MOSCOW, 2 December (BelTA) - The key items on the agenda of the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council on 4 December will be the draft integration strategy until 2025 and the removal of restrictions on the common market of the Eurasian Economic Union, Iya Malkina, Aide to the Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, told an press briefing on 2 December, BelTA has learned.
"The key issues on the agenda will be the strategic areas of the development of the Eurasian integration until 2025 and the list of exemptions and restrictions in the EAEU internal market to be eliminated in 2021-2022," Iya Malkina said.
According to her, the agenda of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council includes nine issues. Viktor Nazarenko, Member of the EEC Board (Minister) for Technical Regulation, will report on the status of the amendments to the technical regulations on food safety. “The amendments are needed to address the problem of different interpretations of the tests of residues of veterinary medicines in animal products, including processed products,” Iya Malkina noted.
The prime ministers will also be updated on the progress of the work to devise the rules to determine the country of origin of certain types of goods for public procurement purposes. "In the future, this will contribute to the development of the Eurasian registry of industrial goods which the EAEU countries will open for public procurement," said Iya Malkina.
The issue of the movement of scrap and waste of ferrous and non-ferrous metals from Kazakhstan by rail to other countries of the union will be considered too. Iya Malkina recalled that Kazakhstan used its right to appeal the ruling of the EEC Board on this issue.
Member of the Board (Minister) for Economy and Financial Policy of the Eurasian Economic Commission Timur Zhaksylykov will present an action plan to ensure the operation of the EAEU common market for construction services. “I would like to remind you that, in line with the decision of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the EAEU approved the list of services subsectors within the common services market in 2014. This list also includes services in engineering, architecture and constriction design, renovation, and repairs of infrastructure facilities. The EEC monitoring showed that the member states have failed to ensure the operation of the common market for construction services. For example, legal entities of other member states have faced difficulties regarding supplying and receiving construction services due to additional restrictions introduced by the member states. The EEC believes that the proposed action plan could help solve this issue and ensure the operation of the common market for construction services,” Iya Malkina stressed.
The prime ministers will revise the list of countries that use the EAEU system of tariff preferences, which was initiated by Armenia. “I would like to point out that the system was set up to support developing and least-developed countries,” Iya Malkina explained. “When a country's economic situation changes, it is either excluded from the list or re-added to it. At present, 74 out of 103 countries on the list now fall into the category of upper-middle income economies under the classification of the World Bank. This matter has already been discussed at the EEC Council meeting, but the parties failed to reach an agreement,” she added.
In addition, the participants will discuss the candidacy for member of the EEC Council from Kyrgyzstan to be presented to the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. The government of Kyrgyzstan has put First Deputy Prime Minister Artem Novikov forward as a candidate.
