Brussels, 25/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on Tuesday, Commissioner Pascal Lamy and Lithuanian Prime Minister Brazauskas initialled the "Protocol to the Europe Agreement on conformity Assessment" (PECA), which enables Lithuania to enjoy certain advantages stemming from the single market for certain industrial sectors for which this candidate country has already aligned its national legislation on the legislation in force in the EU. Such agreements have already been in place since this summer with the Czech Republic and Hungary, whereas the one with Latvia will soon take effect (it has already been initialled). Negotiations over PECA agreements with Estonia, Slovakia and Slovenia should be opening very soon.
The PECA initialled with Lithuania on Tuesday will enable the country's companies to actively benefit from an enlarged single market even before EU membership, as it will eliminate all technical obstacles to trade where Lithuanian legislation is aligned on the acquis communautaire. "That will have the effect of stimulating trade between Lithuania and the EU, as well as with the rest of the world", the Commission's spokesperson stressed. The agreement will initially concern six industrial sectors: machines, electric security, electromagnetic compatibility, simple pressure recipients, lifts and individual protection equipment. The agreement may then be extended to other sectors as progress is made in the alignment of Lithuanian legislation. "This is an important step, both for facilitating trade and preparing for enlargement", said the spokesperson.
The present agreement relates to trade worth over 600 million euro between the EU and Lithuania. It will allow for certain costs to be reduced - estimated at some 10 million euro - and eliminate legal uncertainties linked to exports; for some products, it will even facilitate their placing on the combined EU/Lithuania market.