According to a press release issued by the European Commission on Monday, the "Commission proposes renewal of the current trade preferences until 2010 to foster economic development, prosperity and political stability in the region".
The countries in question are Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia-Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania. With these preferences which were introduced in 2000, the EU grants them "duty free access for virtually all goods".
In other words, "the European Commission granted exceptional unlimited duty-free access to the EU market for nearly all products originating in the countries and territories benefitting from the Stabilisation and Association Process.
So far, Croatia and Macedonia have signed Stabilisation and Association Agreements with the EU regulating free access of goods from those two countries to the EU market and also these two countries' obligation to gradually liberalise their markets for European goods.
As Croatia and Macedonia have signed SAAs, autonomous trade preferences actually refer to those countries that still have no contractual relations with the European bloc, i.e. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia-Montenegro and Albania.
A final decision on the Commission's proposal should be made by the ministerial council by 31 December this year.