No customs for Kosovo exports to the EU markets

The European Parliament approved on 14 October the extension of the tariff exemption (Autonomous Trade Measures – ATM) for the Western Balkans until 2015. This EU measure allows countries to sell their products within the EU market without customs.

After the vote Ulrike Lunacek, the EU parliament’s reporter for Kosovo, explained:

“Because of its special status under international law, particularly Kosovo’s economy has suffered from the lacking tariff exemption. Therefore, the extension of the ATMs was a long overdue step in order to allow the Kosovar businesses a competitive entrance into the EU market. Following the approval of the European Parliament, it has to now be guaranteed that the soon to be implemented extension of the ATMs also works retroactively for 2011, so that the Kosovar businesses are compensated accordingly”.