Countries of the Customs Union: List

In today's world, many countries are united in alliances-political, economic, religious, and others. One of the largest such unions was the Soviet Union. Now we see the emergence of the European, Eurasian, as well as the Customs Union.

The Customs Union was positioned as a form of trade and economic integration of a number of countries, which provides for not only a common customs territory for mutually beneficial trade with no duties, etc., but also a number of issues 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 contract on the movement of goods within this territory speaks of the following:

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

Active countries and candidates

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

Participants:

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

Candidates for membership:

• Tunisia;
• Syria;
• Tajikistan.

Heads of TS

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 of the legal activities of the organization. The structure worked and remained within this legal framework until July 1, 2012, that is, before the creation of the ECE. The supreme body of the union at that time was a group of representatives of the heads of state (Vladimir Putin (Russian Federation), Nursultan Nazarbayev (Republic of Kazakhstan) and Alexander Lukashenko (Republic of Belarus)).

Prime ministers were represented at the level of prime ministers:

• Russia - Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev;
• Kazakhstan - Karim Kazimkanovich Masimov;
• Of Belarus - Sergei Sergeevich Sidorsky.

The purpose of the Customs Union

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

The second goal was to protect our own interests and markets, first of all from harmful, poor quality, and also 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 the interests of their own states, taking into account the views of the participants in the union, is a priority for any country.

Benefits and prospects

First of all, the benefit is obvious for those enterprises that can easily carry out purchases in neighboring countries. Most likely, it will only be large corporations and companies. As for the prospects for the future, despite some forecasts by economists that the Customs Union will entail a reduction in the level of wages in the participating countries, at an official level, the Kazakh Prime Minister announced the hanging of salaries in the state in 2015.

That is why the world experience of such large economic entities can not be attributed to this case. The countries that are members of the Customs Union expect a slow but steady growth of economic ties.

Agreement

The final version of the Agreement on the Customs Code of the Customs Union was adopted only at the tenth meeting, on 26.10.2009. In this pact, it was said about the establishment of special groups that will follow the activities for the implementation of the amended draft treaty.

The countries of the Customs Union were to amend their legislation by 01.07.2010 to eliminate contradictions between this Code and the Constitution. Thus, another contact group was created to resolve problems related to the differences between national legislative systems.

Also, all the nuances associated with the territories of the CU were finalized.

Territory of the Customs Union

The countries of the Customs Union have a common customs territory, which is defined by the borders of the states that have concluded the treaty and are members of the organization. The Customs Code, among other things, determines the expiry 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 its staff to fully control all processes. On January 1, 2012 the Eurasian Economic Commission (ЕАЭС) officially began its work.

ЕАЭС

The structure of the Eurasian Economic Union includes the countries participating in the Customs Union: the founders - Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan - and the newly-joined states, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.

The establishment of the Unified Energy System implies a wider range of relationships in the freedom of movement of labor, capital, services and goods. Also, a coordinated economic policy of all countries should be constantly conducted, and a transition to a single customs tariff should be implemented.

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

The working language for the regulation of all documents was Russian, and the headquarters will be located in Moscow. The financial regulator of the EAEC is in Alma-Ata, and the court is in the capital of Belarus, Minsk.

Union Organs

The highest governing body is the Supreme Council, which includes the heads of the participating states.

Next is the intergovernmental council. It includes the Prime Ministers, whose main task is to consider strategically important problems of economic integration.

A judicial body was also set up, which is responsible for the application of treaties within the Union.

The Eurasian Economic Commission (ECE) is the regulatory body that provides all 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 EAEC. 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 Agreement on the Unified Energy System of Ukraine

Undoubtedly, the EAEC, in comparison with the TS, has not only more extensive powers, but also a much more extensive and specific list of planned works. This document no longer has any general plans, and for each specific task a way of its implementation has been determined and a special working group has been created that will not only monitor the implementation but also monitor its entire course.

In the received contract The countries of the single Customs Union, and now the EEA, have consolidated the agreement on coordinated work and the creation of common energy markets. Work on energy policy is quite ambitious and will be implemented in several stages until 2025.

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

Great importance is attached to the transport policy on the territory of the EAPC states, without which no joint action plan will be possible. It is planned to develop a coordinated agro-industrial policy, which includes compulsory formation of veterinary and phytosanitary measures.

An agreed macroeconomic policy provides an opportunity to translate into reality all the plans and agreements that have been conceived. Under such conditions, common principles of interaction are developed and effective development of countries is ensured.

A special place belongs to the general labor market, which regulates not only the free movement of labor, but also the same working conditions. Citizens who go to earn money in the EAPP countries will no longer have to fill in the migration cards (if their stay does not exceed 30 days). The same simplified system will also work with medical care. The issue of export of pensions and the calculation of seniority, which was accumulated in the country-participant of the Union, is also being solved.

Expert opinions

The list of countries of the Customs Union may soon be replenished by several other states, but experts say that it is necessary to see a full-fledged growth and influence on Western similar unions like the EU (European Union), a lot of work and expansion of the organization is needed. In any case, the ruble can not become an alternative to the euro or the dollar for a long time, and the influence of recent sanctions clearly showed how Western policy can work to please its interests, and that neither Russia nor the whole Union can actually do anything about it . As for Kazakhstan and Belarus, the conflict in Ukraine showed that they will not abandon their benefits to the benefit of Russia. Tenge, incidentally, also fell heavily due to the fall of the ruble. And on many issues, Russia remains the main rival of Kazakhstan and Belarus. However, at the moment the creation of the Union is an adequate and the only right decision that can help at least somehow strengthen relations between states in the event of further Western pressure on Russia.

Now it is known which countries in the Customs Union are more interested in creating it. Despite the fact that even at the time of his appearance, he was constantly harassed by all sorts of problems, the joint coordinated actions of all the members of the Union allow to solve them as quickly as possible, which gives an opportunity to look optimistically into the future and hope for the rapid development of the economies of all states participating in this treaty.