In the modern world, many countries unite in unions - political, economic, religious and others. One of the largest such unions was the Soviet one. Now we are seeing the emergence of the European, Eurasian and Customs Unions.

The customs union was positioned as a form of trade and economic integration of a number of countries, which provides not only a common customs territory for mutually beneficial trade with no duties, etc., but also a number of points regulating trade with third countries. This agreement was signed on 06.10.2007 in Dushanbe, at the time of its conclusion, the union included the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

The first article of the agreement on the movement of goods within this territory says the following:

  • Customs duty is not charged. And not only for goods of own production, but also for cargo from third countries.
  • There are no economic restrictions, except for compensatory, anti-dumping ones.
  • The countries of the Customs Union apply a single customs tariff.

Current countries and candidates

There are both permanent member countries of the Customs Union, which were its founders or joined later, and those that only expressed a desire to join.

Members:

  • Armenia;
  • Kazakhstan;
  • Kyrgyzstan;
  • Russia;
  • Belarus.

Membership candidates:

  • Tunisia;
  • Syria;
  • Tajikistan.

TC leaders

There was a special commission of the Customs Union, which was approved at the time of signing the agreement on the Customs Union. Its rules were the basis legal activity organizations. The structure worked and remained within this legal framework until July 1, 2012, that is, until the creation of the EEC. The supreme body of the union at that time was a group of representatives of the heads of state (Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian Federation), Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev (Republic of Kazakhstan) and (Republic of Belarus)).

At the level of heads of government, prime ministers were represented:

  • Russia - Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev;
  • Kazakhstan - Karim Kazhimkanovich Massimov;
  • Belarus - Sergei Sergeevich Sidorsky.

Purpose of the Customs Union

The countries of the Customs Union, under the main goal of creating a single regulatory body, meant the formation common territory, which will include several states, and all duties on products will be canceled on their territory.

The second goal was to protect our own interests and markets, first of all - from harmful, low-quality, as well as competitive products, which makes it possible to smooth out all the shortcomings in the trade and economic sphere. This is very important, since the protection of interests own states taking into account the views of the members of the union is a priority for any country.

Benefits and prospects

First of all, the benefit is obvious for those enterprises that can easily make purchases in neighboring countries. Most likely, it will be only large corporations and companies. As for the outlook for the future, contrary to some economists' predictions that the Customs Union would lead to lower wages in the participating countries, official level The Prime Minister of Kazakhstan announced the hanging of salaries in the state in 2015.

That is why the world experience of such great economic entities cannot be attributed to this case. The countries that have joined the Customs Union are expecting a steady, if not rapid, growth of economic ties.

Treaty

The final version of the Agreement on the Customs Code of the Customs Union was adopted only at the tenth meeting, 26.10.2009. This pact spoke about the creation of special groups that would monitor the activities for the implementation of the revised draft treaty.

The countries of the Customs Union had until 01.07.2010 to amend their legislation to eliminate contradictions between this Code and the Constitution. Thus, another contact group was created to resolve issues related to differences between national legal systems.

Also, all the nuances related to the territories of the Customs Union have been finalized.

Territory of the Customs Union

The countries of the Customs Union have a common customs territory, which is determined by the boundaries of the states that have concluded the agreement and are members of the organization. The Customs Code, among other things, determines the expiration date of the commission, which came on July 1, 2012. Thus, a more serious organization was created, which has much more powers and, accordingly, more people in your state to fully control all processes. On January 1, 2012, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EAEU) officially began its work.

EAEU

The Eurasian Economic Union includes the member countries of the Customs Union: the founders - Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan - and the recently joined states, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.

The establishment of the EAEU implies a wider range of relationships in the freedom of movement of labor, capital, services and goods. There should also be ongoing coordinated economic policy of all countries, there must be a transition to a single

The total budget of this union is formed exclusively in Russian rubles, thanks to share contributions made by all member countries of the Customs Union. Their size is regulated by the supreme council, which consists of the heads of these states.

Russian has become the working language for the regulation of all documents, and the headquarters will be located in Moscow. The financial regulator of the EAEU is in Almaty, and the court is in the capital of Belarus, Minsk.

Union bodies

The supreme regulatory body is considered to be the Supreme Council, which includes the heads of the member states.

A judiciary has also been created, which is responsible for the application of treaties within the Union.

The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) is a regulatory body that ensures all the conditions for the development and functioning of the Union, as well as the development of new proposals in the economic sphere regarding the format of the EAEU. It consists of the Ministers of the Commission (deputy prime ministers of the member states of the Union) and the Chairman.

The main provisions of the Treaty on the EAEU

Of course, compared to the CU, the EAEU has not only broader powers, but also a much more extensive and specific list of planned activities. This document no longer has any general plans, and for each specific task, the path for its implementation is determined and a special working group, which will not only monitor the execution, but also control its entire course.

In the received contract the countries of the single Customs Union, and now the EAEU, have secured an agreement on coordinated work and the creation of common energy markets. The work on energy policy is quite large-scale and will be implemented in several stages until 2025.

Regulated in the document and the creation of a common market for medical devices and medicines by January 1, 2016.

Great importance is given to transport policy on the territory of the EAEU states, without which it will not be possible to create any joint action plan. The development of a coordinated agro-industrial policy is envisaged, which includes the mandatory formation of veterinary and phytosanitary measures.

Agreed provides an opportunity to translate into reality all the planned plans and agreements. Under these conditions, developing general principles interaction and provided effective development countries.

A special place is occupied by labor, which regulates not only the free movement of labor, but also the same working conditions. Citizens who go to work in the EAEU countries will no longer need to fill out migration cards (if their stay does not exceed 30 days). The same simplified system will work for medical care. The issue of exporting pensions and offsetting the length of service that has been accumulated in a member state of the Union is also being resolved.

Expert opinions

The list of countries of the Customs Union in the near future may be replenished with several more states, but, according to experts, in order to notice a full-fledged growth and influence on Western similar unions by type, it is necessary big job and expansion of the organization. In any case, the ruble will not be able to become an alternative to the euro or the dollar yet for a long time, and the impact of recent sanctions has clearly shown how Western politics can work to suit their interests, and that neither Russia itself nor the whole Union can actually do anything about it. As for Kazakhstan and Belarus specifically, the conflict in Ukraine has shown that they will not give up their benefits in favor of Russia. Tenge, by the way, also fell heavily due to the fall of the ruble. And on many issues, Russia remains the main competitor of Kazakhstan and Belarus. However, on this moment the creation of the Union is an adequate and the only right decision that can help somehow strengthen relations between states in the event of further pressure from the West on Russia.

Now we know which countries in the Customs Union are more interested in its creation. Despite the fact that even at the stage of its inception it was constantly haunted by all sorts of problems, joint coordinated actions of all members of the Union make it possible to solve them as quickly as possible, which makes it possible to look to the future with optimism and hope for the rapid development of the economies of all states participating in this agreement.

The Customs Union is an agreement adopted by the members of the Eurasian Economic Union, the purpose of which is cancellation of customs payments in trade relations. Based on these agreements, common ways of carrying out economic activity, a platform for quality assessment and certification are being created.

This achieves abolition of customs control on the borders within the Union, are general provisions regulation of economic activity for the external borders of the CU. In view of this, a common customs space is being created, using a generally accepted approach to the implementation of border controls. One more distinctive feature is the equality of citizens of the customs area during employment.

In 2020, the Customs Union consists of the next members of the EAEU:

  • Republic of Armenia (since 2015);
  • Republic of Belarus (since 2010);
  • Republic of Kazakhstan (since 2010);
  • Republic of Kyrgyzstan(since 2015);
  • Russian Federation (since 2010).

The desire to become a party to this agreement was voiced by Syria and Tunisia. In addition, it is known about the proposal to include Turkey in the CU agreement. However, no specific procedures have been adopted so far for the entry of these states into the ranks of the Union.

It is clearly seen that the functioning of the Customs Union is a good help for strengthening economic relations between countries located on the territory of the former Soviet countries. It can also be said that the approach established in the agreement by the participating countries speaks of restoration of lost ties in modern conditions.

Customs duties are distributed using a single shared distribution mechanism.

Given this information, it can be stated that the Customs Union, as we know it today, serves serious tool for the economic unification of the countries that are members of the EAEU.

To understand what the activities of the Customs Union are, it will not be superfluous to get an understanding of how it was formed to its current state.

The emergence of the Customs Union was initially presented as one of the steps in the integration of the CIS countries. This was evidenced in the agreement on the establishment of an economic union, signed on September 24, 1993.

Step by step moving towards this goal, in 1995, two states (Russia and Belarus) concluded an agreement between themselves on the establishment of the Customs Union. Later, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan also entered this group.

More than 10 years later, in 2007, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia signed a pact to unite their territories into a single customs region and establish the Customs Union.

In order to specify the previously concluded agreements, from 2009 to 2010 more than 40 additional agreements were concluded. Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan decided that, starting from 2012, a Common Market due to the unification of countries into a single economic space.

On July 1, 2010, another important agreement was concluded, which launched the work of the Customs Code.

On July 1, 2011, the current customs control at the borders between countries was canceled and common rules were established at the borders with states that are not in an agreement. Until 2013, uniform legislative norms for the parties to the agreement are being formed.

2014 - The Republic of Armenia is a member of the Customs Union. 2015 - The Republic of Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Customs Union.

On January 1, 2018, a new unified Customs Code of the EAEU. It was created to automate and simplify a number of customs processes.

Territory and administration

Consolidation of borders Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan became the basis for the emergence of the Common Customs Space. This is how the territory of the Customs Union was formed. In addition, it includes certain territories or objects under the jurisdiction of the parties to the agreement.

The limit of the territory is the border of the Customs Union with third-party states. Moreover, the existence of a border near certain territories that are under the jurisdiction of the Member States of the Union is normatively fixed.

The Eurasian Economic Union is managed and coordinated by two bodies:

  1. Interstate Council – supreme body supranational nature, consists of heads of state and heads of government of the Customs Union.
  2. Commission of the Customs Union- an agency that deals with issues related to the formation of customs regulations and regulates foreign trade policy.

Directions and conditions

By creating the Customs Union, the countries proclaimed the main goal social and economic progress. In the future, this implies an increase in trade and services that are produced by economic entities.

The increase in sales was originally expected directly in the space of the vehicle itself due to following conditions:

  1. The abolition of customs procedures within the Union, which was supposed to make products manufactured within the framework of a single space more attractive, due to.
  2. Increasing trade through the abolition of customs control at internal borders.
  3. Adoption of uniform requirements and integration of security standards.

Achievement of goals and perspectives

Having collected the available information about the emergence and activities of the Customs Union, we can conclude that the results of increasing the turnover of goods and services are published much less frequently than let's say the news about the signing of new agreements, i.e. its declarative part.

But, nevertheless, analyzing the stated goals during the creation of the CU, as well as observing their implementation, one cannot remain silent that the simplification of trade has been achieved, the competitive conditions for economic entities of the CU states have been improved.

It follows from this that the Customs Union is on the way to achieving its goals, however, in addition to time, this requires the mutual interest of both the states themselves and economic elements within the Union.

The customs union is made up of countries that have the same economic past, but today these states are very different from each other. Of course, and in Soviet time The republics differed in their specialization, but after gaining independence, there were still a lot of changes that affect the world market and the division of labor.

However, there are also common interests. For example, many participating countries remain dependent on the Russian market. This trend is economic and geopolitical in nature.

All through the time leading positions in the process of integration and stabilization of the EAEU and the Customs Union played Russian Federation. This was possible thanks to its stable economic growth until 2014, when commodity prices remained high, which helped finance the processes launched by the agreements.

Although such a policy did not predict rapid economic growth, it nevertheless assumed the strengthening of Russia's position on the world stage.

The history of relations between the parties to the agreements is similar to a series of compromises that were built on the basis of the role of Russia and the positions of the partner countries. For example, there were repeated statements from Belarus about its priorities: a single economic space with the same prices for oil and gas, admission to public procurement of the Russian Federation.

To achieve these goals, the Republic went to increase tariffs on imported cars in the absence of its own production. Because of these measures, it was necessary to establish rules for certification of light industry goods which hurt the retail industry.

In addition, the standards adopted at the CU level were unified with the WTO model, despite the fact that Belarus is not a member of this organization, unlike Russia. Enterprises of the Republic have not received access to Russia's programs for import substitution.

All this served as obstacles for Belarus on the way to achieve its goals in full.

It should not be overlooked that the signed CU agreements contain various exceptions, clarifications, anti-dumping and countervailing measures that have become an obstacle to achieving common benefits and equal conditions for all countries. IN different time in fact, each party to the agreement expressed disagreement with the terms of the agreements.

Although customs posts at the borders between the parties to the agreement were eliminated, preserved border zones between countries. Sanitary control at internal borders also continued. The absence of trusting relationships in the practice of interaction was revealed. An example of this is the disagreements that flare up from time to time between Russia and Belarus.

To date, it cannot be said that the goals that were declared in the agreement on the creation of the CU have been achieved. This can be seen from the decrease in the turnover of goods within the customs area. There are also no benefits for economic development, when compared with the time before the signing of agreements.

But there are still signs that in the absence of an agreement, the situation would worsen more rapidly. The manifestation of the crisis would have had a larger and deeper character. A significant number of enterprises gain relative benefits by participating in trade relations within the Customs Union.

The methods of distributing customs duties among countries also indicate favorable trends for the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan. It was originally intended a large share to the budget of the Russian Federation.

The agreements signed by the parties benefited the production of cars. Duty-free sale of cars assembled by manufacturers of participating countries has become available. Thus, conditions have been created for the implementation of projects who previously could not be successful.

What is a Customs Union? Details are on the video.

22.01.2020

The Customs Union (CU) is an interstate agreement within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The Customs Union assumes the abolition of customs duties and similar payments in mutual trade between the member countries of the union. In addition, the Customs Union unifies the methods of quality assessment and certification, creates single base data on some aspects of economic activity.

The conclusion of the Union is the basis for the creation of a single customs space on the territory of its participants and the transfer of customs barriers to the external borders of the Union. Based on this, all countries of the customs area apply a single, coordinated approach to customs procedures and goods imported and exported across the borders of the CU.

Also, throughout the territory of the Customs Union, equal rights are assumed for citizens of the participating countries in employment.

Members of the Customs Union at present (2016) are members of the EAEU:

  • Republic of Armenia;
  • Republic of Belarus;
  • The Republic of Kazakhstan;
  • Republic of Kyrgyzstan;
  • Russian Federation.

Syria and Tunisia announced their intention to join the CU, and a proposal was made to admit Turkey to the Union. However, nothing is known about specific actions to implement these intentions.

The governing and coordination bodies in the EAEU are:

  • Higher Eurasian economic council- a supranational body consisting of the heads of states of the EAEU members;
  • The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) is a permanent regulator body of the EAEU. The competence of the EEC includes, among other things, issues of international trade and customs regulation.

It would be fair to say that the Customs Union is one of the stages of the plan to strengthen economic ties between certain states in the territory former USSR. In a certain sense, this can be seen as the restoration of once existing economic and technological chains, taking into account new, political and economic realities.

An important aspect of the activities of the Union was the system of centralized distribution of customs duties paid when crossing the borders of the Common Economic Space.

  • Russia accounts for 85.33% of total amount;
  • Kazakhstan receives - 7.11%;
  • Belarus - 4.55%;
  • Kyrgyzstan - 1.9%;
  • Armenia - 1.11%.

In addition, the CU has a mechanism for the coordinated collection and distribution of indirect taxes.

Thus, in its current state, the Customs Union is a way of economic integration of the states that are members of the EAEU.

Official information about the Customs Union can be obtained from the website of the Eurasian Economic Union - eurasiancommission.org.

The history of the creation of the vehicle

For a better understanding of the prerequisites and goals for the creation of the Customs Union, it would be useful to consider the evolution of integration processes in the post-Soviet space:

  • 1995 - Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia sign the first agreement on the establishment of the Customs Union. Subsequently, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan join the agreement;
  • 2007 - Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia conclude an agreement on a single customs territory and the construction of the Customs Union;
  • 2009 - previously concluded agreements are filled with concrete content, about 40 international treaties are signed. A decision is made to form from January 1, 2010 a single customs area on the territory of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan;
  • 2010 - the Common Customs Tariff comes into force, the Common Customs Code for the three states is adopted;
  • 2011 - customs control is removed from the borders between the CU states and transferred to their external borders with third countries;
  • 2011 - 2013 - the development and adoption of common for the countries of the Union continues legislative norms, the first unified technical regulation on product safety appears;
  • 2015 - Armenia and Kyrgyzstan join the Customs Union.
  • 2016 - Entry into force of the Agreement on a free trade zone between the EAEU and Vietnam. Statement of the Presidents of the EAEU countries "On the Digital Agenda of the Eurasian Economic Union".
  • 2017 - " White paper» barriers, exemptions and restrictions. Signing and ratification of the Treaty on the Customs Code of the EAEU.
  • 2018 - Entry into force of the Treaty on the Customs Code of the EAEU. Granting the Republic of Moldova the status of an observer country to the EAEU. Signing of the Agreement on trade and economic cooperation between the EAEU and the PRC. Signing of an Interim Agreement leading to the creation of a free trade zone between the EAEU and Iran.

It must be said that the integration processes, with different speed and results, constantly went the entire described period. Legislation and customs tariffs in trade with third countries were gradually brought to general norms.

Goals of the Customs Union and their implementation

The immediate goal of the Customs Union was to increase the markets for goods and services produced by its members. The calculation was made, first of all, on the growth of sales within the Common Customs Space of the Union. This was supposed to be achieved by:

  • Cancellation of internal customs payments, which should contribute to the price attractiveness of products manufactured in the Union;
  • Acceleration of the turnover of goods in connection with the abolition of customs control and clearance when they are moved within the CU;
  • Adoption of general sanitary-epidemiological and veterinary requirements, common standards for the safety of goods and services, mutual recognition of test results.

To unify approaches to quality and safety, an interstate agreement was concluded on mandatory certification of products specified in the "Unified list of products subject to mandatory assessment (confirmation) of conformity within the framework of the Customs Union with the issuance of single documents." For 2016, more than three dozen regulations on the requirements for the safety and quality of goods, works and services have been agreed. Certificates issued by any state are valid in all others.

The next goal of the Customs Union should be called the joint protection of the domestic market of the Customs Union, the creation of favorable conditions for the production and sale, first of all, of the domestic products of the member countries of the Union. At this point, the program of mutual understanding between the states turned out to be somewhat less than in matters of mutual trade. Each country had its own priorities in the development of production, while protecting the interests of neighbors sometimes had a bad effect on importing enterprises and the population.

Contradictions in the TS

The Customs Union united states with a common past, including economic, but different present, primarily economic. Each of the former Soviet republics had its own specialization even during the Soviet period, and during the years of independence there were many other changes related to attempts to find their place in the world market and in the regional division of labor. Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, states equally distant geographically and in structure, have few mutual interests. But there are similar interests. Since the Soviet times, the economic structure of both countries has been built in such a way that it needs Russian market sales. The situation in Kazakhstan and Armenia is somewhat different, but for them, too, ties with Russia are extremely important, largely for geopolitical reasons.

At the same time, the Russian economy, until the end of 2014, successfully grew due to high, gas and other raw materials. What gave the Russian Federation financial opportunities to finance integration processes. This course of action may not have promised immediate economic benefits, but it did suggest Russia's growing influence on the world stage. Thus, the real locomotive of the processes of Eurasian unification in general and the Customs Union in particular has always been the Russian Federation.

The history of the integration processes of the last decades looks like a series of compromises between the influence of Russia and the interests of its neighbors. For example, Belarus has repeatedly stated that it is not the Customs Union itself that is important to it, but a single economic space with equal prices for oil and gas and the admission of enterprises of the Republic to Russian public procurement. For the sake of this, Belarus agreed to increase tariffs for the import of passenger cars in 2010-2011, without having its own production of such products. Such a "sacrifice" also became the reason for the announcement of mandatory certification of light industry goods, which hit the retail trade hard. In addition, the internal standards of the Customs Union had to be brought into line with the norms, although Russia is a member of this organization (and enjoys the relevant opportunities in international trade), while Belarus is not.

So far, the Republic of Belarus has not received the desired benefits in full, because. questions about equal with domestic prices for energy carriers are postponed until 2025. Also, Belarusian enterprises did not receive opportunities to participate in Russian program import substitution.

It should be noted that the Customs Union agreements have many exceptions and clarifications, anti-dumping, protective and countervailing measures that do not allow talking about a common benefit and equal conditions for all members of the organization. Practically each of the CU states at certain moments expressed its dissatisfaction with the contractual terms.

Despite the elimination of customs posts within the Union, border control between states remains. Also, checks by sanitary control services continue at the internal borders. The practice of their work demonstrates neither mutual trust nor the declared unity of approaches. An example of this is the “food wars” that periodically arise between Russia and Belarus. Their usual scenario begins with the non-recognition of the quality of products certified by the Belarusian side and leads to a ban on deliveries to Russian consumers "until the defects are eliminated."

Advantages of the Customs Union

At the moment (2016), it is impossible to talk about the achievement of the goals declared at the conclusion of the Customs Union, the internal trade turnover between the CU participants is falling. There are also no special advantages for the economy compared to the period before the conclusion of the agreements.

At the same time, there are reasons to believe that without the agreement on the Customs Union, the situation would look even more depressing. Crisis phenomena in each individual economy could have a greater scale and depth. Presence in the CU gives many enterprises a comparative advantage in the intra-union market.

The shared distribution of customs duties between the CU states also looks favorable for Belarus and Kazakhstan (initially, the Russian Federation claimed to transfer 93% of the total to its own).

The agreements in force in the Customs Union make it possible to sell duty-free cars produced on the territory of the Union in the industrial assembly mode. Thanks to this, Belarus received foreign investment in the construction of enterprises for the production of passenger cars. Until that time, such projects were not successful due to the small volume of the Belarusian sales market itself.

The practice of applying customs agreements

Studying the published information about the creation and functioning of the Customs Union, it is easy to see that the declarative part, i.e. ratified interstate agreements and general documents are mentioned much more often than specific figures for increasing trade turnover.

But the Union should obviously not be treated as a PR campaign. There is a noticeable simplification of the movement of goods, a decrease in the number of administrative procedures, and some improvement in competitive conditions among enterprises of the CU member countries. Probably, it takes time and mutual interest not only to fill the agreed common rules with economic content. state institutions, but also business entities within the CU.

If you notice a mistake in the text, please highlight it and press Ctrl+Enter

Eurasian economic union(EAEU) is an international integration economic association (union), the agreement on the establishment of which was signed on May 29, 2014 and comes into force on January 1, 2015. The union included Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. The EAEU was created on the basis of the Customs Union of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) to strengthen the economies of the participating countries and "rapprochement with each other", to modernize and increase the competitiveness of the participating countries in the world market. The EAEU member states plan to continue economic integration in the coming years.

The history of the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union

In 1995, the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and later the acceding states - Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed the first agreements on the creation of the Customs Union. Based on these agreements, the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) was created in 2000.

On October 6, 2007 in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia signed an agreement on the creation of a single customs territory and the Customs Union Commission as a single permanent governing body of the Customs Union.

Eurasian Customs Union or the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia was born on January 1, 2010. The customs union was launched as a first step towards the formation of a broader European Union type of economic union of the former Soviet republics.

The establishment of the Eurasian Customs Union was guaranteed by 3 different treaties signed in 1995, 1999 and 2007. The first treaty in 1995 guaranteed its creation, the second in 1999 guaranteed its formation, and the third in 2007 announced the creation of a single customs territory and the formation of a customs union.

Access of products to the territory of the Customs Union was provided after checking these products for compliance with the requirements of the technical regulations of the Customs Union, which are applicable to these products. As of December 2012, 31 Technical Regulations of the Customs Union have been developed, which cover different kinds products, some of which have already entered into force, and some will enter into force before 2015. Some technical regulations are yet to be developed.

Before the Technical Regulations entered into force, the following rules were the basis for access to the market of the member countries of the Customs Union:

1. National certificate - for product access to the market of the country where this certificate was issued.

2. Certificate of the Customs Union - a certificate issued in accordance with the "List of products subject to mandatory assessment (confirmation) of conformity within the framework of the Customs Union", - such a certificate is valid in all three member countries of the Customs Union.

Since November 19, 2011, the member states have implemented the work of the joint commission (Eurasian Economic Commission) to strengthen closer economic ties to create the Eurasian Economic Union by 2015.

On January 1, 2012, the three states formed the Common Economic Space to promote further economic integration. All three countries have ratified the basic package of 17 agreements governing the launch of the Common Economic Space (CES).

May 29, 2014 in Astana (Kazakhstan) signed an agreement on the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Tasks

    Completion of the full registration of the free trade regime, the formation of a common customs tariff and unified system non-tariff regulation measures

    Ensuring the freedom of movement of capital

    Formation of a common financial market

    Coordination of the principles and conditions for the transition to a single currency within the framework of the EurAsEC

    Establishment general rules trade in goods and services and their access to internal markets

    Creation of a common unified system of customs regulation

    Development and implementation of interstate targeted programs

    Creation of equal conditions for industrial and entrepreneurial activities

    Formation of a common market for transport services and a unified transport system

    Formation of a common energy market

    Creation of equal conditions for access of foreign investments to the markets of the Parties

    Ensuring the free movement of citizens of the EurAsEC states within the Community

    Coordination social policy to form a community welfare states, providing for a general labor market, a unified educational space, coordinated approaches to addressing issues of healthcare, labor migration, etc.

    Convergence and harmonization of national legislations

    Ensuring the interaction of the legal systems of the EurAsEC states in order to create a common legal space within the Community

    Interaction with the UN

The Republic of Kazakhstan is the initiator and active participant of many integration processes. For the first time, the idea of ​​Eurasian integration was voiced by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev in 1994. At first, this initiative, which at that time seemed revolutionary, was perceived ambiguously. However, over time, it received more support and development.

As a result, at the first stage, the Customs Union was created, then the Common Economic Space, and on January 1, 2015, the Eurasian Economic Union was launched, the founders of which were Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. In the same year, the Republic of Armenia and the Kyrgyz Republic became full members of the EAEU.

Along with the European Union, the formation of which began in the middle of the 20th century, the EAEU became the second example of a full-fledged economic union in the world.

The EAEU is not a political association. In the course of work on the Treaty on the Union, the member states of the EAEU deliberately refused to politicize it and include issues affecting national sovereignty. Within the framework of the EAEU, issues of exclusively economic cooperation are considered, and the principle of sovereign equality, equity and accounting national interests its member states.

EAEU is international organization regional economic integration, which is based on the agreements reached by the states within the framework of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space.

Within the framework of the EAEU, the freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and labor is ensured, the conduct of a coordinated, coordinated or unified policy in the sectors of the economy defined by the Treaty on the EAEU of May 29, 2014 and international treaties within the Union.

The main objectives of the EAEU are to create conditions for the stable development of the economies of the member states of the Union in the interests of improving the living standards of their population; the desire to form a single market for goods, services, capital and labor resources within the Union, as well as comprehensive modernization, cooperation and increasing the competitiveness of national economies in the global economy.

The economic potential of Eurasian integration is very high. The total volume of the economies of states is more than 2.2 trillion US dollars, with a population of more than 182 million people.

In the context of continental "isolation" the most important systemic aspect for the growth of the economy of Kazakhstan and its diversification is the reduction of transport costs. Within the framework of the EAEU, agreements on access to infrastructure and domestic tariffs of partner countries for the transportation of goods allowed Kazakhstani businesses to reduce transportation costs. Accordingly, the competitiveness of Kazakhstani products in foreign markets has increased.

Uniform principles of technical regulation, a common system of veterinary, sanitary and phytosanitary safety make it possible to move products across the territory of the Member States under uniform requirements and on equal terms.

Citizens and businesses of the EAEU member states have already become tangible benefits from the free movement of labor. Ordinary citizens of the Union countries can work in any of the Member States without obtaining permits to exercise labor activity, use documents on education without the procedure for their recognition.

In 2016, a package of documents was adopted that is necessary for the formation of a single market for medicines and medical devices, which will increase the volume of production of Kazakhstani pharmaceutical products, create additional jobs, and reduce prices for consumers and improve the quality of medicines produced on the territory of the Union Member States.

By 2019, a common electric power market will be formed, which will provide an effective pricing system, increase the volume of electricity production and the export component of the countries' energy systems. Within the framework of the common electricity market, the probability of electricity shortages will decrease.

Within the framework of the EAEU, agreements were reached on the formation by 2025 of a common market for oil and oil products. It provides for the non-use of export customs duties and restrictions in mutual trade. In addition, by 2025 access to the gas transmission infrastructure will be provided. Kazakhstan is interested in solving these issues.

Arrangements on access to the infrastructure of partner countries will reduce the transport costs of our exporters. Accordingly, the competitiveness of Kazakhstani products, which are exported, including to European countries, will increase. There are interconnected systems for the supply of oil and oil products between the EAEU member states. Application general conditions trade without barriers will ensure stability and balance in the functioning of these systems.

In the face of a slowdown in the global economic growth, Kazakhstan's participation in the Eurasian economic integration creates the necessary foundation for diversifying the economy, increasing labor productivity.

In addition, efforts in the activities of the EAEU are focused on enhancing international contacts. The expansion of trade and economic ties with key partners and new growing markets should become an impetus for enhancing the role of the EAEU throughout the continent. Evidence of the attractiveness of the EAEU is the interest of more than 30 countries in the world in signing agreements with the EAEU on the creation of a free trade zone.

Currently, more than 25 memorandums of cooperation and interaction between the EAEU and different countries, including with Mongolia, Chile, Peru, Singapore and Cambodia.

On October 5, 2016, the Free Trade Agreement with Vietnam came into force, which is the first preferential agreement within the EAEU. There is a mandate to negotiate with China, Israel and Serbia. At a meeting of the Supreme Council on December 26, 2016 in St. Petersburg, decisions were approved to start negotiations on concluding free trade agreements with Iran, India, Egypt and Singapore. Partners from South America And South Korea also show interest in cooperation with the Union.

A search is being made for common ground with the European Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. A course has been set for conjugation of the EAEU and the Chinese initiative "The Economic Belt of the Silk Road".

In general, Kazakhstan always stands for progressive development integration in the wide space of Eurasia, which, in our opinion, gives a powerful multiplicative impetus to global economic development.

Cooperation within the EAEU is carried out in such areas as:

Customs-tariff and non-tariff regulation;

Customs regulation;

Technical regulation;

Sanitary, veterinary-sanitary and quarantine phytosanitary measures;

Enrollment and distribution of import customs duties;

Establishment of trade regimes for third parties;

Statistics of foreign and mutual trade;

macroeconomic policy;

Competition policy;

Industrial and agricultural subsidies;

energy policy;

Natural monopolies;

State and (or) municipal purchases;

Mutual trade in services and investments;

Transport and transportation;

Monetary policy;

Intellectual property;

Work migration;

Financial markets ( banking, insurance industry, foreign exchange market, securities market).

The bodies of the EAEU are the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (heads of member states), the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council (heads of governments of member states), the Eurasian Economic Commission (Commission), as well as the Court of the EAEU, which is located in Minsk.

The Commission consists of 2 levels - the Council and the Collegium. The Council is represented by five Deputy Prime Ministers of the Member States. The Board of the Commission consists of 10 people, 2 representatives from each state. Location of the Commission - Moscow. The representative of the Republic of Armenia, Tigran Sarkisyan, was elected Chairman of the Board for a four-year period (since February 1, 2016).

All decisions taken by the Supreme, Intergovernmental Councils and the Council of the Commission are taken by consensus, which makes it possible to take into account the interests of each member state.

The Board of the Commission has a mechanism for making decisions by consensus and a qualified majority. Decisions are made by consensus on the most sensitive issues, on the rest - by a qualified majority of two-thirds of the votes.

At the same time, any decisions taken by the Board may be reviewed by the higher bodies of the Union - the Council of the Commission, the Intergovernmental Council, the Supreme Council. And as a last resort, any issue can be challenged in the EAEU Court.

At the suggestion of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in structural divisions Both the Commission and the Court, the positions of Directors and Alternate Directors shall be filled by representatives of the Member States, subject to the principle of their equal representation.

Currently, the Commission consists of 25 departments, in which each party is represented by 5 directors and 13 deputy directors of departments of the Commission. The rest of the staff are appointed in proportion to the share participation of states in the financing of these bodies. The staff of the Commission is 1071 people.

In general, the activities of the EAEU are aimed at solving the problems of improving the welfare and quality of life of citizens of the Member States. The EAEU is a powerful incentive for the development and comprehensive modernization of the economies of the member states and their promotion to leading positions in the global world.