§ Mr. CohenTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress is being made on the development of free trade between the European Union and(a) Russia, (b) other CIS states, (c) the Baltic republics, (d) the Visegrad group, (e) Romania, (f) Bulgaria, (g) Slovenia and (h) Albania.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe European Union recently signed partnership and co-operation agreements with Russia and Ukraine. Each of those agreements provides for the parties to examine in 1998 whether circumstances allow the beginning of negotiations on the establishment of a free trade area between the EU and Russia and Ukraine respectively. Similar agreements now under negotiation with other republics of the former Soviet Union are not so specific but allow for development of the trade provisions as circumstances permit. Negotiations for free trade agreements have recently been concluded with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. These should enter into force on 1 January 1995.
509WThe trade provisions of the association agreements signed between the EU and the Visegrad countries, Romania and Bulgaria envisage free trade with all those countries by 2002 at the latest. The EU is committed to opening its market first, and has put into effect a number of further concessions agreed at the European Council in Copenhagen in June 1993. From 1 January 1995, nearly all imports of industrial products from the Visegrad countries will enter the EU without restrictions.
The EU will shortly begin negotiations with Slovenia for a similar association agreement with free trade as one of its aims. The EU has a bilateral trade and co-operation agreement with Albania. There are no plans at present to go beyond this by entering into a free trade agreement.