Sixth DCFTA Advisory Group Meeting
The sixth meeting of the DCFTA Advisory Group was held at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development on Thursday, October 4. The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister Genadi Arveladze.
During the meeting, the members of the advisory group selected a new chair, Nino Chikovani, who will lead the group for the next year. She is currently President of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Giorgi Kacharava, Executive Director of the EU-Georgia Business Council, was elected as her deputy chair.
Arveladze spoke to the attendees about Georgia’s commitment, agreed upon as part of the DCFTA, to approve new terms and conditions for the Technical Regulation on Construction. He also emphasized the importance of informing the business sector of the new regulations in a timely manner.
Chikovani gave a presentation on the activities of the DCFTA Information Center of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the results of the project. The DCFTA Information Center has been financially supported by GIZ (German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH) for the past two years. Information centers operate in Batumi, Zugdidi, Kutaisi and Gori.
Attendees shared information about the latest accomplishments regarding the implementation of the DCFTA so far in 2018. The advisory group also discussed a variety of technical issues raised by the members and various proposals for projects to further assist the implementation process of the DCFTA. Members emphasized the importance of continued and increased involvement of the private sector in the process and the necessity to expand general awareness of the DCFTA.
Representatives of the Georgian Employers’ Association, Georgian Trade Unions Confederation, the Georgian Small and Medium Enterprises Association, the EU-Georgia Business Council, the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the International Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, and the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum also attended the meeting.
The DCFTA, or Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, entered into force in July 2016 as part of the Association Agreement Georgia signed with the European Union in June 2014. The preferential trade regime increases market access between the EU and Georgia based on a system of better-matched regulations. Georgian businesses have so far struggled to benefit from the regime, however, as the main potential export, agriculture, has failed to overcome the hurdle of European technical, quality, and food safety regulations.
The Georgian government’s DCFTA informational website explains that the DCFTA Advisory Group was established in 2015 within the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development to ensure civil society would be actively involved in the process of effectively implementing the DCFTA. The advisory group is comprised of representatives from associations and the business sector of Georgia. Its main functions and objectives include reviewing reforms related to the DCFTA, consulting on planned and ongoing reforms, and legislative and institutional changes related to the DCFTA implementation process, consulting on the employers, employees, and consumers adaptation processes in regards to DCFTA requirements, and reviewing the DCFTA’s implementation Action Plan and related reports.
By Samantha Guthrie
Photo: Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development