The Eurasian Economic Commission announced that on 14 April 2017, in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Republic hosted a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (VEES – Высшего Евразийского экономического совета ВЕЭС) with the participation of heads of states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Also present at the meeting was the President of the Republic of Moldova Igor Dodon, who hopes that Moldova will obtain observer status in the EAEU. Opening the meeting, the Chairman of the VEES, President Atambayev of the Kyrgyz Republic said that one of the key priorities of the EAEU in 2017 should be to create a favorable environment for doing business.
The discussions included improving the efficiency of customs control in the common customs territory of the EAEU, the development of foreign economic relations with the most important partners, the countries of the Union macro-economic guidelines for 2017 and 2018, as well as personnel decisions. In 2017, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) plans to focus on reaching agreement with seven-eight countries, including China, Singapore, India, Israel, Egypt and Iran. EEC Council (Совет ЕЭК), which is composed of the first deputy prime ministers of EAEU countries, has received a number of new powers in the sphere of customs regulation. In addition, the presidents have expanded the list of issues on which decisions EEC Board (Коллегия ЕЭК) will be taken by consensus.
The Eurasian Economic Commission was tasked with developing and submitting to the next session a position on the status of an observer state. This will allow the States seeking to trade cooperate economically with the EAEU, to receive detailed information about the work on technical regulations, standards of veterinary and phytosanitary control, and to adapt to the requirements of the EAEU at the stage of development of the documents.
The Heads of Member States confirmed the importance of the early entry into force of the Customs Code of the EAEU and the need to remove barriers in mutual trade. The Code is the first large-scale document that at all stages was developed jointly by the Commission, government agencies and the business communities of the five countries of the Union. The Commission will now have competence over 25 new issues, including: the definition of the rules of the movement of goods by individuals for personal use, including the norms of free entry; conditions and procedure for conducting foreign economic activities of companies working in the status of authorized economic operators, and others. The Customs Code of the EAEU will enter into force upon receipt of the Commission notification of ratification by all countries of the Union. EEC priority decisions and changes in the regulations will take effect simultaneously with the coming into force of the new Customs Code.
