. /.RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/ACC/807/8/Add.1
2 March 2001
(01-1028)
Working Party on the Accession of the
Former Yugoslav Republic of MacedoniaOriginal:  English
ACCESSION OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Information on Policy Measures Affecting Trade in Services
Addendum
The Government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has submitted the following
additional information on policy measures affecting trade in services, with the request that it be
circulated to Working Party members.
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AN INTRODUCTORY NOTE
1. Pursuant to the WTO requirement for information and transparency, this document is a report
in the prescribed form on the current legislation of the Republic of Macedonia concerning
services.  It does not represent the negotiating position of the Republic of Macedonia. It does
not constitute an offer or commitment.
2. The purpose of this brief introductory note is to explain the state of the services industry and
its regulation in the Republic of Macedonia:
(a) Some types of services, commercially important in other countries, are not yet fully
developed in the Republic of Macedonia.  For this reason they are not regulated fully
or at all at the present time.  Such regulation will become necessary for their orderlyand efficient performance when the relevant services establish a sufficient market
presence in the Republic of Macedonia;
(b) All existing types of services are being vigorously privatized in the Republic of
Macedonia.  The process of privatization requires the development of new legislationspecifically oriented towards the needs of an open market economy.  The
development of a new services economy, open to investment and other market forces,
is expanding so rapidly that it leaves the legislative process behind.  As a result, many
types of services are devoid of regulation necessary for their orderly and efficient
performance.
3. Another important consideration is the drafting of the laws in general.  It is an important and
costly process.  Drafting projects are taking place in many areas of the economy, including
services.  Nevertheless drafting cannot take place in a vacuum.  Local requirements have to be
examined, and international experience has to be considered.  Harmonization with
comparable international or regional approaches must be attempted.  This is a lengthy processWT/ACC/807/8/Add.1
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which imposes a considerable strain on the limited government resources of the Republic of
Macedonia.
4. Areas of services requiring special attention are:
(a) The health services sector where human life and health require a careful balance
between the availability of adequate medical services and the development of a sound
economic base;
(b) The nascent area of electronic commerce which may have a serious impact on small
economies like that of the Republic of Macedonia.  As there is not sufficient
international experience in this area, the impact of its various manifestations have tobe carefully studied to determine the appropriate regulatory needs.
5. The current laws of the Republic of Macedonia relating to the regulation of services, as
presented in this document, are believed to be reasonable and efficient for the areas to which
they apply.
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