EU-Georgia Association Committee on Trade praises fulfilment of free trade area deal obligations
Genadi Arveladze, the Deputy Minister of Economy, chaired the Georgian side at the Committee meeting, with Ignacio Iruarrizaga Díez, the Head of the European Commission’s European and Eastern Neighbourhood Directorate-General for Trade, joining from the bloc. Photo: Ministry of Economy
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Georgia’s Ministry of Economy on Wednesday said the European Union-Georgia Association Committee in Trade Configuration, a governing body for the implementation of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area of the Association Agreement between the sides, had praised the fulfilment of the obligations undertaken by the country under the deal signed in 2014.
The 10th meeting of the Committee, held between Tuesday and Wednesday in the capital city of Tbilisi, discussed implemented and ongoing reforms in commitments for the DCFTA in customs, trade in goods and services, intellectual property rights, technical barriers to trade, public procurement, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, competition, and other fields.
The Ministry said parties agreed to start working on the development of the DCFTA priority action plan, the initial draft of which was prepared by the Georgian side and submitted to the European Commission.
The body added the action plan involved mutually agreed priority reforms, the implementation of which would make the benefits received from the DCFTA “even more tangible”. The Ministry said Moldova and Ukraine had already developed similar plans.
Genadi Arveladze, the Deputy Minister of Economy, chaired the Georgian side at the Committee meeting, with Ignacio Iruarrizaga Díez, the Head of the European Commission’s European and Eastern Neighbourhood Directorate-General for Trade, joining from the bloc.
Paweł Herczyński, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Wednesday pledged the bloc remained “steadfast” in its support for Georgia's integration ahead of the European Council decision this week on the country’s candidacy.
Genadi Arveladze, the Deputy Economy Minister of Georgia, on Wednesday told the Parliament's European Integration Committee that 60 percent of the country’s commitments made under the 2014 Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area deal with the European Union in terms of alignment of the domestic legislation with the bloc’s framework had been fulfilled.
The Association Committee on Trade Issues, created within the 2014-signed Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area agreement between Georgia and the European Union, this week discussed the country’s implementation of its obligations under the deal in Brussels.
Georgia has made “significant progress” on its path to European Union membership over the recent years, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Tuesday at the Parliament.
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Saturday said obtaining the European Union membership candidate status by the country was “a successful completion” of one stage and the beginning of a new one on the EU integration path.
Genadi Arveladze, the Deputy Economy Minister of Georgia, on Friday said the country had achieved “significant success” in quality infrastructure development, a system contributing to Governmental policy objectives in areas including trade competitiveness in global markets, efficient use of natural and human resources, food safety and more.
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Monday said the eighth meeting of the Association Council between the European Union and Georgia would discuss the Black Sea submarine electricity cable project, a project for a new transmission route to connect the South Caucasus grid to Europe.