Eurochamber Meeting in Georgia

Nino Arveladze

Meeting of the Presidents of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of non – EU countries` Eurochamber was held at “Tbilisi Marriott” hotel on May 3. CCI Chairmen of Georgia, Turkey, Norway, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Armenia, Russia, Macedonia and Belorussia attended the held arrangement.

President of “Eurochamber” and Chairman of Paris CCI Pierre Simon participated at meeting. One of the actual issues of the meeting included origin certificates giving out discussing by Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
The meeting discussed improving the relationship of CCI “Eurochamber” non-member countries. EU non – member counties CCI recent trends, updated directions of collaborating with EU and Europe Neighborhood Policy were also among the discussed issues. EU delegation Head in Georgia on Economy, Political and Press Issues Robert Liddell made spread report during the meeting. As he reported, EU Neighborhood Policy involving counties working under common principles and values, but EU Neighborhood Policy present to be unshared part of its foreign politics, what will positively influence on the stability, security and collaboration maintain in the region. EU ides realization in the counties is a straight way to serious reforms. EU Neighborhood Policy aims reforms implementation program creation together with its partner counties, for giving the countries possibility realizing it themselves. Georgia strongly maintains schedule of its integrating at EU Neighborhood Policy, which has not been initial project. So, EU come to the concussion of the same sort of political dialogues providing obligatory and regional counties involving in them. EU presents technical cooperation project with the regional counties for now, involving all the EU Neighborhood Policy counties including Russia. Separated resources amount for EU Neighborhood Policy face 32 % growth and the counties scheduled to be increasingly financed in up –coming seven years. Cooperation development projects faces that a lot ought to be changed in the countries, so the finances may be not quite enough, but need to be exactly separated. EU Council has a project for the moment –Neighborhood Policy, being oriented on investitions making gear, what will create into sort of interest for Eurochamber and the meeting all participator CCI officials. The project separates special amounts for investitions providing as the state obligatory issue for exact spheres and sectors. For the first step of investing 73 million euros is scheduled to be separated. EU will complimentary give bonuses the investitions successfully and actively provider counties, aiming handle system optimation. Incredible is EU Neighborhood Policy is not the static one and needs to be developed in conjunction with its involved counties ` moving further. According to EU demand, legislation of non- member counties involved in Neighborhood Policy needs to be maximally closed to European principles. Closing to the principles does not mean dictating will of interior market of the counties for EU side, but every commodity, importing to Europe must meet EU current principles, claims and standards, said the reporter.
“Agreement of EU neighborhood policy member counties –Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia does not keep just the level of agreement. For one point of view agreement and projects with Georgia may specter ambitious, but we aim supporting counties in their goals achievement issue”, Robert Liddell said.
EU representative clearly talked about EU –Georgia relationship and said that intensive negotiations, debates and discussions were held with Georgia, resulting next sort of relationship with Georgia, for maintain the country effectively involve in EU Neighborhood Policy. Acting Plan for Practical Cooperation ( check details in news No:1) was created concerning the issue, clearly facing three priority spheres: ensure legislation fulfilling, possessing real importance for investitions making, the second one is business and investition environment improving, so privatization processes high level diaphanous providing is necessary, and tax and customs procedures making easy, possessing business sphere of interest. And the last of priority includes economy development and reducing the poverty level, what means economy development stimulation and macro economy stabilization. Program includes healthcare, education (high education), statistics, transport sphere reforms providing. Free trade zones creation and metrology sphere improvement are mentioned while economy development issues discussing, what means practical arrangements providing. Georgia will gradually receive approximately 125 million euros while up –coming five years, for state projects realization.
Georgia scheduled to be supported in conflict zones rehabilitation and reconstruction issues under EU Neighborhood Policy frames. Georgia will receive supplementary resources under TACC project. Acting Plan is important document nearly being political agreement of the issues EU schedules to realize in Georgia in up –coming five years period (but Georgia took responsibility of the goals fulfilling in three years period). Yearly project had been also created. Twenty–four million euros is scheduled to be supplied to Georgia in 2007. EU faces aspiration of Trans –European transport network widening in Caucasus region, and governmental action monitoring will be launched in every EU neighborhood member country under reforms providing project specter. Reforms operatively provider countries will receive supplementary bonus and appreciated by Chambers of Commerce and Industry. View of citizens and business officials will be taken into the consideration, for achieving the opportunity of economics, trade relationship and business development objectively estimation, what will provide background for effective political dialogue providing with European Union.
If Georgia will be unable tax regime change , aiming economy development, the issue will obligatory be noted by EU.
The researches will give every possibility the EU determining free trade zones opportunities in Georgia and Armenia. The same sort of researches scheduled to be provided in Azerbaijan after the country will enter International Trade Organization. Negotiations are planed concerning Georgian citizens visas procedures making easier, for giving chance Georgian students and specialists continuing study at European universities and researches providing. The government of Georgia frequently troubles about their aspiration still remaining on un- reached level, but everyone should keep in mind that the long time is necessary.
Euorochamber officials outlined the chamber strong function for new projects creation. Eurochamber is intensively involved as well as in programs creation concerning exact cooperation, technical assistance and local CCI development programs, so concerning political sphere, including improvement of legislation and the Chambers collaboration issues. Eurochamber works on projects creation together with the countries, but their realization is deeply dependent on the Chambers, what means Eurochamber not being the projects realization coordinator. While talking on the several projects realization issue, regional countries may rely on European resources supplement maintain, but the county must fulfill several exact duties for that. There are also regional differences, if cooperation with Turkey mentions EU widening policy specter, but neighborhood policy in Caucasus region, the other countries posses the same.
The President of Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Jemal Inaishvili reviewed Georgian CCI condition and said, that the main dealing of the Chamber is related to business support and arrangements and exhibitions providing as in Georgia , so abroad for the issue. Georgian CCI is a strong supporter of Georgian wine promoting in the world, the issue was also among the outlined questions. But the Chamber suffers several problems indeed, “the Chamber is unprofitable organization and it’s the only income is origin certificates giving out”, –Jemal Inaishvili told.
CCI important role in international trade aspect was emphasized by every participator during the meeting. The role growth while global economy condition, so every CCI should aspirate its service widening and multi- tasking in international trade sphere. CCI positions solid is necessary issue, and origin certificates giving out is one of the tools, what will assist trade procedures simplifying.
While legislative and institutional market condition, for creation of huge amount of money had bee expended, the meeting participator country Chambers may gain right of giving out as limited so unlimited certificates. But despite of the system effectively work, certificates right canceling to CCI and transmitting to other structures tendency was faced.
From June 1, 2006 Moldova Republic CCI lost function of origin certificate form “a” giving out and transmitted to the customs authority, on EU claim background. Limited certificate giving out function canceling issue for Moldova republic was discussed and followed with sharp reaction of Moldova CCI President. He reported that Moldova is not EU member country and considers the demands backgroundless and the fact rough interference.
The meeting participators believe that all the types of limited certificate giving out cancel for Chambers of Commerce and Industry and transmitting to the other structures is absolutely backgroundless and opposites the “international agreement (Moldova is among the participators’). As the meeting participators tell, EU has no right of influence on non – member counties` trade regulation issues.

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