Preferential trade with Westrn Balkan

The European Council adopted the Council Regulation (EU) 2016/1039 of 16 June 2016 establishing the position to be on behalf of the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization on the request of the European Union on the extension of the WTO waiver for autonomous the preferential regime for the Western Balkans.

The position to be on behalf of the Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organization, to ask for an extension of the existing waiver from WTO regarding autonomous trade preferences granted by the Union to the Western Balkans until 31 December 2021 and to support the adoption of this request.

The decision will touch in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No. 2007/2000 of the Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo (*), Montenegro and Serbia.

(*) This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR. 1244/1999 and the International Court of Justice Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.