REGIONAL COOPERATION AND ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

PART II:
Agreement for Modification and Accession to CEFTA, Article 10, Official Journal of the
Republic of Macedonia, No. 59/06)
If tariffs for protection of agricultural goods imposed by some member countries and
according to the regime of the most favorite nation are lower than preferential tariffs, than
countries in their mutual exchange should use lower tariffs (MFN).
The Agreement was extended with time deadline till 1 st May, 2009, period until the member
states can agree additional concessions in the mutual trade in agricultural goods. It has to
be stressed that the Agreement of CEFTA 2006, strictly forbids use of export subsidies for
agricultural products in exchange among countries, alongside faster creation of free trade
zone.
Concerning the Republic of Macedonia, trade in agricultural goods is almost fully
liberalized with all member states of CEFTA. For a very small number of sensitive agroalimentary
goods between R. Macedonia on one hand and on the other Albania, Croatia
and Moldova, trade in mentioned goods is performed in the framework of non tariff quotas,
while for quantities above quotas, during export or import, MFN tariff is charged or certain
percent of basic tariff.
For Macedonian exporters, application of multilateral agreement regulations means not
only liberalization of foreign trade regime, but also facilitation and unification of customs
procedures, transit rules and simplification of rules for origin of goods. In this regard
CEFTA 2006 provides the following opportunities: multi – CEFTA cumulation, extended
cumulation (use of raw-materials with EU, EFTA and Turkey origin) and SAP cumulation
of origin (use of raw – materials from EU or member states of CEFTA 2006 participating
in the process of stabilization and association).
Apart of trade liberalization, CEFTA 2006 is a framework for development and extension
of cooperation among member countries in the area of trade in services, investments, public
purchases and intellectual property protection.
Member countries of CEFTA 2006 are obliged with agreement on progressive liberalization
of trade in services and mutual opening of their markets of services according to the
regulations of the General Agreement of Trade in Services of WTO (GATS). Member
countries’ obligation is to provide fair and equal treatment and full protection of investment
coming from other countries, or investment of other member states to be treated as domestic
as and not less favorable than investment from third countries. All above relates and to the
public purchases originating from other member states.
Regarding public purchases, countries are obliged till 1 st May 2010 at the latest, to enable
step by step opening of their national markets for public purchases and treatment of foreign
suppliers, goods and services equally as domestic. (Public purchases, Article 35, CEFTA
Agreement, Official Journal of the Republic of Macedonia, No. 59/06)
Intellectual property protection, in terms of fast penetration of technical progress and
unstoppable globalization processes are main preconditions for attraction of credible
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