Trade Barriers (Hansard, 19 November 1990)

§ Mr. Lilley

[holding answer 15 November 1990]: The signing of bilateral trade and economic co-operation agreements between the EC and the USSR, GDR, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania over the last 12 months, following earlier agreements with Poland and Hungary, completed a framework for commercial co-operation with the countries of central and eastern Europe. Agreements include a timetable for the elimination and suspension of quantitative import restrictions by the EEC on industrial and some agricultural imports from these countries. Import arrangements on MFA and ECSC products are covered by separate bilateral arrangements.

The liberalisation measures provided for in the co-operation agreements have been accelerated on the initiative of the EEC under its aid programme for central and eastern Europe—PHARE. As a result the following measures have been taken by the EEC. With effect from 1 January 1990, all quantitative import restrictions were liberalised or suspended for products from Poland and Hungary and limited duty-free access was granted by conferring general system of preferences status on these countries for five years: With effect from 1 October 1990 all quantitative import restrictions which discriminated against products from state trading countries were suspended for Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia.

The PHARE programme also provides for increased exports to the Community of MFA products from Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland. In December 1989 a bilateral textile agreement was signed between the EEC and USSR which provided for greater access for Soviet textiles to Community markets.

The bilateral arrangements on exports of ECSC products from central and eastern Europe have been relaxed as part of the process to phase out progressively these measures by March 1992.

All EEC trade restrictions which applied to GDR goods were liberalised as part of the German unification process.