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Eurasian Union: a Challenge for the European Union and Eastern Partnership Countries
Kasciunas, Laurynas |
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Following the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), there have been various attempts over the past two decades by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to promote deeper economic integration; however these initiatives included clauses allowing member states to choose the depth of integration. This can be explained by the fact that for many countries the motive behind the establishment of the CIS was not in fact a search for a format for (re)integration, but was rather a means to ensure conditions for the former members of the USSR “to part” in an orderly manner.
The CIS trade regime basically consisted of bilateral trade agreements periodically supplemented with exemptions. Meanwhile, the multilateral agreements within the CIS framework generally coordinated specific issues: unification of customs procedures, rules for determining the origin of goods, etc. All of these multilateral agreements had to be ratified by national parliaments and this was an additional safeguard for those countries that were cautious regarding deeper integration. As a result, commitments of CIS members under these agreements were very limited. The large number of legally non-binding bilateral agreements, the systematic application of exemptions, and the intergovernmental nature of the integration determined that the CIS failed to evolve into a highly integrated economic entity with elements of supranationalism and prevented an opportunity for a political union to be formed within the CIS framework. |
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