A proposal to extend trade preferences for certain agricultural products from Western Balkan countries until 2030, with the aim of ensuring the sustainable economic development of partners from the region, will be the subject of voting in the European Parliament tomorrow.
The existing regulation of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, valid until 31 December, exempts fruit and vegetables exported from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia from specific customs duties, and grants access to the global customs quota for wine originating from the Western Balkans.
According to the European Commission, it is necessary to support the vulnerable economies of the Western Balkans region. It also recommends further extension of the application of the Regulation on exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or associated with the Stabilization and Association Process for a further five years, until 31 December 2030.
Also, the report by rapporteur Kris Van Dijk on the proposed amendment to the regulation was adopted by the Committee on International Trade in October, with the recommendation to the European Parliament to approve the proposal.
As the European Parliament’s website stated, the extension of these measures aligns with the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans and entails closer integration of the region into the EU’s single market.
Also, the countries must comply with the definition of products of origin, commit not to increase tariffs or restrictions on goods imported from the EU, and refrain from “engaging in serious and systemic violations of human rights, including fundamental workers’ rights, and respect the principles of democracy and the rule of law of the region to benefit from these preferences.
Other necessary factors are economic reforms and cooperation with other countries, particularly in establishing a regional free trade area.
If a country fails to meet its obligations, it will face a full or partial suspension of trade preferences.
In 2024, the volume of trade between the EU and Western Balkan countries overpassed 83 billion euros. Almost 78 per cent of the region’s total exports and 59 per cent of its imports make the European Union the leading trading partner of the region.
Van Dijk justifies the proposal, saying that these measures covered trade that increased by more than 125 per cent between 2018 and 2024, from 60.5 million euros to 137 million euros.
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