The meeting was chaired by Rasa Adomaitienė, Director of Ministry of Foreign Affairs External Economic Relations Department.
While preparing for the Eastern Partnership Summit, which will take place in Vilnius on 28–29 November, the Committee focused on the EU's trade relations with the Eastern Partnership countries. The Trade Policy Committee's members agreed that the preparation for the temporary application of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area to Ukraine was going smoothly, but the end result would depend on the carrying out of political conditions. The documents regarding the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with Georgia and Moldova are being prepared intensively for signing. A concern was voiced regarding Russia's political and economic pressure on the Eastern Partnership countries and Lithuania, and the importance of negotiating with Russia uniformly was stressed. The Committee evaluated very positively the Commission's swift reaction to Russia's import ban on Moldovan wine, which included suggesting liberalizing the import of Moldovan wine into the EU completely (quotas have been applied until now), and discussed other possible actions to help the Eastern partners deal with the economic pressure.
During the meeting, the preparation for the 9th World Trade Organization's Ministerial Conference, which will take place on 3–6 December in Bali, Indonesia, was discussed as well. The main outcome of the conference should be the trade facilitation agreement, which will set new rules for customs offices. When the agreement comes into effect, Lithuanian exporters will be able to benefit from simple and more transparent customs procedures and fees. The conference will also cover agricultural and development issues.
The informal meeting of the EU's Trade Policy Committee is organized semi-annually in the country presiding over the EU Council. It's the main committee of the EU's trade field, firming decision making regarding all the elements of the EU's Trade Policy Agenda at the political level.
