Decision on the approval of liberalization plans for the service sectors
Name and Surname: Daulet Teginbayev
Date: 26.01.2018
Word count: 465
Research Task One: Primary Legislative Acts
Document:
Act: Decision #23
Institution: Supreme Eurasian Economic Council
Title: On the approval of liberalization plans for the service sectors specified in the Decision of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council of October 16, 2015, No. 30
Commentary:
This legislative act represents the decision of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council approving the plans and propositions for an eventual liberalization in the area of services proposed by the act #30 from the 16th of October 2015. Namely, the list of services enlisted in the document encompasses civil construction, city planning, engineering, marketing, tourism, geology and many other related services. Services liberalization implies the removal of legal and regulatory obstacles previously imposed by the national governments that prevented the free entry of services from other countries. The propositions of the act commit the member nations of EAEU to abide by a gradual timetable for the economic merger that would eventually lead to creating a single services market by 2021. Specifically, 2016 and 2017 are set for analyzing the existing acts regulating services and identifying barriers and obstacles preventing the free export of services by the commission and the national governments. This may include contradictions, ambiguities and discrepancies in legislation. In 2018, the necessary level for harmonizing legislation is to be decided upon as well putting forward concrete proposals for common regulation. By 2019, the Supreme Economic Council should initiate an act that would harmonize legislation among EAEU members. In a period from 2019 to 2021, normative act reforms are to take place in accordance with that agreement. While monitoring of actions and progress will take annually take place, by 2021 should the year when a single services market would start functioning.
The significance of this legal document is that by obliging EAEU nation members to stick to a strict timetable of reforms that would help establish a single services market, it points to the strong commitment of the member nations to move toward regional economic integration. With economic liberalization comes a step-by-step removal of barriers and discrimination and, thus, relinquishing a country’s a degree control over the private sector. However, the legal act is signed by the member nations which indicates the countries’ readiness to bear potential costs and motivation to economically integrate.This act resembles the Single European Act of 1986 in several ways. Firstly, they both have sought to pursue economic liberalization. Both emphasize the need for removing barriers such as legislation, taxation, regulation and harmonizing legislation among countries. Secondly, both have set an objective of creating a single services market by a certain deadline. While the Single European Act by 1992, the Act #23 of the Supreme Economic Council has an objective to beginning of a functioning single services market by 2021. Thirdly, both require monitoring and reporting on the progress toward establishing a single services market. The Single European Act saw 1988 and 1990 as the years when countries would have to report about their achievements to the Commission; the EAEU have to report and be monitored on the progress annually.