PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Open Regional Funds (ORFs) aim is to build capacities and to support EU approximation of the Southeast European countries through regional projects in six sectors: Legal Reform, Energy Efficiency, Modernisation of Municipal Services, Biodiversity, European Integration and Foreign Trade. EU accession is of highest political priority for the project partner countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia).

The objective of this project is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of current established statistical practices in CEFTA, to develop capacities of the officials from central banks and statistical offices of the respective CEFTA Parties and to produce Decision on how to enhance the cooperation on trade related statistics.

After consultations within CEFTA Secretariat, it has been agreed that in following topics support is needed:
• Asymmetries in intra-CEFTA trade in goods and trade in services statistics and developing approaches in reducing some of them. Examples of best European and international practices
• Expanding trade in goods data on HS6+2 by declarant/partner and destination under the confidentiality rules with restricted access for sensitive data

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