News

On 17 November at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during an enlarged meeting of the Working Group on the European Union Affairs in External Economic Relations, representatives from ministries, other government institutions, business organizations and entrepreneurs discussed possibilities that the EU’s future trade policy could offer.

“Lithuania has always spoken up for a pragmatic trade policy that would defend business interests. In the future, aiming to achieve real results, the EU needs to have a coherent and coordinated policy, including also the usage of possible negotiation leverage in other areas of external policy in order to defend the EU’s important trade interests,” Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Egidijus Meilūnas said. The Vice-Minister chaired the meeting.

Participants of the meeting discussed two topics: the EU’s future trade policy and investment policy changes after the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon.

Representative from the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission Arūnas Ribokas paid a visit to Brussels, where he presented the Communication on EU’s trade policy “Trade, Growth and World Affairs”. The European Commission issued this Communication a week ago.

“In the future, the European trade policy will concentrate not only on tariff cuts, but also on a greater opening up for services and investments, the opening of the public procurement market, better protection of intellectual property, access to raw materials markets and the elimination of regulatory barriers,” A.Ribokas said.

According to the official of the European Commission, these goals will be pursued through negotiations on trade agreements and through the development of strategic relations. Also a goal will be pursued of providing European entrepreneurs, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, with the help to enter and invest in the markets of other countries.

Director of External Economic Relations Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Albinas Zananavičius told the participants of the meeting about the EU’s investment policy and its changes, and possible impacts on business after the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon.

The Working Group on the EU Affairs in External Economic Relations was formed in 2004 by an order of Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Representatives from governmental institutions and business associations discuss Lithuania’s positions on trade issues at the meetings of the working group. These positions are later presented on behalf of Lithuania in various EU formats.