EVENT: Regional workshop on trade in services EaP countries

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia Moldova Ukraine
EVENT: Regional workshop on trade in services EaP countries

Date and time:

  • 24-25 June 2024,
  • Warsaw, Poland

Brief recapitulation

The Eastern Partnership (EaP) Trade Helpdesk Project, launched in late 2019, is an EU4Business project implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. A critical deliverable of this regional project is the EaP Trade Helpdesk platform – a regional portal that centralizes trade intelligence, information on market requirements within the region and with the EU and provides access to a network of regional technical experts. Partner countries include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

Under the project's Component 5, focused on Trade in Services Data Management, ITC has offered capacity-building and analytical assistance to national governments in collecting and processing data on trade in services. The aim of this intervention has been to foster national capacity to produce data in line with the Compilers’ Guide for the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services and with the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Compilation Guide. Where possible, the ultimate objective has been to start publishing trade in services data broken down by partner countries.

The ITC approach has consisted of five steps:

  • Compilation of an assessment report of available data and data production
  • Selection of a priority sector and compilation of a concept note with recommendations for data production in the selected sector.
  • Assurance of participation of partner organizations in the Train for Trade Workshop on Statistics of International Trade in Services, organized by UNCTAD (basic concept).
  • Delivery of a customized technical workshop addressing principal challenges faced by national compilers and providing advisory services for enhanced data collection.
  • Dissemination of data via national websites and the EaP Trade

National compilers have selected the following priority sectors for their respective countries: Armenia has selected construction services, Georgia has prioritized transport services, and both Moldova and Ukraine have chosen to focus on travel services.

The Regional workshop on trade in services data compilation is being organized to wrap up the current phase of the EaP Trade Helpdesk project and serve as a platform for exchange on advancements achieved by national data compilers in EaP countries and on persisting issues related to data production in priority sectors. This workshop will create the opportunity for the data compilers of EaP countries to connect with each other, understand their respective fields of expertise, and continue exchanging best practices beyond the duration of the project.

Tentative programme

Monday 24th June

9:00-9:15

Welcome of participants, introductory round table

9:15-9:30

Opening speech by DG NEAR

9:30-9:45

Introduction to EaP Trade Helpdesk project, by Mr. Paul Kelly, Senior Trade Information Officer, ITC

 9:45-10:15

Status quo of the implementation of trade in services data management component in partner countries, by Ms. Katerina Blanchard Joklova, Associate Programme Officer, Trade in Services, ITC

10:15-10:30

Coffee break

 10:30-12:30

Overview of available trade in services data: what data is available and what data is missing, persistent challenges:

  • Presentations by central banks from EaP countries (20 minutes each + 20 minutes for Q&A session)

12:30-14:00

Lunch break

 14:00–15:30

Trade in transport services in Georgia:

Presentation of the trade in services survey launched by GEOSTAT with focus on its transport module. Challenges related to survey implementation. Publication of bilateral data.

Q&A session.

15:30-15:45

Coffee break

 15:45-16:30

Exchange on the data collection for transport services and implementation of trade in services surveys in EaP countries.

 

Tuesday 24th June

 9:00-10:30

Trade in construction services in Armenia:

Compilation of trade in construction services data by ARMSTAT and Central Bank of Armenia. Challenges related to survey implementation. Publication of bilateral data.

Q&A session.

10:30-10:45

Coffee break

 10:45-12:30

Compilation of trade in construction services data by other countries (Roundtable plus experience from countries outside the EaP)

12:30-14:00

Lunch break

14:00-15:45

Trade in travel services in Moldova and Ukraine:

Compilation of travel data by NBM and NBS Moldova

  • Challenges related to survey implementation. Expenditures by refugees.

Publication of bilateral data.

Compilation of travel data by NBU and SSSU Ukraine.

  • Challenges related to data collection. Expenditures by refugees. Publication of bilateral data.

Q&A session.

15:45-16:00

Coffee break

16:00-16:30

Compilation of travel data by Narodowy Bank Polski

  • Challenges related to survey implementation. Expenditures by refugees.

Experience from other countries, information exchange, Q&A session.

16:30–17:00

Wrap-up, group photo.

 

  • Time indicated UTC+2 (Warsaw).

Joining the workshop and related logistics

  • The workshop will be organized in a hybrid Each partner organization is warmly invited to nominate one expert, who will participate in person. More information about the venue will be communicated soon.
  • The meeting will be held in
  • Credentials for joining the event remotely via the MS Teams platform will be communicated before the event.

EU4Business Initiative covers all EU support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region of the Eastern Partnership which brings together the EU, its member states and five partner countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

More information on www.eu4business.eu.

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