INFLUENCE OF STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT TO THE AGRICULTURE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Abstract

Joining European Union is one of the priorities of Serbian foreign policy. Closing the Stabilization and Association Agreement is a significant step towards getting a status of a candidate country. The Agreement requires fulfilling numerous political, legal and economic conditions, as well as significant mutual compromises in transition period. In that period, a free trade zone should be set between Serbia and EU. The most significant concessions are in agricultural sector. European Union allows, with very little exceptions, duty-free import of agriculture products from Serbia, while Serbia has been granted a period in which it will reduce and eliminate tariffs on the import of those products from the EU countries. During that time, the agriculture of Serbia should become more competitive for reducing the pressure of those products from EU on local market, as well as placing its products on foreign markets. This paper is about analysis on influence of the SAA on Serbian agricultural sector.

Keywords

• Stabilisation and Association Agreement, Interim Agreement, agricultural products, tariff liberalisation, unilateral implementation