Never Too Late to Get Together Again : Turning the Czech and Slovak Customs Union into a Stepping Stone to EU Integration

Kaminski, Bartlomiej ; Javorcik, Beata

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ACCESSION COUNTRIES;    ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS;    ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES;    AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS;    AGRICULTURE;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-2954
RP-ID  :  WPS2954

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The Czech and Slovak Customs Union(CSCU), which came into effect in January 1993, differs fromregular regional trading arrangements as its goal was tominimize the economic cost of a decline in economic tiesbetween its members rather than to set in motion themechanism of integration. The creation of the CSCU ensured asmooth and conflict-free break up of Czechoslovakia andresulted in divergence in regulatory regimes of the tworepublics. This study argues that the process of mutualadjustment triggered by the emergence of national borders isover and that integration within the CSCU, similar in depthand scope to that existing within the European Union (EU),would be a desirable policy objective. By deepeningintegration, both the Czech and Slovak Republics would bebetter prepared to handle challenges associated with the EUaccession. Such a regulatory realignment would also lowerborder costs and behind-the-border barriers to trade andresult in a more attractive investment environment in both countries.