Are there still barriers to mutual trade in the EAEU? The Ministry of Economy answered

Alesya Abramenko March 21, MINSK . Are there any barriers to mutual trade left in the EAEU , said Deputy Minister of Economy of Belarus Alesya Abramenko during a round table on the topic "The Future of the EAEU: Belarus at the Forefront of Integration Processes. Chairmanship of the Republic of Belarus in the EAEU Bodies" in .

"In 2024 , active measures were taken to implement the initiatives and priorities outlined by the heads of state - members of the EAEU to eliminate barriers and minimize exemptions and restrictions to ensure the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. The legal basis for eliminating obstacles to mutual trade in the Eurasian Economic Union is the methodology for qualifying obstacles in the internal market of the EAEU and recognizing barriers and restrictions as eliminated, approved by the decision of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission of March 28, 2023, No. 41. The use of this tool since 2016 has made it possible to eliminate 69 qualified barriers, 16 restrictions, 30 exemptions. Today, only one barrier, 35 restrictions, 360 exemptions remain in the union. The Commission, together with the countries of the union, is constantly working to identify and eliminate obstacles in the EAEU market," said Alesya Abramenko.

The Treaty on the EAEU provides for the principle of four freedoms: freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and labor. Mechanisms for the possible introduction of restrictions in case of necessity to protect the internal market are provided. At the same time, measures can be introduced only on the conditions fixed by the treaty. For goods, mutual trade can be limited, for example, in order to ensure public HEALTH, safety, public order. For trade in services, the countries of the union have fixed the right to deviate from the principle of free trade in the most sensitive areas (for example, retail trade in tobacco products, alcoholic beverages). At the same time, the areas that each state of the EAEU has fixed as exceptions are clearly defined by the law of the union.

"Despite significant efforts to integrate information systems in the EAEU and the Union State, a number of problematic issues remain. Among them are limited access to national information systems and differences in the regulatory framework. The lack of mutual recognition of electronic digital signatures and electronic document management complicates the process of cross-border transactions. Different rates of implementation of digital technologies in the countries of the Union State and the EAEU lead to inconsistencies, which can create obstacles to the movement of goods, services and labor. These problems require further harmonization of the regulatory framework and improvement of technical solutions to create a single digital ecosystem within the framework of integration processes," the Deputy Minister noted.

In the declaration on the further development of economic processes within the Eurasian Economic Union until 2030 and for the period up to 2045 "Eurasian Economic Path", the heads of state noted the relevance of the digitalization of economic processes as an important component of the modernization of the economies of the EAEU member states. "Therefore, further work will be aimed primarily at eliminating the aforementioned digital "inconsistencies". The Ministry of Economy of Belarus proposed conducting a corresponding analysis with the development of recommendations for the countries of the union," added Alesya Abramenko.