The EBA FTA Task Force was initiated in February 2008 to contribute to the EU-Ukraine negotiations on establishment of a free trade area (FTA).

In August 2008 the EBA Task Force issued the EBA FTA Position Paper providing a comprehensive overview of the issues acquiring vital importance for the EU-Ukraine relations which should be enhanced through a negotiation process.

The EBA FTA Position Paper focuses on the following aspects of the economic relations between the EU and Ukraine affecting business:

• improving investment environment and providing non-discriminatory conditions of establishment; liberalising investment and capital flows;
• adequately protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights;
• harmonisation of customs rules;
• tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade;
• opening government procurement markets;
• establishing effective cooperation and coordination mechanism in the field of competition whereby competition authorities of both Parties would be embracing the agreed principles on competition and facilitate removal of the practices regarded as non-competitive by the Parties;
• setting up efficient dispute settlement mechanism.

The EBA FTA Task Force holds its meetings on an ad-hoc basis. All EBA members interested in this activity are very welcome to join the Task Force. For this purpose, please contact the EBA office.