EU extends duty-free regime with Western Balkans

The EU has decided to extend duty-free goods imports from Western Balkan countries until 2015 and the European Parliament approved the decision.

This will be retroactively applied from Jan. 1 this year, by passing a regulation.

The European Commission told BETA on Oct. 17 that this relates to almost all products from the countries of the Western Balkans, which have been enjoying the benefit of duty-free trade since September 2000.

The European Parliament passed with 605 votes in favor and 20 against a resolution which confirmed the European Commission proposal to extend the import regime for over 90 percent of products from the countries of the Western Balkans to the EU.