 January 2015, the European Commission announced that the EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement was initialed. According to the announcement, this agreement will greatly facilitate stronger political and economic relations between Kazakhstan and the EU. It will increase the flow of trade, services and investment between the parties and will contribute to Kazakhstan’s political and social development. The initialing of the Agreement is an important step towards its eventual signature and subsequent implementation.
The Commission said that:
Kazakhstan is the first Central Asian partner to have concluded an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the EU. The new Agreement will replace the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in force since 1999, and will give EU – Kazakhstan relations a new up-to-date and stronger foundation.
The EU – Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement counts about 280 pages and is comprised of 9 Titles as follows: General Principles and Aims of this Agreement; Political Dialogue, Cooperation in the Field of Foreign and Security Policy; Trade and Business; Cooperation in the Area of Economic and Sustainable Development; Cooperation in the Area of Justice, Freedom and Security; Other Cooperation Policies; Financial and Technical Cooperation; Institutional Framework; and General and Final Provisions.
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Once signed and implemented, concrete benefits can flow from the Agreement. Examples include a better protection of consumers including lower prices and better-quality products; more business opportunities for small and medium enterprises, as a result, more jobs; more efficient use of energy and the development of renewable energy sources; a better functioning judiciary sector, a strengthened rule of law and increased transparency.
The Agreement foresees provisional application so that positive impacts can be expected already prior to ratification.
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