Eurasian Integration Yearbook 2012

Natalia Maqsimchook. “Chronicle of EurasianRegional Integration 2011”2011: Data and ReviewsIn addition, participants reviewed approaches to international security andstability, and new challenges and threats emerging in 2012-2013. Interactionin the wake of natural disasters or man-made emergencies was also high on theagenda for discussion.EurAsECCustoms UnionCIS Executive CommitteeDistribution of customs duties within Customs Union may benefitBelarus and KazakhstanFebruary 25, 2011According to the head of the Russian Federal Customs Service (FCS), AndreiBelyaninov, the redistribution of import customs duties between the CU statesmay favour Belarus and Kazakhstan. Belyaninov drew attention to errors ofcalculation, and said “the numbers speak in favour of Belarus and Kazakhstan”.From a practical point of view, the receipt and redistribution of customs paymentsdid not cause concern. According to Belyaninov, the adjusted coefficients havebeen defined; however the Ministry of Finance of Russia still needs to make adecision.Note:The procedure for receiving and redistributing customs duties came into effect on September 1, 2010. Accordingto the trilateral agreements between the CU member states, import duties are transferred to a shared accountand then distributed on a pro-rata basis between the CU member states with 87.97% of the total import dutiesgoing to Russia, 7.33% to Kazakhstan and 4.7% to Belarus.Customs Union and Ukraine discuss accessionMarch 16, 2011RIA Novosti, IA Novosti-KazakhstanSummarising the meeting of the EurAsEC Interstate Council, Russian PrimeMinister Vladimir Putin noted that Ukraine’s accession to the Customs Union orthe Single Economic Space would “enrich the integration processes”. Accordingto Putin, Ukraine’s participation in the CU would “increase the country’sbenefits” in international negotiations.Russia is somewhat concerned by Ukraine’s plans to establish a free trade areawith the EU. As Putin noted, “Russia will be forced to close the customs borderwith Ukraine if the country creates a free trade area with the EU, and sensitiveitems will be delivered to the Russian market bypassing the established level oftariff protection”. The tariff levels set by Ukraine during negotiations with theEurasian Development Bank235