Trade policy regimes. 2nd Workshop Report.

World-wide international economic policies during the last few decades have shown a rising interest in regional integration in various new forms. Not only has the number of regional integration arrangements expanded, but, even more strikingly, their scope and depth have advanced in a spectacular manner. The analysis of such experiences would be very important for the development of further integration initiatives in the framework of the CU/SES/EAEU as well as for the design of efficient and sustainable integration policies in the Eurasian Economic Union. The questions of creating common and coordinated policies beyond trade will be the most important for the first years in EAEU. Apart from the complex regulatory and governance issues in alternative integration arrangements, other challenges facing the integration on the wider European and Eurasian economic space relate to geopolitical, economic and sectoral heterogeneities in the region. Assuming that the current frictions between Russia and the EU can be resolved, the future trade linkages and other forms of integration between the EU and the EAEU could become an important factor in shaping the Eurasian regional economic development. Any classification of regional economic integration arrangements is based on the different levels or degrees of integration: from the elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers for goods (traditional FTA), to the establishment of a common customs tariff (CU), from the freedom of movement of goods only to liberalizing services, as well as the flow of capital and people and, finally, to policy harmonization and the regulatory unification (DCFTA, Single Market, etc). The research and expert communities are now challenged to provide solid, independent and comprehensive analysis and advice to policy-makers on the plausible future scenarios and optimal schemes of economic integration within the EAEU, as well as between the EAEU and its strategic partners, notably the EU. In order to foster interdisciplinary and international dialogue on the topic, the 2d workshop on trade policy regomes invited distinguished scientists, policymakers and business representatives from all Background World-wide international economic policies during the last few decades have shown a rising interest in regional integration in various new forms. Not only has the number of regional integration arrangements expanded, but, even more strikingly, their scope and depth have advanced in a spectacular manner. The analysis of such experiences would be very important for the development of further integration initiatives in the framework of the CU/SES/EAEU as well as for the design of efficient and sustainable integration policies in the Eurasian Economic Union. The questions of creating common and coordinated policies beyond trade will be the most important for the first years in EAEU. Apart from the complex regulatory and governance issues in alternative integration arrangements, other challenges facing the integration on the wider European and Eurasian economic space relate to geopolitical, economic and sectoral heterogeneities in the region. Assuming that the current frictions between Russia and the EU can be resolved, the future trade linkages and other forms of integration between the EU and the EAEU could become an important factor in shaping the Eurasian regional economic development. Any classification of regional economic integration arrangements is based on the different levels or degrees of integration: from the elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers for goods (traditional FTA), to the establishment of a common customs tariff (CU), from the freedom of movement of goods only to liberalizing services, as well as the flow of capital and people and, finally, to policy harmonization and the regulatory unification (DCFTA, Single Market, etc). The research and expert communities are now challenged to provide solid, independent and comprehensive analysis and advice to policy-makers on the plausible future scenarios and optimal schemes of economic integration within the EAEU, as well as between the EAEU and its strategic partners, notably the EU. In order to foster interdisciplinary and international dialogue on the topic, the 2d workshop on trade policy regomes invited distinguished scientists, policymakers and business representatives from all over the world, including Andrey Slepnev, Member of the Board – Minister in charge of Trade, Eurasian Economic Commission; Peter Balas, Deputy Director General, DG Trade, European Commission; Stephan Nolte, Senior Economist, DG Trade, European Commission (EC), Pavel Kabat, Director General and Chief Executive Officer, IIASA; Evgeny Vinokurov, Director, Centre for Integration Studies, Eurasian Development Bank; Alexander Knobel, Head, Foreign Trade Department, Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy (Gaidar Institute), Natalia Volchkova, Policy Director, Center for Economic and Financial Research, Assistant Professor, New Economic School, Rahim Oshakbaev, First Deputy Chairman of the Board, National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan, Stefan Meister, Senior Policy Fellow, European Council of Foreign Relations, among many others, with a total of 45 participants. Thus, the aim of the workshop was to challenge research and expert communities to provide solid, independent and comprehensive support to policy-making on plausible future scenarios and optimal schemes of economic integration within the EAEU, and between the EAEU and its strategic partners. It should be noted, however, that the timing of the workshop has turned out as less than optimal: it coincided with the introduction of the second wave of major sanctions by Western countries, including the EU, against Russia due to the escalating military conflict in the Eastern part of Ukraine. This fact has much influenced the discussion, making it clear that even if the political events are outside the scope of the work of researchers, these still very much influence the possibilities of elaborating realistic solutions and advices, and even more, putting those to practical use