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On May 16 the Council held the regular meeting of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). During the meeting a number of decisions were made in the area of integration and macroeconomics, trade, customs cooperation, technical regulation and regulatory support of the Customs Union. On May 16 the Council held the regular meeting of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). During the meeting a number of decisions were made in the area of integration and macroeconomics, trade, customs cooperation, technical regulation and regulatory support of the Customs Union. In particular, the Council of the EEC generally approved the draft Treaty on Trademarks, Service Marks and Appellations of Origin of Goods in the Territory of the Member States of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space. This Treaty was developed on the basis of the Agreement on the Unified Principles of Regulation in the Area of Protection of Intellectual Property Rights dated December 9, 2010. The Treaty shall help create favourable conditions for establishment of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space through legal protection of trademarks, service marks and appellations of origin of goods in the territory of the states of the Parties that have agreed as follows: The Treaty governs the relations arising in connection with registration, legal protection and use of trademarks, service marks and appellations of origin of goods in the territory of the member states of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space (CES). Decisions in the area of trade were approved at the meeting of the Council of the EEC. Particularly, it was decided to temporarily reduce the rate of import customs duty for certain types of synthetic viscose fibers from 5% to 0% of the customs value. The reduced duty rate will be effective from July 1, 2013 till June 30, 2014. Such fiber is a raw material for manufacture of household and sanitary products, including napkins, bandaging, lining, filtering and packaging materials used in medical, furniture, footwear, garment and automobile industry. “Today such viscose fibers are not produced domestically in the member states of the Customs Union. We therefore expect that the reduction of the rate of import customs duty will allow to increase the production efficiency and competitiveness of nonwoven fabrics manufactured in the CU through reduction of costs, since the share of viscose fiber in the production cost of finished products is about 60%. By October this year a special monitoring will be carried out, on the basis of which it will be decided whether it makes sense to extend the measure”, Andrey Slepnev, Minister for Trade of the EEC, said. The decision shall take effect after 30 calendar days from the date of its official publication. At the meeting of the Council of the EEC it was also decided to temporarily reduce the rate of the import customs duty for fruit purees of peaches, nectarines and apricots, used for production of juices, from 15% to 0% of the customs value. This rate will be effective from July 1, 2013 till December 31, 2014 inclusive. “Because the production demand for this product is met through import, the lower rates will allow to prevent price increase for the finished products and maintain the consumption of juices. Moreover, this will contribute to increased utilization of juice producers, preservation of existing and creation of new jobs”, Andrey Slepnev, Minister for Trade of the EEC, said. Furthermore, the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission decided to reduce the rate of import customs duty for plastic blanks used for production of soft contact lenses from 20% to 0% of the customs value. “Since the duty rate on imported finished contact lenses is 5% of the customs value, the rate change fees will increase the price competitiveness of contact lenses manufactured in the member states of the Customs Union through reduction of the production cost”, Andrey Slepnev, Minister for Trade of the EEC, noted. “It is also expected that the output of import-substituting products will increase”. The decision shall take effect after 30 calendar days from the date of its official publication. Members of the Council of the EEC also reviewed the draft concept of establishment of the arbitration court for the purpose of the Customs Union.