From 27 to 31 March 2017 European Union high-level officials will visit Mongolia to support its political and economic reform path. The meetings will take stock and develop further relations, as Mongolia is a valued partner for the EU. The visit is part of regular, long-established political dialogue/cooperation.

The 17^th EU-Mongolia Joint Committee will meet on 31 March.  It will be chaired by Foreign Minister of Mongolia Mr Tsend Munkh-Orgil and EU Managing Director for Asia-Pacific Mr Gunnar Wiegand. They will examine recent developments in EU-Mongolia relations, cooperation related to regional and global issues, the evolution of trade flows as well as the implementation of development assistance. The meeting will also consider measures that may contribute to the development and diversification of trade and economic cooperation.

The Joint Committee will be preceded by three different meetings on 30 March:

1. The first ever Human Rights Dialogue, part of the EU strategy to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The main purpose of the dialogue is to support Mongolia's adherence to its bilateral and international obligations in relation to human rights, rule of law and democratic principles. The Dialogue will help identify potential cooperation areas in the human rights field.

2. The Sub-committee on Trade and Investment, which discusses the diversification of Mongolian economy and the attraction of foreign investment among other issues.

3. The Working Group on Development Cooperation will review and discuss priorities and their implementation in the medium term.

From 27 to 29 March meetings take place to support implementation of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) under which Mongolian goods enter the EU market duty-free. In 2015, 20% of Mongolian goods exports, worth 16 million euro, entered the EU market duty-free under GSP+.

Mongolia joined the GSP+ scheme in 2014. This scheme aims to help Mongolia implement human and labour rights, environmental protection and good governance conventions and in return grants full removal of tariffs on over 66% of tariff lines.

The EU will engage with stakeholders, authorities, business, civil society, and international organisations, to assess developments in implementing the conventions. The EU will also inform stakeholders of the functioning and benefits of the GSP+ scheme and listen to any concerns or difficulties in its practical implementation. 

Background

The EU regards Mongolia as an important partner in the region and is involved cooperation activities on the ground. The EU actively supported Mongolia in hosting the ASEM Summit in Ulaanbaatar in July 2016.

EU-Mongolia's trade relations are governed by an agreement on trade and economic cooperation that entered into force in 1993. The two Parties accorded each other’s exports most-favoured-nation treatment and agreed to foster trade and economic relations. The agreement is highly beneficial to Mongolia. Thanks to the most-favoured-nation treatment clause of the agreement from Mongolia's 84 million euro exports to the EU, 74% or 60 million euro entered with zero tariffs.

Mongolia also benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences – special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance (GSP+) to have its goods entering the EU market duty-free. In 2015 the Mongolian clothing and apparel sector benefits the most under GSP+, exporting around 15 million euros duty-free.

This gives the Mongolian products better access to the EU market and contributes to Mongolia's economic growth and sustainable development.

For Mongolia, the EU is one of its main trading partners. In 2016, the total trade value of goods between the EU and Mongolia was EUR 380 million. Mongolia exported EUR 67 million of goods to the EU and imported EUR 313 million from the EU.

Mongolia's main exports to the EU are clothing, textiles and raw materials (especially hair of cashmere goats), EU exports to Mongolia consisted mainly of machinery, chemicals and food products.

The EU and Mongolia negotiated a new agreement to strengthen political, economic and sectoral cooperation: the Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation. It will provide the basis for a broader and more effective engagement by the EU and its Member States with Mongolia moving forward. It is testimony to the importance of EU-Mongolia relations, which are based on the shared values of democracy, rule of law and human rights and respect for international commitments in this regard. On 15 February 2017, the European Parliament gave its consent to conclude the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, paving the way for its entry into force.

Factsheet on the EU-Mongolia Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation
https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/mongolia/20826/factsheet-eu-mongolia-framework-agreement-partnership-and-cooperation_en

For more information on EU-Mongolia relations please visit our website: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/mongolia/index_mn.htm

For press enquiries, please contact Ms Sugar OCHIR at eu_office@magicnet.mn