Specifics of Integration Processes in the Former Soviet Union: The Case of the Eurasian Economic Union
Abstract
In the present settings, the development of the world economy follows a key trend that consists in regional economic integration. It is quite predictable that the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are promoting the project of economic integration aiming to secure certain positions in the developing new structure of the global economic system. This study aims to establish whether EAEU meets the criteria for an international organization of regional integration, as well as to consider whether the EAEU countries can successfully combine their membership with the membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The study was based on specific techniques and methods for the research of phenomena and processes. In a bid to reach the objectives of the study, the authors considered the scientific opinions, online data sources, as well as the analytical data available on the official websites of EAEU, WTO and the Eurasian Economic Commission. The importance of the study lies in the actionable advice on the improvement of integration that was provided based on the analysis of the regional economic integration processes within EAEU. The study concludes that the EAEU was established in accordance with the norms of international law and that the Union possesses every attribute of an international organization. In addition to that, as a result of examining EAEU’s ‘outer borders,’ the study revealed certain problems for the member states in trying to maintain their EAEU membership alongside with the membership in WTO.
References
[2] Astana: The leaders of Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus signed the Treaty establishing EAEU. 2014. Available at: http://www.zakon.kz/4628012-v-astane-glavy-kazakhstana-rossii-i.html. (accessed August 1, 2017).
[3] Atik, S. 2014. Regional Economic Integrations in the Post-Soviet Eurasia: An Analysis on Causes of Inefficiency. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 109: 1326–1335.
[4] Bekyashev, K.A. 2012. The Legal Standing of the Eurasian Economic Union. Eurasian Legal Journal, 11(54): 28–34.
[5] Bekyashev, K.A. 2014. EAEU: an International (Interstate) Organization or an International (Interstate) Integration Association? Eurasian Legal Journal, 11(78): 14–16.
[6] Bordachev, T., Ostrovskaya, Y., and Skriba, A. 2013. The Choice and Challenge of Eurasian Integration. Russia in Global Affairs, 4: 114–124.
[7] Borinos, А.Е. 2016. Supranationality in the Law of the European Union and Application of Supranationality for the Eurasian Union. Works of the 18th International Scientific Conference ‘Civilization of Knowledge: Russian Realities’, 1(1): 594–596.
[8] Borodin, K., and Strokov, A. 2015. The Customs Union in the CIS. Journal of Economic Integration, 30(2): 334–358.
[9] Chufrin, G. 2012. A Difficult Road to Eurasian Economic Integration. Russian Analytical Digest, 112: 5–8.
[10] Cram, L., Dinan, D., and Nugent, N. 1999. Reconciling Theory and Practice. Developments in the European Union. London: Macmillan.
[11] [Dragneva, R., and Wolczuk, K. 2012. Russia, the Eurasian Customs Union and the EU: Cooperation, Stagnation or Rivalry? Briefing Paper REP BP 2012/01. Available at: https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/public/Research/Russia%20and%20Eurasia/0812bp_dragnevawolczuk.pdf. (accessed September 15, 2017).
[12] Dragneva, R., and Wolczuk, K. 2013. The Eurasian Customs Union: Framing the Analysis. In: Dragneva R. and Wolczuk K., editors. Eurasian Economic Integration: Law, Policy and Politics. Cheltenham, Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar: 256.
[13] Eurasia: from an Idea to Integration. 2015. Moscow: Eurasian Economic Commission.
[14] Eurasian Economic Commission. 2015. The Eurasian Economic Commission Reported on its Progress over 2014 and the Plans for 2015. Available at: http://www.eurasiancommission.org/ru/nae/news/Pages/02-06-2015-1.aspx. (accessed May 8, 2017).
[15] Eurasian Economic Commission. 2016. Fulfillment of the Obligations of EAEU Member States in WTO. Available at: http://www.eurasiancommission.org/ru/act/trade/SiteAssets/Presentation_2016%20rus.pdf. (accessed August 15, 2017).
[16] European Commission. EU and WTO. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/trade/creating-opportunities/ eu-and-wto/. (accessed August 15, 2017).
[17] International Crisis Group. 2016. The Eurasian Economic Union: Power, Politics and Trade. Report № 240. Available at: https://www.crisisgroup.org/europe-central-asia/central-asia/eurasian-economic-union-power-politics-and-trade. (accessed August 15, 2017).
[18] Ivanova, Ye.M. 2015. Eurasian Integration: a Path from CIS to EAEU. Russian Foreign Economy Bulletin, 6: 112–119.
[19] Kaveshnikov, N. 2003. European Union: Reference Guide.
[20] Kembaev, Zh.M. 2016. Regional Integration in Eurasia: Main Characteristics, Problems and the Outlook. Russian Legal Journal, 2: 32–45.
[21] Kirkham, K. 2016. The Formation of the Eurasian Economic Union: How Successful is the Russian Regional Hegemony? Journal of Eurasian Studies, 7: 111–128.
[22] Korolev, M.A. 1997. Supranationality from the Perspective of International Law. Moscow journal of international law, 2: 3–20.
[23] Lapenko, M.V. 2016. The External Contour of the EAEU: the Potential for Enlargement and the Search for Optimal Mechanisms of Interaction. Izvestiya of Saratov University. New Series. Series: History. International Relations, 16(1): 71–76.
[24] Laruelle, M. 2012. When the ‘Near Abroad’ Looks at Russia: the Eurasian Union Project as Seen from the Southern Republics. Russian Analytical Digest, 112: 8–11.
[25] Mirzakhanyan, S. 2012. ‘Supranational’: from Europe to Eurasia. International Life, 9: 90–98.
[26] Molchanova, E.R. 2015. On the Question of the Supranational Component in the Structure of the Eurasian Economic Union Bodies. New Science: from an Idea to the Result, 7(2): 89–92.
[27] Mulyukova, V.A. 2014. The Eurasian Economic Union as an International Regional Organization. Eurasian Legal Journal, 12: 21–25.
[28] Myslivskiy, P.P. 2015. The Interrelation of the Competence of the Eurasian Economic Union with State Sovereignty. Theory and Practice of Public Development, 11: 126–128.
[29] Neshataeva, T.N. 2014. On the Question of the Establishment of the Eurasian Union: Integration and Supranationality. International Justice, 2: 57–70.
[30] Nurgaliyeva, L. 2016. Kazakhstan’s economic soft balancing policy vis-a-vis Russia: From the Eurasian Union to the economic cooperation with Turkey. Journal of Eurasian Studies, 7: 92–105.
[31] Obydenkova, A. 2011. Comparative Regionalism: Eurasian Cooperation and European Integration. The Case for Neofunctionalism? Journal of Eurasian Studies, 2(2): 87–102.
[32] Pankov, V.S. 2009. Globalization and International Regional Integration: Two Sides of One Coin? News of the Ural State Economic University, 2(24): 97–108.
[33] Pestsov, S.K. 2009. Regional Integration Associations: Criteria and Assessment of Effectiveness. Territory of New Opportunities, 2(2): 17–21.
[34] Popescu, N. 2014. Eurasian Union: the Real, the Imaginary and the Likely. Chaillot Paper № 132. Paris: EU Institute for Security Studies.
[35] Rakhimov, M. 2010. Internal and External Dynamics of Regional Cooperation in Central Asia. Journal of Eurasian Studies, 1: 95–101.
[36] Schmalenbach, K. 2014. International Organizations or Institutions, General Aspects. Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, 444–456.
[37] Secrieru, S. 2014. Bumps on Russia’s Road to the Eurasian Economic Union: Postponed Integration, Costly Enlargement and Delayed International Recognition. PISM Policy Paper, 10(93): 1–7.
[38] Starodubtsev, G.S. 2015. Eurasian Union: from Ideas to Reality. Perm University Herald. Juridical Sciences, 1(27): 158–167.
[39] Tarr, D.G. 2015. The Eurasian Economic Union among Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and the Kyrgyz Republic: Can it Succeed Where its Predecessor Failed? Available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2185517. (accessed September 26, 2017).
[40] Tochitskaya, I. 2016. Kazakhstan’s Entry to WTO: Review and Consequences for the Eurasian Economic Union. Analytical notes [PP/01/2016]. German Economic Team, Research Center of PMI.
[41] Tochitskaya, I., and Mogilevskiy, R. 2001. Research and Analysis 233. Foreign Trade of Kyrgyz Republic: Current State and Prospects. Warsaw: Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE).
[42] Velyaminov, G.M. 2010. The Customs Union from a Legal Perspective. The State and Law, 2: 55–58.
[43] Vinhas de Souza, L. 2011. An Initial Estimation of the Economic Effects of the Creation of the EurAsEC Customs Union on Its Members. Economic Premise, 47: 1–7.
[44] Vinnitskiy, D.B. 2009. The Eurasian Economic Union: Legal Instruments of Establishing the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space. Zanger, 9.
[45] Vinokurov, E. (Ed.). 2016. EDB Integration Barometer – 2016 (Fifth Wave of the Survey). Report 40. Saint Petersburg: Eurasian Development Bank. Centre for Integration Studies.
[46] Vinokurov, E., and Libman, A. 2013. Two Eurasian Integrations. Economic issues, 2: 47–72.
[47] Vymyatnina, Y., and Antonova, D. 2014. Creating a Eurasian Union: Economic Integration of the Former Soviet Republics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
[48] Yefremova, N.A. 2010a. International Economic Integration of States in the Age of Globalization. Jurisprudence, 3: 31–38.
[49] Yefremova, N.A. 2010b. The International Legal Mechanisms of Regulating Economic Integration and Sovereignty of States (Doctoral Thesis). Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Moscow.
[50] Yesdauletova, A., and Yesdauletov, A. 2014. The Eurasian Union: Dynamics and Difficulties of the Post-Soviet Integration. Trames, 18(1): 3–17.
The Copyright Transfer Form to ASERS Publishing (The Publisher)
This form refers to the manuscript, which an author(s) was accepted for publication and was signed by all the authors.
The undersigned Author(s) of the above-mentioned Paper here transfer any and all copyright-rights in and to The Paper to The Publisher. The Author(s) warrants that The Paper is based on their original work and that the undersigned has the power and authority to make and execute this assignment. It is the author's responsibility to obtain written permission to quote material that has been previously published in any form. The Publisher recognizes the retained rights noted below and grants to the above authors and employers for whom the work performed royalty-free permission to reuse their materials below. Authors may reuse all or portions of the above Paper in other works, excepting the publication of the paper in the same form. Authors may reproduce or authorize others to reproduce the above Paper for the Author's personal use or for internal company use, provided that the source and The Publisher copyright notice are mentioned, that the copies are not used in any way that implies The Publisher endorsement of a product or service of an employer, and that the copies are not offered for sale as such. Authors are permitted to grant third party requests for reprinting, republishing or other types of reuse. The Authors may make limited distribution of all or portions of the above Paper prior to publication if they inform The Publisher of the nature and extent of such limited distribution prior there to. Authors retain all proprietary rights in any process, procedure, or article of manufacture described in The Paper. This agreement becomes null and void if and only if the above paper is not accepted and published by The Publisher, or is with drawn by the author(s) before acceptance by the Publisher.