Eurasian Economic Union - what is it? EAEU member countries. Eurasian Economic Union

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On January 1, the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) came into force. The agreement approves the creation of an economic union, within the framework of which the freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and labor is ensured, the implementation of a coordinated, agreed or unified policy in the sectors of the economy defined by this document and international treaties within the Union.

The Treaty on the EAEU was signed by the Presidents of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation on May 29, 2014 in Astana. In addition to these three states, members of the Union will also include the Republic of Armenia, which signed the Treaty of Accession to the Union on October 10, 2014, and the Kyrgyz Republic, which signed a similar Treaty on December 23, 2014.

The Eurasian Economic Union is an international organization for regional economic integration with international legal personality.

The Union is called upon to create conditions for the stable development of the economies of the member states in the interests of improving the living standards of their populations, as well as for comprehensive modernization, cooperation and increasing the competitiveness of national economies in the global economy.

The EAEU carries out its activities within the competence granted to it by the member states in accordance with the Treaty on the Union, on the basis of respect for the generally recognized principles of international law, including the principles of sovereign equality of the member states and their territorial integrity; based on respect for the peculiarities of the political structure of the member states; on the basis of ensuring mutually beneficial cooperation, equality and taking into account the national interests of the parties; based on compliance with the principles of a market economy and fair competition.

The main body of the Union is the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (SEEC), which includes the heads of member states. SEEC meetings are held at least once a year. The structure of the EAEU bodies is also formed by the Intergovernmental Council at the level of heads of government, the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Court of the Union.

Reference:

Bodies of the Union:

The Supreme Council is the highest body of the EAEU, which includes the Presidents of the Union member states.

The Intergovernmental Council is a body of the Union, which includes the Prime Ministers of the member states, which considers strategically important issues of the development of Eurasian economic integration.

The EAEU Court is a judicial body of the Union that ensures the application by member states and bodies of the Union of the Treaty on the EAEU and other international treaties within the Union.

The Eurasian Economic Commission is a permanent supranational regulatory body of the Union, which is formed by the Council of the Commission and the Board of the Commission. The main tasks of the Commission are to ensure conditions for the functioning and development of the Union, as well as to develop proposals in the field of economic integration within the EAEU.

The Council of the Commission includes Deputy Prime Ministers of the Union member states.

The composition of the EEC Board is formed by the Chairman and Ministers of the Commission.

The main functional innovations of the Treaty on the EAEU in comparison with the stages of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space:

The Treaty on the EAEU cemented the agreement of the member states to pursue a coordinated energy policy and the formation of common energy markets (electricity, gas, oil and petroleum products) on the basis of common principles. The document assumes that this task will be implemented in several stages and finally completed by 2025: the formation of a common electricity market is expected to be completed by 2019, and a common hydrocarbon market by 2025.

The Treaty on the EAEU defines the regime for regulating the circulation of medicines and medical devices - within the Union, by January 1, 2016, a common market for medicines and a common market for medical products (medical products and medical equipment) will be created.

The Agreement defines the main priorities of transport policy in the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union for the long term. The parties agreed on a step-by-step liberalization of transport transportation on the territory of the newly created Union, which, first of all, concerns road and rail transport.

An agreement was reached on the formation and implementation of a coordinated agro-industrial policy. It is important that the implementation of policy in other areas of integration interaction, including in the field of ensuring sanitary, phytosanitary and veterinary-sanitary measures in relation to agricultural products, will be carried out taking into account the goals, objectives and directions of the agreed agro-industrial policy.

The effective functioning of the Eurasian Economic Union cannot be imagined without the implementation of a coordinated macroeconomic policy, which provides for the development and implementation of joint actions of the Union member states in order to achieve balanced economic development. According to the Treaty, the main directions of implementing a coordinated macroeconomic policy are the formation of common principles for the functioning of the economies of the Union member states, ensuring their effective interaction, as well as the development of general principles and guidelines for forecasting the socio-economic development of the Parties.

To ensure coordinated regulation of financial markets, based on the results of step-by-step harmonization of legislation, the EAEU member states agreed on the need to create a single supranational body for regulating the financial market by 2025.

The Treaty on the EAEU assumes that from January 1, 2015, a single market for services will begin to function in a number of sectors defined by the Union member states. At the same time, the national regime is laid down as a basis, i.e. the state is obliged to adopt a full-fledged national regime in relation to the service provider and partner countries; there cannot be any restrictions. In the future, the Parties will strive to maximize the expansion of these sectors, including through a gradual reduction of exemptions and restrictions, which will certainly strengthen the Eurasian integration project.

According to the Treaty on the EAEU, the single market for services within the Union operates in service sectors approved by the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the level of heads of state on the basis of agreed proposals of the member states and the Commission. Based on the Treaty, by decision of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on December 23, 2014, lists of service sectors were approved in which the single market will begin to function on January 1, 2015. Currently, according to proposals from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, more than 40 service sectors can be included in the list of services (construction services, services in the field of wholesale/retail trade, services related to agriculture, including sowing, processing, harvesting of crops, etc.) . The list of sectors in which the rules of the single market for services must be ensured is subject to gradual and agreed upon expansion. In service sectors where a single market for services does not operate, providers and recipients of services are provided with national and most favored nation treatment, and quantitative and investment restrictions are not applied.

From January 1, 2015, a common labor market will begin to function in the territories of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia; will be implementedfreedom of movement of labor. Citizens of these states will work under the same conditions: tworkers in the EAEU member states will not need to obtain work permits within the Union.With the creation of a common labor market, citizens of the EAEU countries can directly experience the benefits of the Eurasian Economic Union. Mutual recognition of diplomas will be carried out automatically from January 1, 2015. Income tax for individuals who are citizens of the EAEU member states will be paid at the internal resident rate from the first days of employment. Citizens of the EAEU countries will stopfill out migration cards when crossing the internal borders of the EAEU countries,if their stay does not exceed 30 days from the date of entry. In addition, workers and members of their family are exempt from the obligation to register (register) with internal affairs bodies for a period of stay of up to 30 days.

Another important novelty of the Treaty on the EAEU: the possibility of applying national treatment for citizens of all four countries in terms of social security, including medical care. In each country within the EAEU, all medical services guaranteed by the state will be equally available to all citizens of the Union countries. (We are talking, first of all, aboutfree provision of emergency medical services).

As for pensions, the Treaty on the EAEU contains an obligation to resolve the issue of exporting pensions and crediting work experience accumulated in another member state of the Union. Currently, the EEC, together with the Parties, is working on a Pension Agreement, which will come into force after 2015.

An agreement was signed between Russia and Crimea on the admission of Crimea to the Russian Federation and the formation of new Russian subjects in Moscow.

An agreement was signed between Russia and Crimea on the admission of Crimea to the Russian Federation in Moscow.

Moscow. March 18. website – On Tuesday in Moscow, an agreement was signed between Russia and the Republic of Crimea on the admission of the peninsula to the Russian Federation and the formation of new Russian subjects.

The document was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chairman of the State Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov, Head of the Council of Ministers of the Republic Sergei Aksenov and “People’s Mayor” of Sevastopol Alexei Chaly.

Two new regions

As follows from the text of the document posted on the Kremlin website, Crimea is considered accepted into the Russian Federation from the date of signing the agreement. From this moment on, two new entities are formed within the Russian Federation - the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol. Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar are declared the state languages ​​of the Republic of Crimea.

From the day of Crimea’s admission to Russia, Russian legislative acts come into force on the territory of the republic. The subjects' own regulations, which do not contradict the Constitution of the Russian Federation, will also be in force during the transition period, which will end on January 1, 2015. It is expected that during this period the issues of integration of new entities into the economic, financial, credit and legal systems of Russia will be resolved. During the transition period, it is also expected to fully regulate the issues of performing military duties and performing military service on the territory of the new constituent entities of the Russian Federation. At the same time, it is already known that Russian citizens drafted into the army in Crimea and Sevastopol will serve on the territory of these subjects until 2016.

Elections to government bodies in Crimea and Sevastopol will be held on the second Sunday of September 2015. Until the elections, according to the document, the State Council of the Republic and the Legislative Assembly of Sevastopol will continue to work.

Citizens of Ukraine living in Crimea, after signing the agreement, become Russians if they do not declare their desire to retain their existing citizenship within a month. The land border of Crimea with Ukraine is declared the border of the Russian Federation. The delimitation of maritime spaces in the Black and Azov Seas after the admission of Crimea to Russia will be carried out on the basis of the principles of international law, it follows from the signed document.

"Original Russian land"

The agreement with Crimea, which must now be ratified by parliament, was signed after an extraordinary address by the president to the Federal Assembly. During it, Putin also announced that he was introducing to parliament a law on the inclusion of Crimea and Sevastopol into Russia.

“I submit to the Federal Assembly and ask to consider a constitutional law on the admission into Russia of two new subjects of the Federation - the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol,” Putin said on Tuesday in an address to the Federal Assembly. His words were met with thunderous applause.

Putin emphasized that he is introducing this federal law based on the results of the Crimean referendum and relying on the will of the people. He proposed that Russian legislators ratify the treaty on the annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol.

During his address, Putin called the location of Crimea outside Russia’s borders “a blatant historical injustice.” “All these years, citizens and many public figures have repeatedly raised this topic: they said that Crimea is an original Russian land, and Sevastopol is a Russian city. Yes, we understood all this well, we felt it in our hearts and souls, but it was necessary proceed from the existing realities, and build good neighborly relations with independent Ukraine on a new basis,” he said.

According to the head of state, the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine is tired of attempts at their “forced assimilation.” “Over and over again, attempts have been made to deprive Russians of their historical memory, and sometimes even their native language, to make them the object of forced assimilation,” Putin said.

He emphasized that Russia will always protect the interests of Russian-speaking citizens. “Millions of Russian people, Russian-speaking citizens live and will live in Ukraine, and Russia will always protect their interests by political, diplomatic, legal means. However, first of all, Ukraine itself should be interested in ensuring that the rights and interests of these people are guaranteed, in this a guarantee of stability, Ukrainian statehood and the territorial integrity of the country,” he said.

At the same time, Putin emphasized that Russia does not want the collapse of Ukraine. “I want you to hear me, dear friends. Do not believe those who scare you with Russia, who shout that other regions will follow Crimea. We do not want the division of Ukraine. We do not need this,” he said.

There was no aggression or intervention in Crimea, the Russian president emphasized. According to him, Russia did not send troops into Crimea, but only strengthened its group, without exceeding the maximum staffing level provided for by the international treaty.

“They are telling us about some kind of Russian intervention in Crimea, aggression. It’s strange to hear this. I don’t remember a single case in history where the intervention took place without one single shot and without casualties,” he said. Putin also thanked the Ukrainian military personnel “who did not commit bloodshed and did not stain themselves with blood.”

Among the largest modern international associations is the Eurasian. Formally, it was established in 2014, but by the time the agreement on its creation was signed, the EAEU member states already had significant experience of interaction in the mode of active economic integration. What are the specifics of the EAEU? What is this - an economic or political association?

General information about the organization

Let's begin our exploration of the question posed by reviewing the key facts about the organization in question. What are the most noteworthy facts about the EAEU? What kind of structure is this?

The Eurasian Economic Union, or EAEU, is an association within the framework of international economic cooperation of several states of the Eurasian region - Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Armenia. Other countries are expected to join this association, since the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is an open structure. The main thing is that candidates for joining the association share the goals of this organization and show a willingness to fulfill the obligations stipulated by the relevant agreements. The creation of the structure was preceded by the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Community, as well as the Customs Union (which continues to function as one of the structures of the EAEU).

How did the idea of ​​forming the EAEU come about?

As evidenced by a number of sources, the state that was the first to initiate the processes of economic integration that grew into the establishment of the EAEU was Kazakhstan. Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed a corresponding idea at a speech at Moscow State University in 1994. Subsequently, the concept was supported by other former Soviet republics - Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.

The main advantage of a state being part of the Eurasian Economic Union is the freedom of economic activity of entities registered in it on the territory of all member countries of the union. It is expected that a single trade space will soon be formed on the basis of the EAEU institutions, characterized by common standards and norms for doing business.

Is there room for political interaction?

So, what is the EAEU, a purely economic structure, or an association that may be characterized by a political component of integration? At the moment and in the near future, as various sources testify, it would be more correct to talk about the first interpretation of the essence of the unification. That is, the political aspect is excluded. Countries will integrate in pursuit of economic interests.

There is evidence of initiatives regarding the creation of certain supranational parliamentary structures within the EAEU. But the Republic of Belarus and Kazakhstan, as evidenced by a number of sources, do not consider the possibility of their participation in building the respective countries. They want to maintain full sovereignty, agreeing only to economic integration.

At the same time, it is obvious to many experts and ordinary people how close the political relations of the countries that are members of the EAEU are. The composition of this structure is formed by the closest allies who have no publicly expressed fundamental differences regarding the difficult situation on the world stage. This allows some analysts to conclude that economic integration within the framework of the association under consideration would be very difficult if there were significant political differences between the countries participating in the association.

History of the EAEU

Studying some facts from the history of the association will help us better understand the specifics of the EAEU (what kind of organization it is). In 1995, the heads of several states - Belarus, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, and a little later - Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, formalized agreements establishing the Customs Union. On their basis, the Eurasian Economic Community, or EurAsEC, was established in 2000. In 2010, a new association appeared - the Customs Union. In 2012, the Common Economic Space opened - first with the participation of the states that are members of the Customs Union, then Armenia and Kyrgyzstan joined the structure.

In 2014, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus signed an agreement on the creation of the EAEU. Later Armenia and Kyrgyzstan joined it. The provisions of the relevant document came into force in 2015. The EAEU Customs Union continues to function, as we noted above. It includes the same countries as the EAEU.

Progressive development

Thus, the member states of the EAEU - the Republic of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan - began to interact long before the corresponding association was established in its modern form. According to a number of analysts, the Eurasian Economic Union is an example of an international organization with a progressive, systematic development of integration processes, which can determine the significant stability of the corresponding structure.

Stages of development of the EAEU

Several stages of development of the Eurasian Economic Union have been identified. The first is the establishment of a free trade zone, the development of norms according to which trade between the EAEU member countries can be carried out without duties. At the same time, each state retains independence in terms of conducting trade with third countries.

The next stage in the development of the EAEU is the formation of the Customs Union, which involves the formation of an economic space within which the movement of goods will be carried out unhindered. At the same time, foreign trade rules that are common to all member countries of the association should also be determined.

The most important stage in the development of the union is the formation of a single market. It is expected that it will be created within the framework of which it will be possible to freely exchange not only goods, but also services, capital and personnel - between the member states of the association.

The next stage is the formation of an economic union, the participants of which will be able to coordinate the priorities of implementing economic policy among themselves.

After the listed tasks are solved, it remains to achieve complete economic integration of the states included in the association. This involves the creation of a supranational structure that will determine priorities in building economic and social policies in all countries included in the union.

Advantages of the EAEU

Let’s take a closer look at the key benefits that EAEU members receive. We noted above that among the key ones is the freedom of economic activity of economic entities that are registered in any state of the union throughout the entire territory of the EAEU. But this is far from the only advantage of the state joining the organization we are studying.

EAEU members will have the opportunity to:

Take advantage of low prices for many goods, as well as reduced costs associated with the transportation of goods;

Develop markets more dynamically by increasing competition;

Increase labor productivity;

Increase the volume of the economy due to increased demand for manufactured goods;

Provide employment for citizens.

GDP growth prospects

Even for such economically powerful players as Russia, the EAEU is the most important factor in economic growth. Russia's GDP, according to some economists, may, thanks to the country's entry into the association under consideration, receive a very powerful growth stimulus. Other EAEU member countries - Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus - can achieve impressive indicators of GDP growth.

Social aspect of integration

In addition to the positive economic effect, the EAEU member countries are expected to integrate in the social aspect as well. International business activities, as many experts believe, will help establish partnerships and stimulate strengthening the friendship of nations. Integration processes are facilitated by the common Soviet past of the peoples living in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. The cultural and, what is very important, linguistic proximity of the EAEU states is obvious. The composition of the organization is formed by countries in which the Russian language is familiar to the majority of the population. Thus, many factors can contribute to the successful solution of the tasks facing the heads of state of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Supranational structures

The Treaty on the EAEU has been signed, it’s up to its implementation. Among the most important tasks within the framework of the development of the Eurasian Economic Union is the creation of a number of supranational institutions, whose activities will be aimed at promoting economic integration processes. According to a number of public sources, the formation of some basic institutions of the EAEU is expected. What structures could these be?

First of all, these are various commissions:

Economics;

For raw materials (she will set prices, as well as quotas for goods and fuel, coordinate policies in the field of precious metals circulation);

For interstate financial and industrial associations and enterprises;

By entering the monetary unit for calculations;

On environmental issues.

It is also planned to create a special Fund, the competence of which will include cooperation in a variety of areas: in the economy, in the field of development of science and technology. It is expected that this organization will deal with issues of financing various studies and help participants in cooperation in resolving a wide range of issues - legal, financial or, for example, environmental.

Other important supranational structures of the EAEU that are planned to be created are the International Investment Bank, as well as the arbitration of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Among the successfully created associations that are part of the governance structure of the EAEU - Let us study the features of its activities in more detail.

Eurasian Economic Commission

It can be noted that the EEC was created in 2011, that is, even before the agreement on the creation of the EAEU was signed. It was founded by Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. Initially, this organization was created to manage processes at the level of such a structure as the Customs Union. The EAEU is a structure in the development of which the Commission is called upon to directly participate now.

The EEC has established a council and a board. The first structure should include deputy heads of government of the member states of the association. The board should consist of three people from the EAEU member countries. The Commission provides for the creation of separate departments.

The Eurasian Economic Commission is the most important, but not the most important supranational governing body of the EAEU. It is subordinate to the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. Let's look at the key facts about him.

This structure, like the Eurasian Economic Commission, was created several years before the states signed the agreement on the creation of the EAEU. Thus, for a long time it was considered a supranational body within the structure of the Customs Union, as well as the Common Economic Space. The Council is formed by the heads of the EAEU member states. It should meet at the highest level at least once a year. The heads of government of the member countries of the association must meet at least 2 times a year. A peculiarity of the functioning of the Council is that decisions are made in a consensus format. The approved provisions are mandatory for implementation in the EAEU member countries.

Prospects for the EAEU

How do analysts assess the prospects for the development of the EAEU? We noted above that some experts believe that simultaneously with economic integration, political rapprochement of the member states of the association is inevitable. There are experts who share this point of view. There are experts who completely disagree with her. The main argument of those analysts who see prospects for the politicization of the EAEU is that Russia, as the leading economic player in the association, will in one way or another influence the decisions made by the authorities of the EAEU member states. Opponents of this point of view believe that, on the contrary, it is not in the interests of the Russian Federation to show excessive interest in the politicization of the corresponding international association.

Provided that a balance is maintained between the economic and political components in the EAEU, the prospects for the union, based on a number of objective indicators, are assessed by many analysts as very positive. Thus, the total GDP of the member states of the structure under consideration will be comparable to the indicators of the leading economies of the world. Taking into account the scientific and resource potential of the EAEU, the volume of economic systems of the member countries of the union can grow significantly in the future.

Global collaboration

According to a number of analysts, the prospects for cooperation with the EAEU are attractive for countries that seem to be far from the economic space formed by the countries that signed the EAEU treaty - Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Armenia. For example, Vietnam recently signed a free trade agreement with the EAEU.

For cooperation Syria, Egypt. This gives analysts reason to say that the Eurasian Economic Union can become a powerful player in the world market.

(EAEU) is an economic union, which, as part of Eurasian integration, is being created on January 1, 2015 on the basis of the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

Cooperation in the field of interstate integration in the economic sphere in the post-Soviet space has been ongoing since the late 1990s.

On February 26, 1999, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan signed the Treaty on the Customs Union and Common Economic Space. This document, without specifying the timing of implementation, assumed the abolition of customs controls at internal borders, the implementation of a common economic policy and the formation of a common market for goods, services, labor and capital, the unification of national legislation, and the implementation of a coordinated social, scientific and technological policy.

On October 10, 2000, the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) was formed (the agreement entered into force on May 30, 2001). The EurAsEC includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. In 2006, protocols on accession to the Treaty establishing the EurAsEC of Uzbekistan were signed. In 2008, Uzbekistan's membership in the EurAsEC was suspended.

In 2002, Ukraine and Moldova received observer status at the EurAsEC, and in 2003, Armenia. In December 2003, EurAsEC was granted observer status in the UN General Assembly.

On August 16, 2006 in Sochi, at a meeting of the heads of the EurAsEC member states, a decision was made to create a Customs Union (CU) of three states within the EurAsEC - Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

On November 27, 2009, the Agreement on the Customs Code was signed. The Unified Customs Tariff of the Customs Union (entered into force on January 1, 2010), the Unified Commodity Nomenclature for Foreign Economic Activity and other international documents aimed at implementing unified customs tariff regulation were approved. A decision was made to begin functioning on July 1, 2010 of the single customs territory of the Customs Union. On July 6, 2010, the Customs Code of the Customs Union came into force.

On July 1, 2011, the Customs Union began to function fully: customs control on the internal borders between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan was completely removed, all types of customs control and clearance were transferred to the external border of the Customs Union.

On December 19, 2009 in Almaty (Kazakhstan), at an informal meeting of the heads of state members of the Customs Union, a decision was made to approve the Action Plan for the formation of the Common Economic Space (CES) of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

On February 2, 2012, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) began to function - a permanent regulatory body of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space.

During the meeting of the presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan in Moscow, a declaration on Eurasian economic integration was signed, in which the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) was proclaimed as one of the main long-term goals of Eurasian economic integration.

On May 29, 2012 in Astana, at a meeting of the heads of state members of the Customs Union, a work plan for the preparation of a draft Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union was approved.

It is expected that the EAEU will begin to function on January 1, 2015, taking the place of the abolishing EurAsEC.

The area of ​​the EAEU will exceed 20 million square kilometers, the population living on its territory will be about 170 million people.

The trilateral agreement on the creation of the EAEU is planned to be signed on May 29, 2014 at the summit in Astana.

The single financial regulator of the Eurasian Economic Union, its headquarters will be located in Almaty (Kazakhstan).

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources