Free trade on EU-Balkan agendaEconomy minister unveils Greece's plans during its forthcoming presidencyof the European UnionBY HARRY PAPACHRISTOU
IN THESSALONIKI
GREECE will use its forthcoming turn at the rotating EU presidency to push for the dismantling of trade barriers for Balkan exports to the Union, Economy and Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis told business leaders from the region at a May 20 Thessaloniki conference. Speaking at the 9th annual Thessaloniki Forum, an annual get-together of Balkan officials and corporate executives, he urged EU leaders to "immediately and fully" open up their markets to Balkan products. "Liberalisation should include industrial goods, which are still subject to non-tariff barriers, as well as semi-processed products," the minister said. As for agricultural products, Christodoulakis said the EU should raise existing import quotas so that larger quantities of Balkan produce can enter the European single market at lower tariffs. The minister made it clear that these initiatives would rank high among Greece's priorities during the country's term at the union's presidency. "The EU still has a lot to do in order to improve its policies in the region. This will be the aim of the Greek presidency," Christodoulakis underlined. Greece assumes the chair of the European Union on January 1, 2003, for six months. The country occupying the EU presidency wields significant influence over the union's agenda. Speaking to the Athens News, Erhard Busek, the EU's special coordinator for the Balkan Stability Pact, welcomed Christodoulakis' announcement but added that in order to proceed from words to deeds, he expected serious lobbying within the EU from the minister. "What I want to achieve, and this is why I fully support the minister [Christodoulakis], is that alongside having free trade agreements between individual Balkan countries, there should also be an economic area with a regulated relationship with the EU, just as is the case with the European Free Trade Area (EFTA). This is where I would like the minister to do some lobby work in the EU," he said. (See interview on page 9). Christodoulakis said the opening up of trade flows could materialise in the form of preferential commercial treatment. Alternatively, it could be included in the "Stabilisation and Association" agreements between the EU and these countries. The union has already signed such deals - a stepping stone to full EU membership - with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Croatia. Other countries in the region are expected to reach similar accords by the end of this year. Greece currently imposes no tariffs on most products originating from its northern neighbours whereas its own products to the Balkans are subject to substantial customs duties. In order to clear another export hurdle, the EU should financially assist Balkan countries in order to bring technical, health and safety specifications of their products up to union standards, the Greek finance minister said. Furthermore, he added that the Union's overall aid to the region still
falls short of the latter's needs. For the period 2002-2006 the EU
earmarked 4.6 billion euros to this aim, around 4 percent of the area's
GDP. This could be higher, Christodoulakis noted. ATHENS NEWS , 24/05/2002 , page: A08
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