ternatives exist:1.EU membership. Although Russian membership in the EU is impossible in the near future, some politicians have discussed such an opportunity. On July 18, 1997 in Brussels Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin called for Russia to join the European Union, stating that “Russia ought to become an EU member in the not-to-distant future.” He added that “Moscow’s entire relationship with the EU” is primarily aimed at achieving that goal. It is doubtful whether either Europeans or Russians could benefit from this membership. For Europe, the financial costs of Russian membership would be enormous. Although the EU sees Russia as its main strategic and trading partner, its priorities remain focused on small European countries. In addition, Russia is facing drastic economic difficulties. The EU also fears cheap labor coming from Russia. The rapid opening of Russian markets to the flows of goods, services, and capital from the EU could negatively affect non-competitive branches of the Russian economy. Russia would find it difficult to harmonize with EU regulations: corporate laws, banking laws, company accounts and taxes, protection of workers in the workplace, financial services, rules of competition, consumer protection, customs law, technical rules and standards, environmental laws, transport laws. Membership in the Council of Europe could provide a gateway to integration with EU countries, implying a democratic and law-based society. However, if the Council of Europe’s criteria are not sufficiently stringent, Russian membership may have a negative effect on other EU member states. Another possibility lies in creating the creation of a2. Free Trade Zone (FTZ) The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) contains an extremely important provision allowing for further development of Russian-EU relations by m...
