Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan plan to build a supernational structure- the Eurasian Economic Commission, an analogue of the European Commission. The idea was approved by prime ministers of the three states in Saint-Petersburg on October 19.
Kommersant reports that the Customs Union will no longer exist by July 1, 2012. It will be replaced by a new structure, which will receive 10-fold more financing. The Russian government approved presentation of the project to President Dmitry Medvedev on October 27. It is expected to be signed in November.
The customs Union involves customs control, customs administration, technical regulation of trade with third states, currency, macroeconomics, energy and competitor policy, work on industry and agriculture, transport and migration. The Eurasian Customs Union will make decisions basing on votes. Its council will be represented by a vice-premier of each state. Its supernational structure will be authorized to ask information from legal bodies and individuals.
Director General of the Fund for Strategic Culture of Russia, Andrey Areshev, told Vestnik Kavkaza that the Eurasian Union of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will unite the post-Soviet space and grow own infrastructure. The expert expressed concern that the bureaucratic approvals may drag the process.
Integration needs to speed up and become deeper. This requires synchronized processes. The commission must not become an organ functioning for itself. It would discredit the Customs Union and turn it into some profanity, Areshev believes. He added that he has hope for efficiency of integration processes within the Eurasian Union.
