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The Ceres Conference for the Creation of the East Parundor Strategic Trade Zone; ATTN: All Nations of East Parundor
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Topic Started: 17 Feb 2010, 04:03 AM (700 Views)
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Qalavarnassus
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20 Feb 2010, 02:33 AM
Post #11
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"Welcome President Rashta... welcome to you as well Colonel Fisher."
Dr. Alseini shook each of their hands in turn.
"The rest of the delegates will be arriving shortly. Until then, let us retire to the Domus Rex and prepare for the Conference."
OOC: I'm just gonna fast forward here...
Director of Economic Competitiveness Bahiyya Abd-Alar stood before the assembly of delegates in one of the Domus Rex' largest conference rooms. To each of his flanks were his advisors from the ECD as well as Director General Alseini, who wold be reporting to the High King on the progress of the Conference.
"Ladies and gentleman, thank you for coming. My name is Bahiyya Abd-Alar; I am the Director of Economic Competitiveness for the Crown here in Qalavarnassus, and I and my Directorate will be representing the United Kingdom for the remainder of the conference. Before I begin, our government has yet to establish an embassy with several of your nations. We'd ask for you to provide us your permission to establish an embassy in each of your capitals, and we will allow you to do the same. It will surely expedite the process.
In lieu of wasting time, the Government of Qalavarnassus would like to present the first draft of the Ceres Treaty for the Establishment of the East Parundor Strategic Trade Zone (CT-EPSTZ). Please raise any concerns you have with the document, and we will debate them as they arise. I'd of course ask that we keep the discussion as civil as possible so that we all leave this Conference with the continent's first major free trade zone."
The Director pulled the document from his file.
"Now, what do you think?"
OOC: I want to warn you guys that the Ceres Treaty is very heavily plagiarized from the NAFTA Treaty. They both are very similar, and obviously I'm no economist so I felt I would borrow from NAFTA. If anyone has a problem with that tell me.
- Quote:
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Draft Treaty for the Creation of the East Parundor Strategic Trade Zone
PART ONE: GENERAL PART
CHAPTER ONE: OBJECTIVES
Article 101: For the forthcoming text of this treaty the term “treaty” will refer to the Ceres Treaty for the Establishment of the East Parundor Strategic Trade Zone (EPSTZ); the term “party” or “parties” shall refer to all signatories of said Treaty.
Article 102: The parties to this treaty hereby establish a free trade area in accordance with the national sovereignty of each of the parties.
Article 102:
The objectives of this agreement are as follows: A) Eliminate barriers to trade in, and facilitate the cross-border movement of, goods and services between the territories of the Parties; B) Promote conditions of fair competition in the free trade zone; C) Increase substantially investment opportunities in the territories of the PArties; D) Create effective procedures for the implementation and application of this agreement, for its joint administration and for the resolution of disputes; E) Establish a framework for further trilateral, regional, and multilateral cooperation to expand and enhance the benefits of this Treaty;
Article 103: Whereby should a clause of this Treaty contradict a domestic or foreign policy of one of the signatories, that signatory will immediately seek to resolve that contradiction in a timely and efficient manner, to be otherwise subject to a dispute resolution hearing to satisfy the resolution of said contradiction.
Article 104: The Parties shall ensure that all necessary measures are taken in order to give effect to the provisions of this Agreement, including their observance, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, by state and provincial governments.
Articles 105: All Parties hereby establish the Secretariat for the East Parundor Strategic Trade Zone (hereby referred to as the S-EPSTZ) to maintain status as an independent international organization, and whose broad purpose will be to monitor the policies of all Parties to ensure cooperation with the clauses of this Treaty. Furthermore, all Parties agree to rotate the position of Secretary General (as chief executive officer of the S-EPSTZ) every 2 years for the purpose of assuring a national citizen of each Party to the treaty fills the role in an equal capacity to all other Parties.
CHAPTER TWO: TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES
Article 201: The term “goods” shall refer to both goods and services. Parties shall accord equal national treatment to the goods of another Party as they would goods produced within their own borders. This shall mean, with respect to a state or province, treatment no less favorable than the most favorable treatment accorded by such state or province to any like, directly competitive or substitutable goods, as the case may be, of the Party of which it forms a part.
Article 202:
1. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, no Party may increase any existing customs duty, or adopt any customs duty, on an originating good. 2. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, each Party shall progressively eliminate its customs duties on originating goods in a timely manner, to be otherwise subject to a dispute resolution hearing. 3. On the request of any Party, the Parties shall consult to consider accelerating the elimination of customs duties.
Article 203: Article 202 shall further be applied to customs on temporary goods, such as professional equipment of a visiting foreign national.
Article 204:
1. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, no Party may adopt or maintain any prohibition or restriction on the importation of any good of another Party or on the exportation or sale for export of any good destined for the territory of another Party. 2. The Parties understand that this Treaty shall, in any circumstances in which any other form of restriction is prohibited, export price requirements and, except as permitted in enforcement of countervailing and antidumping orders and undertakings, import price requirements. 3. In the event that a Party adopts or maintains a prohibition or restriction on the importation from or exportation to a non-Party of a good, nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to prevent the Party from: a) limiting or prohibiting the importation from the territory of another Party of such good of that non- Party; or b) requiring as a condition of export of such good of the Party to the territory of another Party, that the good not be re-exported to the non-Party, directly or indirectly, without being consumed in the territory of the other Party. 4. In the event that a Party adopts or maintains a prohibition or restriction on the importation of a good from a non-Party, the Parties, on request of any Party, shall consult with a view to avoiding undue interference with or distortion of pricing, marketing and distribution arrangements in another Party.
Article 205: No Party may adopt or maintain any duty, tax or other charge on the export of any good to the territory of another Party, unless such duty, tax or charge is adopted or maintained on: a) exports of any such good to the territory of all other Parties; and b) any such good when destined for domestic consumption.
Article 206:
1. The Parties hereby establish a Commission on Trade Liberalization, comprising representatives of each Party. 2. The Commission shall meet on the request of any Party or the Commission to consider any matter arising under this Chapter. 3. The Parties shall convene at least once each year a meeting of their officials responsible for customs, immigration, inspection of food and agricultural products, border inspection facilities, and regulation of transportation for the purpose of addressing issues related to movement of goods through the Parties' ports of entry.
Article 207:
1. Each Party shall accord to service providers of another Party treatment no less favorable than that it accords, in like circumstances, to its own service providers. 2. The treatment accorded by a Party means, with respect to a state or province, treatment no less favorable than the most favorable treatment accorded, in like circumstances, by that state or province to service providers of the Party of which it forms a part.
Article 208: Each Party shall accord to service providers of another Party treatment no less favorable than that it accords, in like circumstances, to service providers of any other Party or of a non-Party.
Article 209: Each Party shall set out to enact its commitments to liberalize quantitative restrictions, licensing requirements, performance requirements or other non-discriminatory measures.
Article 210: Where a Party maintains or designates a monopoly, and the monopoly, directly or through an affiliate, competes in the provision of enhanced or value-added services or other services or goods, the Party shall ensure that the monopoly does not use its monopoly position to engage in anticompetitive conduct in those markets, either directly or through its dealings with its affiliates, in such a manner as to affect adversely a person of another Party. Such conduct may include cross-subsidization, predatory conduct and the discriminatory provision of access to transport networks or services.
Article 211: The Parties recognize the principle that an investor of another Party should be permitted to establish a financial institution in the territory of a Party in the juridical form chosen by such investor. The Parties also recognize the principle that an investor of another Party should be permitted to participate widely in a Party's market through the ability of such investor to: (a) provide in that Party's territory a range of financial services through separate financial institutions as may be required by that Party; (b) expand geographically in that Party's territory; and (c) own financial institutions in that Party's territory without being subject to ownership requirements specific to foreign financial institutions.
Article 213: Each Party shall accord to investors of another Party treatment no less favorable than that it accords to its own investors, in like circumstances, with respect to the establishment, acquisition, expansion, management, conduct, operation, and sale or other disposition of financial institutions and investments in financial institutions in its territory. Each Party shall accord to financial institutions of another Party and to investments of investors of another Party in financial institutions treatment no less favorable than that it accords to its own financial institutions and to investments of its own investors in financial institutions, in like circumstances, with respect to the establishment, acquisition, expansion, management, conduct, operation, and sale or other disposition of financial institutions and investments. Each Party shall permit a financial institution of another Party to provide any new financial service of a type similar to those services that the Party permits its own financial institutions, in like circumstances, to provide under its domestic law. A Party may determine the institutional and juridical form through which the service may be provided and may require authorization for the provision of the service. Where such authorization is required, a decision shall be made within a reasonable time and the authorization may only be refused for prudential reasons.
Article 214: Each Party shall permit a financial institution of another Party to transfer information in electronic or other form, into and out of the Party's territory, for data processing where such processing is required in the ordinary course of business of such institution.
Article 215: No Party may require financial institutions of another Party to engage individuals of any particular nationality as senior managerial or other essential personnel.
Article 216: No Party may require that more than a simple majority of the board of directors of a financial institution of another Party be composed of nationals of the Party, persons residing in the territory of the Party, or a combination thereof.
Article 217: Each Party shall adopt or maintain measures to proscribe anticompetitive business conduct and take appropriate action with respect thereto, recognizing that such measures will enhance the fulfillment of the objectives of this Agreement. To this end the Parties shall consult from time to time about the effectiveness of measures undertaken by each Party.
Article 218: Each Party recognizes the importance of cooperation and coordination among their authorities to further effective competition law enforcement in the free trade area. The Parties shall cooperate on issues of competition law enforcement policy, including mutual legal assistance, notification, consultation and exchange of information relating to the enforcement of competition laws and policies in the free trade area.
Article 219: Nothing in this agreement shall apply to domestic taxation which does not influence trade between the Partners of this Treaty.
CHAPTER THREE: CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN
Article 301:
1. The Parties shall establish a Certificate of Origin for the purpose of certifying that a good being exported from the territory of a Party into the territory of another Party qualifies as an originating good, and may thereafter revise the Certificate by agreement. 2. Each Party may require that a Certificate of Origin for a good imported into its territory be completed in a language required under its law.
Article 302:
1. Each Party shall require an importer in its territory that claims preferential tariff treatment for a good imported into its territory from the territory of another Party to: A) make a written declaration, based on a valid Certificate of Origin, that the good qualifies as an originating good; b) have the Certificate in its possession at the time the declaration is made; B) provide, on the request of that Party's customs administration, a copy of the Certificate; and C) promptly make a corrected declaration and pay any duties owing where the importer has reason to believe that a Certificate on which a declaration was based contains information that is not correct.
Article 303:
1. Each Party shall maintain, in accordance with its law, the confidentiality of confidential business information collected pursuant to this Chapter and shall protect that information from disclosure that could prejudice the competitive position of the persons providing the information. 2. The confidential business information collected pursuant to this Chapter may only be disclosed to those authorities responsible for the administration and enforcement of determinations of origin, and of customs and revenue matters.
Article 304: Each Party shall maintain measures imposing criminal, civil or administrative penalties for violations of its laws and regulations relating to this Chapter.
CHAPTER 4: INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
Article 401: The Parties hereby establish the Commission on Trade Liberalization, comprising cabinet-level representatives of the Parties or their designees.
1. The Commission shall: A) supervise the implementation of this Agreement; B) oversee its further elaboration; C) resolve disputes that may arise regarding its interpretation or application; D) supervise the work of all committees and working groups established under this Agreement; and E) consider any other matter that may affect the operation of this Agreement.
The Commission may: establish, and delegate responsibilities to, ad hoc or standing committees, working groups or expert groups; seek the advice of non-governmental persons or groups; and take such other action in the exercise of its functions as the Parties may agree.
2. The Commission shall establish its rules and procedures. All decisions of the Commission shall be taken by consensus, except as the Commission may otherwise agree. 3. The Commission shall convene at least once a year in regular session. Regular sessions of the Commission shall be chaired successively by each Party.
Article 402: 3. The Secretariat shall: (a) provide assistance to the Commission; (b) provide administrative assistance to
(i) panels and committees established by the Parties and; (c) as the Commission may direct (i) support the work of other committees and groups established under this Agreement, and (ii) otherwise facilitate the operation of this Agreement.
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Qalavarnassus
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21 Feb 2010, 06:44 PM
Post #12
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"I take it then there are no qualms with the treaty in its current form?"
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Nentsia
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21 Feb 2010, 07:45 PM
Post #13
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Admin Zapatista
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Zaman has some worries.
If Zaman enters the free trade zone, it will have to compete with other much richer nations. Our farmers cannot compete with the others in Parundor, our trade exports are mostly raw materials that cannot compete with Deltoria.
In fact, there is no product that Zaman can compete with when all trade barriers are removed. We think it could make our weak economy collapse.
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Qalavarnassus
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22 Feb 2010, 09:16 PM
Post #14
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To Zaman, I would note that the flood of foreign investment and new competition that would enter your market would likely give your nation the sort of economic stimulus it needs to drastically improve.
None the less, if you are concerned over the state of your farmers economically, the treaty could have some mention of allowing tariffs for agricultural products or national subsidies for those industries. The Qali economy is not dependent on agriculture, so our government would not be strongly opposed to this.
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Qalavarnassus
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22 Feb 2010, 09:39 PM
Post #15
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Also, two additional suggestions to be added to the Treaty.
First, a new article authorizing the creation of a Joint Committee for Trans-Continental Transport (the CTCT) to work towards mutual cooperation for the creation of intercontinental methods of transportation, including railways, highways, and improving airport connections. Transportation will be vital in deepening our economic integration, and these projects will be much cheaper if all of our governments work towards them.
Finally, another clause granting full access to the Pandur canal in Gebeta for all members of the EPSTZ.
Thoughts?
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Nentsia
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24 Feb 2010, 06:41 PM
Post #16
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Admin Zapatista
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From: GrandVizier Firuz Ibn-Al Hakim
Whould it be allowed if the Zamani government would subside its farmers and economical industries that would be given a death blow by entering this treaty? That way, we can benefit from the treaty, and we can limit the negative side effects from it.
On behalf of Empress Minu.
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Qalavarnassus
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24 Feb 2010, 07:42 PM
Post #17
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Certainly... any ideas as to what those industries would be?
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Gebeta
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7 Mar 2010, 04:16 PM
Post #18
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GDI FOUNDER
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The canal is open as always. Another note. Dont include Gebeta i clauses with out notification, as i have yet to decide if this is in Gebeta interests. OOC I know the canal is important. If i Dont agree, the canal will still be open, even with out treaties saying so. just needed ti post a appropriate response
Edited by Gebeta, 7 Mar 2010, 11:53 PM.
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-DS-
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7 Mar 2010, 05:00 PM
Post #19
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OOC: The canal doesn't belong to you Gebeta...
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Gebeta
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7 Mar 2010, 11:52 PM
Post #20
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GDI FOUNDER
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OOC Thats why i posted it is Always opened. Ill edit the closure part, as im planning on building a second canal. got ahead of myself.
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