View source for Organization:Central European Free Trade Agreement

{{Short description|International trade agreement}}
{{Infobox Geopolitical organization
| conventional_long_name = Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)
| linking_name           = the Central European Free Trade Agreement
| native_name            = <small style="font-size:85%;">{{collapsible list  |titlestyle = background:transparent; text-align:center |title = Native names|{{native name|sq|Marrëveshja e Tregtisë së Lirë të Evropës Qendrore}}{{br}}{{native name|bs|Centralnoevropski sporazum o slobodnoj trgovini}}{{br}}{{br}}{{native name|mk|Централноевропски договор за слободна трговија}}{{br}}{{native name|ro|Acordul Central European al Comerțului Liber}}{{br}}{{native name|sr|Централноевропски договор о слободној трговини}}}}</small>
| symbol_type            = Logo
| image_symbol           = Logo of CEFTA.png
| image_map              = Europe-cefta-map.png
| map_caption            = Map of Europe (grey) indicating<br/>the members of CEFTA (blue)
| org_type               = [[Finance:Trade agreement|Trade agreement]]
| admin_center_type      = CEFTA Secretariat
| admin_center           = Brussels
| languages_type         = Working language
| languages              = [[Social:English language|English]]
| languages2_type        = Official languages<br>of contracting states
| languages2             = {{collapsible list
|titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
|title = 7 languages
|[[Social:Albanian language|Albanian]] 
|Bosnian
|Croatian
|[[Social:Macedonian language|Macedonian]]
|[[Organization:Montenegrin language|Montenegrin]]
|[[Social:Romanian language|Romanian]]
|[[Social:Serbian language|Serbian]]
}}
| membership             = {{unbulleted indent list | {{ALB}} | {{BIH}} | {{MDA}} | {{MNE}} | {{MKD}} | {{SRB}}  | {{flagicon|UN}} UNMIK on behalf of Kosovo}}
| leader_title1          = {{nowrap|Chair-in-office 2023}}
| leader_name1           = {{flag| Montenegro}}
| leader_title2          = {{nowrap|Acting Director of the CEFTA Secretariat}}
| leader_name2           = {{nowrap| Danijela Gacevic}}
| leader_title3          = Previous Directors
| leader_name3           = {{nowrap| Emir Djikic}} {{nowrap| Renata Vitez}}
| established_event1     = {{nowrap|Agreement signed}}
| established_date1      = 21 December 1992
| established_event2     = {{nowrap|CEFTA 2006 Agreement signed}}
| established_date2      = 19 December 2006
| area_km2               = 252,428
| area_sq_mi             = 97,463
| percent_water          = 
| population_estimate    = 19,548,563
| population_estimate_rank = 
| population_estimate_year = 2022
| population_density_km2 = 85
| population_density_sq_mi = 
| population_density_rank = 
| GDP_PPP                = $423.680 billion<ref name=IMF>[https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2021/April/weo-report?c=914,963,967,921,943,962,942,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,LP,&sy=2020&ey=2020&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=subject&ds=.&br=1 World economic outlook databases.] ''International Monetary Fund''. Retrieved 1 April 2021.</ref>
| GDP_PPP_rank           = 
| GDP_PPP_year           = 2023
| GDP_PPP_per_capita     = $19,000
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 
| GDP_nominal            = $153.863 billion
| GDP_nominal_rank       = 
| GDP_nominal_year       = 2023
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = $7,100
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 
| currency               = {{Collapsible list
  |titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
  |title = 6 currencies
  | {{flagicon|ALB}}{{nbsp|2}}<code>ALL</code>{{nbsp|2}}Lek
  | {{flagicon|BIH}}{{nbsp|2}}<code>BAM</code>{{nbsp|2}}[[Finance:Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark|Convertible mark]]
  | {{flagicon|KOS}}{{nbsp|2}}<code>EUR</code>{{nbsp|2}}[[Finance:Euro|Euro]]
  | {{flagicon|MDA}}{{nbsp|2}}<code>MDL</code>{{nbsp|2}}Leu
  | {{flagicon|MNE}}{{nbsp|2}}<code>EUR</code>{{nbsp|2}}[[Finance:Euro|Euro]]
  | {{flagicon|MKD}}{{nbsp|2}}<code>MKD</code>{{nbsp|2}}[[Finance:Macedonian denar|Denar]]
  | {{flagicon|SRB}}{{nbsp|2}}<code>RSD</code>{{nbsp|2}}[[Finance:Serbian dinar|Dinar]]
 }}
| time_zone              = 
| utc_offset             = [[UTC+01:00|+1]], [[UTC+02:00|UTC+2]]
| time_zone_DST          = 
| utc_offset_DST         = [[UTC+02:00|+2]], [[UTC+03:00|UTC+3]]
| official_website       = https://cefta.int/
}}
The '''Central European Free Trade Agreement''' ('''CEFTA''') is an international [[Finance:Trade agreement|trade agreement]] between countries mostly located in Southeastern Europe. Founded by representatives of {{wipe|Poland}}, Hungary and [[Place:Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia]], CEFTA in 2006 expanded to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and the UNMIK (on behalf of Kosovo, in accordance with UNSCR 1244).<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) |url=https://cefta.int/about/ |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=CEFTA |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Members ==
As of 1 July 2013, the parties of the CEFTA agreement are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and UNMIK (on behalf of Kosovo).

Former parties are Bulgaria, Croatia, [[Place:Czech Republic|Czech Republic]], Hungary, {{wipe|Poland}}, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Their CEFTA memberships ended when they became member states of the European Union (EU).

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Parties of agreement !! Joined !! {{nbsp|3}}Left{{nbsp|3}} !! Joined EU
|-
| {{POL}} || rowspan="4" align=center | 21 December 1992 || rowspan="5" align=center | 30 April 2004 || rowspan="5" align=center | 1 May 2004
|-
| {{HUN}} 
|-
| {{CZE}}{{efn|name=CSK|Until 1 January 1993 part of [[Place:Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia]].}}
|-
| {{SVK}}{{efn|name=CSK}}
|-
| {{SVN}} || align=center | 1 January 1996
|-
| {{ROU}} || align=center | 1 January 1997 || rowspan="2" align=center | 31 December 2006 || rowspan="2" align=center | 1 January 2007
|-
| {{BUL}} || align=center | 1 January 1999
|-
| {{HRV}} || align=center | 1 January 2003 || align=center | 30 June 2013 ||  align=center | 1 July 2013
|-
| {{MKD}}{{efn|name=MKD|Until 2019 named Republic of Macedonia.}} || align=center | 1 January 2006 || rowspan="7" align=center | &mdash; || rowspan="7" align=center | &mdash;
|-
| {{ALB}} || rowspan="6" align=center | 1 January 2007
|-
| {{BIH}} 
|-
| {{MDA}} 
|-
| {{MNE}} 
|-
| {{SRB}} 
|-
| {{flagicon|UN}} UNMIK <small>(on behalf of Kosovo)</small> 
|}

== Membership criteria ==

Former Poznań Declaration criteria:
* [[Organization:World Trade Organization|World Trade Organization]] membership
* European Union Association Agreement with provisions for future full membership
* Free Trade Agreements with the current CEFTA member states

Current criteria since [[Place:Zagreb|Zagreb]] meeting in 2005:
* WTO membership ''or commitment to respect all WTO regulations''
* ''any'' European Union Association Agreement
* Free Trade Agreements with the current CEFTA member states

== Current members ==
{| class="wikitable sortable" width=800px;
! width=28% | Contracting party
! width=12% | Accession
! width=12% | Population
! width=12% | {{longitem|Area (km²)}}
! width=12% | Capital
! width=12% | {{longitem|GDP in millions (PPP)<ref name="IMF2015">[https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2015&ey=2015&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=86&pr1.y=3&c=914%2C962%2C921%2C943%2C963%2C942%2C967&s=PPPGDP%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a= Data for 2015. International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database]</ref>}}
! width=12% | {{longitem|GDP per capita (PPP)<ref name="IMF2015" />}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Albania}} Albania
| rowspan="4" align=center | 1 Jan. 2007
| align=right | {{Nts|2793592}}
| align=right | {{Nts|28748}}
| [[Place:Tirana|Tirana]]
| align=right | 54.338
| align=right | 19,009
|-
| {{flagicon|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} Bosnia and Herzegovina
| align=right | {{Nts|3227405}}
| align=right | {{Nts|51209}}
| [[Place:Sarajevo|Sarajevo]]
| align=right | 65.667
| align=right | 18,956
|-
| {{flagicon|Moldova}} Moldova
| align=right | {{Nts|2603813}}
| align=right | {{Nts|33843}}
| Chişinău
| align=right | 44.372
| align=right | 17,779
|-
| {{flagicon|Montenegro}} Montenegro
| align=right | {{Nts|622182}}
| align=right | 13,812
| [[Place:Podgorica|Podgorica]]
| align=right | 17.191
| align=right | 27,616
|-
|{{flagicon|Macedonia}} North Macedonia
| align=center | 1 Jan. 2006
| align=right | {{Nts|1836713}}
| align=right | {{Nts|25713}}
|[[Place:Skopje|Skopje]]
| align=right | 43.660
| align=right | 21,103
|-
| {{flagicon|Serbia}} Serbia
| rowspan="2" align=center | 1 Jan. 2007
| align=right | {{Nts|6690887}}
| align=right | {{Nts|77474}}
| [[Place:Belgrade|Belgrade]]
| align=right | 175.318
| align=right | 25,718
|-
| {{flagicon|UN}} UNMIK <small>(on behalf of Kosovo)</small>
| align=right | {{Nts|1773971}}
| align=right | {{Nts|10887}}
| [[Place:Pristina|Pristina]]
| align=right | 27.185
| align=right | 15,398
|}

== History ==
[[File:Central European Free Trade Agreement membership history.gif|thumb|right|History of CEFTA members from 1992 to 2013. All of the original members of the trade pact became members of the European Union (EU), and because of such, [[Place:Southeast Europe|Southeast Europe]]an nations, such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNMIK (on behalf of Kosovo), Montenegro, and Serbia, joined in and carried the CEFTA.<hr>
{{legend|#FFD000|CEFTA member states|border=1px #ffffff solid}} 
{{legend|#4169EF|EU member states|border=1px #ffffff solid}}]] 
===Original agreement===
The original CEFTA agreement was signed by the [[Organization:Visegrád Group|Visegrád Group]] countries, that is by Poland, Hungary and Czechia and Slovakia (at the time parts of the Czechoslovakia) on 21 December 1992 in Kraków, Poland. It came into force in July 1994. Through CEFTA, participating countries hoped to mobilize efforts to integrate into [[Place:Western Europe|Western Europe]]an institutions and through this, to join European political, economic, security and legal systems, thereby consolidating [[Social:Democracy|democracy]] and free-market economics.

The agreement was amended by the agreements signed on 11 September 1995 in Brno and on 4 July 2003 in Bled.

Slovenia joined CEFTA in 1996, Romania in 1997, Bulgaria in 1999, Croatia in 2003 and Macedonia in 2006.

===2006 agreement===
All of the parties of the original agreement had now joined the EU and thus left CEFTA. Therefore, it was decided to extend CEFTA to cover the rest of the Western Balkans, which already had completed a matrix of bilateral [[Finance:Free trade agreement|free trade agreement]]s in the framework of the [[Place:Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe|Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe]]. On 6 April 2006, at the South East Europe Prime Ministers Summit in [[Place:Bucharest|Bucharest]], a joint declaration on expansion of CEFTA to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Serbia, Montenegro and UNMIK (on behalf of Kosovo) was adopted.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.eciks.org/english/lajme.php?action=total_news&main_id=417 |title=Economic Initiative for Kosovo - ECIKS, Investment opportunities in Kosovo, Privatization process in Kosovo, investing in Kosovo, Kosovo Business, Kosovo Economy |access-date=2006-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929081322/http://www.eciks.org/english/lajme.php?action=total_news&main_id=417 |archive-date=2007-09-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Accession of {{wipe|Ukraine}} has also been discussed.<ref>[http://www.unian.net/eng/news/news-160543.html Ukraine, Croatia broaden ties]</ref> The new enlarged agreement was initialled on 9 November 2006 in Brussels and was signed on 19 December 2006 at the South East European Prime Ministers Summit in Bucharest.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.euinkosovo.org/upload_press/Central%20European%20Free%20Trade%20Agreement%20initialled.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-04-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227105340/http://www.euinkosovo.org/upload_press/Central%20European%20Free%20Trade%20Agreement%20initialled.pdf |archive-date=2008-02-27 }}</ref> The agreement went into effect on 26 July 2007 for Albania, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro and Macedonia, on 22 August for Croatia, on 24 October for Serbia, and on 22 November 2007 for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aim of the agreement was to establish a free trade zone in the region by 31 December 2010.

CEFTA 2006 aims at expanding regional trade in goods and services, creating an attractive environment for investment, and contributing to economic development and cooperation within the Parties. Laying down on the principles of WTO rules and procedures and harmonising its policies with the EU legislation, CEFTA provides an effective instrument for the Parties to accelerate their European integration agenda. Since the establishing, CEFTA has been deepening the areas of cooperation based on the needs of the businesses and strengthening trading relations between the Parties. From achieving the full liberalisation of trade in goods and further liberalisation in trade in services, via reducing trade related costs, harmonising the policies within the Parties based on the EU legislation, to expediting trade between Parties through electronic exchange of information, CEFTA has proven as a framework that ensures transparent trade relations between the Parties that can enable the businesses to improve their capacities for different markets. 

== Relations with the European Union ==
All former participating countries had previously signed association agreements with the EU, so in fact CEFTA has served as a preparation for full [[Social:European Union|European Union]] membership.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia joined the EU on 1 May 2004, with Bulgaria and Romania following suit on 1 January 2007. Croatia joined the EU on 1 July 2013.

Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia have been undergoing EU accession talks since 2012, 2014 and 2022.

At the EU's recommendation, the future members prepared for membership by establishing free trade areas.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} A large proportion of CEFTA foreign trade is with EU countries.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

== See also ==
*[https://cefta.int/ Central European Free Trade Association] (CEFTA) 
*Economy of Europe
*[[Finance:Free trade areas in Europe|Free trade areas in Europe]]
*[[Organization:European Free Trade Association|European Free Trade Association]] (EFTA)
*[[Place:Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe|Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe]] (includes an array of bilateral FTAs)
*[[Finance:Mercosur|Mercosur]]
*[[Organization:Southeast Europe Transport Community|Southeast Europe Transport Community]]
*[[Finance:Rules of origin|Rules of origin]]
*[[Finance:Market access|Market access]]
*[[Finance:Free-trade area|Free-trade area]]
*Tariffs

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://cefta.int/trade-info-center/ CEFTA Trade Portal]
*[https://cefta.int/about/documents/legal-documents/ Original CEFTA Treaty]
*[https://www.macmap.org Market Access Map] (A free tool developed by [[Organization:International Trade Centre|International Trade Centre]], which identify customs tariffs, tariff rate quotas, trade remedies, regulatory requirements and preferential regimes applicable to products, including CEFTA)
*[https://www.findrulesoforigin.org Rules of Origin Facilitator] (A free tool jointly developed by [[Organization:International Trade Centre|International Trade Centre]], [[Organization:World Trade Organization|World Trade Organization]] and World Customs Organization which enables traders to find specific criteria and general origin requirements applicable to their products, understand and comply with them in order to be eligible for preferential tariffs. The tool is very useful for traders who want to gain benefit from CEFTA)
*[https://cefta.int/about/documents/legal-documents/ CEFTA 2006 Agreement]

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{{Sourceattribution|Central European Free Trade Agreement}}