Trade Policy Review: Croatia - Reform Programme Has Borne Fruit but Needs to Continue
- WTO Secretariat
- 2010/04/07
- 已被閱讀 909次
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PRESS RELEASE
PRESS/TPRB/327
26 March 2010
(10-1681)
trade policy review: Croatia
Reform programme has borne fruit but needs to continue
Since independence in 1991, Croatia has been implementing an ambitious reform programme based on the gradual opening of trade and investment, driven by commitments taken during its WTO accession negotiations and preparations for its key strategic goal of acceding to the European Union, according to a WTO Secretariat report on the trade policies and practices of Croatia.
High real GDP growth, relatively low inflation, and a declining fiscal deficit are some of the fruits of the programme, the report says. Nonetheless, there was a big contraction in economic activity in 2009 due to the global economic downturn, and Croatia still faces key problems, notably external vulnerability due to its high external current account deficit and large stock of external debt.
The report also indicates that important reforms have taken place in the trad