Brussels, 11/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - The EU and Afghanistan have concluded a bilateral WTO agreement. This paves the way for Afghanistan's accession to the WTO, which is essential for the country's stabilisation process.
The bilateral WTO agreement on market access for goods and services - which was signed on Monday 10 February by the EU ambassador to the WTO, Angelos Pangratis, and Afghanistan's Deputy Minister for Trade Mozammil Shinwari - provides for commitments from Afghanistan on reducing customs duties on the import and export of goods and on opening services markets, once Kabul has joined the WTO. These commitments will be recorded in Afghanistan's protocol of accession to the WTO.
Afghanistan's request for WTO membership dates back to 2004. In July 2013, the WTO working group in charge of the issue commended Afghanistan's progress both on its multilateral commitments and on its bilateral negotiations with other member countries on market access. The bilateral agreement concluded with the EU is expected to breathe fresh momentum into Afghanistan's WTO accession process. “Kabul has continuously highlighted its commitment to speeding up its WTO accession process and today's signature (…) is a milestone in this respect”, said European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht.
Afghanistan's WTO membership is expected to contribute to its stabilisation process, to economic reforms, and to sustainable development in the country, states the European Commission in a press release. The EU accounts for 12% of Afghanistan's imports and 9% of its exports, and is one of Afghanistan's main trading partners. In 2012, EU goods exports to Afghanistan stood at €935 million and EU imports from Afghanistan amounted to €56 million. Afghanistan mainly supplies the EU market with skins and leather products, fruit and nuts, and electronic products. The EU feeds the Afghan market with vehicles, mineral fuels, machines and electrical equipment.
As a less developed country, Afghanistan benefits from the Everything But Arms regime, which offers duty- and quota-free access to the EU market for all Afghanistan's products except weapons. (EH/transl.fl)