WT/REG454/M/1  
 
18 December  2023 
(23-8648) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements  
Hundred and Eighth Session  Original: English  
 
  
PARTNERSHIP TRADE AND COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN  
THE UNITED KINGDOM  AND ALBANIA  
(GOODS  AND SERVICES)  
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 21 NOVEMBER  2023 
Chair: Ambassador H.E. Ms. Clare KELLY (New Zealand)  
1.1.  The 10 8th Session of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (hereinafter "CRTA" or the 
"Committee") was convened in Airgram WTO/AIR/RTA/3 4/Rev. 1 dated 10 November  2023.   
1.2.  Under Item I.VI, the CRTA  consider ed the goods and services aspects of the Partnership , Trade 
and Cooperation Agreement between the United Kingdom and Albania (hereinafter "the Agreement" 
or "PTCA"). The Chair stated that the Factual Presentation had been prepared by the Secretariat on 
its own responsibility in full consultation with the Parties, in accordance with paragraph 7(b) of the 
Transparency Mechanism for Regional Trade Agreements (document WT/L/671).  
1.3.  The Agreement  had entered into force on 3 May 2021 and had been notified to the WTO by the 
Parties on the same day under Articles  XXIV:7(a) of the GATT  1994 and Article  V:7(a) of the GATS . 
It had been  notified as an agreement that create d a free trade area in goods, within the meaning of 
Article XXIV of the GATT 1994,  and for trade in services within the meaning of GATS V , in documents  
WT/REG 454/N/1 and S/C/N/ 1055 respectively.  The text of the Agreement, together with its 
Annexes, was available on the Parties' official websites and in the WTO RTA database.  The Factual 
Presentation, document  WT/REG 454/1, and the questions and replies document , WT/REG4 54/2, had 
been distributed.  
1.4.  The representative of the United Kingdom, speaking also on behalf of Albania , noted that the 
PTCA between the Republic of Albania a nd the United Kingdom had been successfully implemented 
since 3 May 2021 , when it had entered into force . He thanked Albania  for its positive contributions 
in drafting and agreeing the statement. The PTCA replicat ed the trade preferences of the EU -Albania 
Stabilisation and Association Agreement  (SAA) . Therefore, since its entry into force both Parties ha d 
access to the wide range of trade preferences they had benefited from under the EU Agreement.  
1.5.  The Agreement cover ed both trade in goods, including provisi ons on rules of origin, preferential 
tariffs and quotas, and trade in services. It also contain ed commitments in areas often covered by 
trade agreements including intellectual property, notably geographical indications, and government 
procurement. It had played, and continue d to play, a vital role in providing both continuity and 
certainty for Albanian and British businesses that trade between both countries. High liberalisation 
in trade had continue d to apply within the PTCA to prevent any disturbance to the Parties'  companies, 
allowing the business sector to trade on a preferential basis.  
1.6.  Total trade in goods and services between the UK and Albania had been GBP 533 million in the 
four quarters to the end of Q1 2023, accounting for approximately 0.1% of UK  trade. Th at figure 
had almost doubled  from the four quarters to the end of Q1 2022, showing a sharp rise in trade. 
Albania's trade figures show ed that total trade in goods and services between Albania and the UK 
had been EUR  472 million  in 2022, an increa se of 67% compared to 2021. Albania ha d a positive 
trade balance with the UK in services. The export of services reached EUR 261 million in 2022, a 
significant increase of 94% compared with 2021, especially in tourism and transport. The most WT/REG454/M/1  
 
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  valuable expor ts for both sides were in services, namely travel and transportation, with top goods 
traded including scientific instruments, footwear, beverages and specialised machinery.  
1.7.  The text of the PTCA replicate d the EU -Albania SAA , which had fully entered into fo rce in 2009, 
but the trade -related part had entered into force in 2006 through an Interim Agreement. The PTCA 
had come into force on 3 May 2021 and contain ed minor technical changes to accommodate the 
UK's new bilateral context. As was the case with most o f the UK's continuity agreements, tariff rate 
quotas had been  resized to 13.62% of the corresponding quota volume or quota increase referred 
to in the EU -Albania SAA when it had ceased to apply to the United Kingdom.  Otherwise, the 
Agreement incorporate d the liberalisation of goods which had already been completed before the 
EU-Albania SAA had ceased to apply.  The Agreement remove d all references to the European 
Commission and the European Union which describe d the EU -Albania SAA as an agreement between 
the EU and Albania and replace d these with references to the United Kingdom or its relevant 
institutions in order to enable the PTCA  to function as a bilateral agreement between the UK and 
Albania. These were only technical changes to ensure that the Agreemen t operate d as a bilateral 
agreement.  
1.8.  The Agreement had rolled over the tariff preferences on goods from the EU Agreement , 
contain ed the full range of trade provisions common to most trade agreements and provisions on 
services. It had also roll ed over the EU agreement's wide range of cooperation provisions, which 
were designed to foster cooperation between the Parties across all sectors of their economies, as 
well as on justice and home affairs.  On rules of origin, the Agreement contain ed generous cumulation 
provisions. Materials c ould be considered as originating in  the UK or Albania if they were obtained 
there, incorporating materials originating in the other Party, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Iceland, 
Norway, Turkey, the European Union, or countries referred to in Annex A of the Protocol, provided 
that the worki ng or processing carried out in the Party went beyond the operations referred to in 
PTCA Annex III Article 7.  One of the aims of the PTCA was to develop gradually a free trade area 
between the Parties. At th at moment, no further liberalisation had been  deemed necessary or 
envisaged by either Party. 
1.9.  The PTCA's institutional arrangements include d a Partnership, Trade and Cooperation (PTC) 
Council, composed of Albanian and UK representatives, which was responsible for the 
implementation of the Agreement and th e administration of all matters pertaining to it. It wa s 
assisted by a PTC Committee, which focuse d on trade -related implementation matters , and which 
might  also set up subcommittees to help it in its duties. The Parties m ight also set up a Parliamentary 
Committee.  
1.10.  The PTCA set  the conditions for trade between the UK and Albania to grow into the future. 
There was clear potential for Albania to continue developing as its accession pathway into the 
European Union progresse d. Both Parties look ed forward to con tinuing to work closely with each 
other  and remain ed deeply committed to the continued strengthening of their trade relationships.  
1.11.  The representative of Ukraine  welcomed the conclusion of the PTCA between the UK and the 
Albania  and wished both Parties a su ccessful implementation of the Agreement.  
1.12.  The representative of the European Union  welcome d the PTCA between the UK and Albania  
and wished both Parties success in the implementation of the Agreement.  
1.13.  The representative of Albania  expressed appreciation to his UK colleagues for the magnificent 
cooperation and for their fundamental contribution on drafting the answers and the joint statement. 
His delegation looked forward to further strengthening their trade cooperation for the bene fit of both 
countries.  
1.14.  The Chair noted the consideration of the goods and services aspects of the Partnership, Trade  
and Cooperation  Agreement between the United Kingdom  and Albania  had allowed the Committee 
to clarify a number of questions and conclude or al discussion of the RTA in accordance with 
paragraph 11 of the Transparency Mechanism . Any delegations wishing to ask follow -up questions 
were invited to forward submissions in writing to the Secretariat by 27 November  2023 and the Parties 
were asked to s ubmit replies in writing by no later than 11 December 2023. In accordance with 
paragraph  13 of the Transparency Mechanism all written submissions, as well as minutes of the WT/REG454/M/1  
 
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  meeting would be circulated promptly, in all WTO  official languages, and would be m ade available on 
the WTO database on RTAs . 
1.15.  The Committee took note  of the comments made.  
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