Global Trade Alert

On May 31, 2013, the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council of the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan (CU) approved Decision No. 35 of May 29, 2013, entitled 'On the conception of coordinated agro-industrial policy of the CU Member States of the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space'. Its principal goal is to increase exports of agricultural and food products outside the CU and the share of CU Member States on the world's agricultural and food markets.

The conception is a framework document that formulates goals and main directions for the development of a common agro-industrial policy of the CU Member States, which is expected to be enforced with the signature of inter-state agreements. It does not contain concrete measures or financial resources for their implementation.

The decision's main dimensions with international effects are:

• Development of exports of agricultural and food products. It will be based on coordinated marketing policy on the international markets (mutual expositions, assistance in certification of products for the foreign markets, optimisation of the export flows, etc.). For some export commodities, the coordinated export policy foresees the creation of export 'pools'.
• Science-based innovative development of the agro-industrial complex. It will be based on integrated and coordinated research projects of the CU Member States in the sphere of innovations.