Session
Political Science
Description
Kosovo is one of the newest countries in the world, which, after in- dependence in 2008, has made many efforts to establish a western democratic
system and a free market economy. As a partially recognized state and disputed territory by Serbia and its allies, Kosovo became a part of the Central European
Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) in 2007, initially as UMNIK, then under its of- ficial name. This research paper intends to highlight the need for Kosovo to be a
member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), taking into account the chal- lenges and opportunities encountered in the process of starting negotiations and
being a member or observer in this organization. Through the analysis of statis- tical data on Kosovo's foreign trade and other relevant indicators for this re- search, as well as through data obtained from interviews conducted with the
heads of the Department of Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Ko- sovo, we conclude that obstacles that Kosovo has not yet applied to be part of
the WTO are mainly technical and political. Kosovo's challenges and opportu- nities categorize into three levels: international, state, and microeconomic. Ko- sovo's participation in the international trade arena will be a challenge for the
government which has to make legislative changes and the custom tariffs reve- nues will be lower; for domestic companies facing external competition, and it
will be a good option for consumers who will pay less for their products and services.
Keywords:
WTO, Kosovo, negotiation, trade, accession
Session Chair
Labinot Greiçevci
Proceedings Editor
Edmond Hajrizi
ISBN
978-9951-550-19-2
Location
Lipjan, Kosovo
Start Date
25-10-2019 1:00 PM
End Date
26-10-2019 2:30 PM
DOI
10.33107/ubt-ic.2019.435
Recommended Citation
Muça, Fisnik, "The Challenges and Opportunities from the WTO accession – the Case of Kosovo" (2019). UBT International Conference. 1.
https://knowledgecenter.ubt-uni.net/conference/2019/PoliticalScience/1
Included in
The Challenges and Opportunities from the WTO accession – the Case of Kosovo
Lipjan, Kosovo
Kosovo is one of the newest countries in the world, which, after in- dependence in 2008, has made many efforts to establish a western democratic
system and a free market economy. As a partially recognized state and disputed territory by Serbia and its allies, Kosovo became a part of the Central European
Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) in 2007, initially as UMNIK, then under its of- ficial name. This research paper intends to highlight the need for Kosovo to be a
member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), taking into account the chal- lenges and opportunities encountered in the process of starting negotiations and
being a member or observer in this organization. Through the analysis of statis- tical data on Kosovo's foreign trade and other relevant indicators for this re- search, as well as through data obtained from interviews conducted with the
heads of the Department of Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Ko- sovo, we conclude that obstacles that Kosovo has not yet applied to be part of
the WTO are mainly technical and political. Kosovo's challenges and opportu- nities categorize into three levels: international, state, and microeconomic. Ko- sovo's participation in the international trade arena will be a challenge for the
government which has to make legislative changes and the custom tariffs reve- nues will be lower; for domestic companies facing external competition, and it
will be a good option for consumers who will pay less for their products and services.