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Regional Integration in the Post-USSR Area: Legal and Institutional Aspects

There is very little alternative to further regional economic integration within the CIS area. The “core” group of the CIS Member States is pushing forward the enhanced economic agenda. It is argued that the eventual establishment of the CIS free trade area/customs union would contribute to dismantling discriminatory obstacles of mutual access to the CIS markets. In short term dimension, further CIS economic integration would protect fragile CIS industries and business from highly competitive international goods and services after joining WTO. However, one has to consider if these short term recipes suit long term appetites of all CIS Member States that seriously consider themselves as part of the European space. In the meantime, these countries face a puzzling dilemma. On one hand, pro Western CIS Member States (Ukraine and Moldova) keep being cautious about sacrificing their European aspirations to unpredictable trade arrangements within the CIS. On other hand, these countries meet lukewarm response from the EU to their insisting free trade area proposals. Thus, a key for the next CIS integration programme could be hidden in Europe, or in other words, in European attitude towards further eastward enlargement.