Geographical indications (GIs) are defined as “a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin”. GIs have become potentially beneficial trademarks for domestic and international trade in agricultural products. Among the benefits of GIs are improved consumer information; higher incomes for farmers and food processors; sustainable regional development; conservation of traditional production methods and cultural heritage; and the accumulation of social capital. However, in developing countries, highly asymmetric power relations among actors across the value chain, weak institutions, and poor governance can impede the realization of benefits from GI in the region. While a GI law has been effective in Tajikistan since 2007; Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan adopted GI laws between 2021 and 2023. The objective of this paper is to assess the potential and the risks of GIs in Central Asia. First, the paper provides an overview of the legal and institutional environment for GIs in Central Asia. Second, the paper critically reviews activities of international organizations and actors in development cooperation to promote GI initiatives in the region. The third section of the paper discusses selected aspects specific to GI initiatives in Central Asia, including the implications of institutional legacies from the Soviet period, colonial borders and unresolved border disputes between independent states, and nomad circular migration that may involve challenges for the regional definition of an origin product. The paper draws on information collected from the academic literature, policy documents, and expert interviews.

Mit ihrem Beitritt zur Europäischen Union (EU) verpflichten sich die EU-Beitrittskandidaten, an der Europäischen Währungsunion teilzunehmen und den Euro einzuführen, sobald sie die Konvergenzkriterien erfüllen. Bereits als EU-Mitglieder mit eigener Währung müssen sie ihre Wechselkurspolitik als Angelegenheit von gemeinschaftlichem Interesse betrachten, und sie sehen sich der Erwartung gegenübergestellt, am EWS II teilzunehmen. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird in diesem Beitrag untersucht, welche währungspolitischen Optionen für die Beitrittskandidaten prinzipiell bestehen. Besonderes Augenmerk wird darauf gerichtet, (i) dass es sich bei den Beitrittskandidaten im Vergleich zum Euroraum um relativ gering entwickelte Volkswirtschaften im Aufholprozess handelt und (ii) dass der Systemwechsel Finanzdienstleistungssektoren von unterschiedlicher Leistungsfähigkeit und mit länderspezifischen Charakteristika hervorgebracht hat. Dementsprechend differenziert sollten auch die Währungsbeziehungen zum Euroraum ausgestaltet werden.

Since the collapse of communism, the Central and Eastern European countries have implemented far-reaching political and economic reforms. Many of these countries have aligned their policy with attempts to quickly integrate into the European Union. The prospect of membership served the purpose of anchoring these necessarily painful reforms. Be this as it may, apart from benefits stemming from the Unions’ Structural Funds, et cetera, it has always been argued that the restrictive nature of the European Union’s trade policy is a prime motive for the transition countries to seek admission. This article focuses on the development of the Union’s trade policy towards Central and Eastern Europe and scrutinizes the extent to which trade restrictions are still a valid argument for „joining the club“.