01 November 2003 10:48
EU/RUSSIA: LITTLE PROGRESS IN REMOVING TRADE BARRIERS, SAYS EUROCHAMBRES SURVEY
Barriers.
The survey points to trade barriers on both sides. The top obstacles for European businesses include: bureaucratic
and restrictive procedures for company registration and visas; time-consuming and expensive customs procedures as well
as inconsistent application of rules by, and non-integrity among, customs officers; technical standards and
certification requirements; inadequate protection of intellectual property rights; and complexity of taxation,
depreciation and accounting. Among the major obstacles for Russia companies are: the high costs and lack of uniformity
of EU customs procedures (with risk of even more cumbersome procedures after EU enlargement); excessive and sometimes
arbitrary quality control and consumer protection; lack of information about environmental issues; competition law and
anti-dumping procedures; and technical standards and certification.
Other findings.
EU and Russian Chambers of Commerce tended to express a fairly high level of interest in mutual economic
co-operation, but displayed much less familiarity with the opportunities offered by the Russian and European markets.
The survey produces ambivalent responses about the impact of EU enlargement on EU-Russia trade and investment. And
replies to policy questions related to Russia's planned WTO accession, the concept of a Common Economic Space, and
the "Wider Europe" initiative demonstrated an "information gap" between policy making and business
people on the ground. On WTO, Russian respondents said they believed that WTO membership would improve Russia's
legal standing vis-a-vis the EU in terms of stronger regulatory convergence, but were "sceptical about the
readiness of Russian business for an effective and beneficial membership" of the WTO.
* "EU-Russia Trade and Investment: Practical Barriers". The survey was addressed to Chambers of Commerce
and Industry in the EU, the ten acceding countries, Bulgaria, Romania and Russia. For the report in full, see:
http://www.eurochambres.be/publications/index.shtml#er
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