EU pledges
GSP+ and
approves
$100m more
for Sri Lanka
THE European Union wants Sri
Lanka to receive GSP+ concession,
the EU Ambassador in Sri
Lanka Julian Wilson has said,
according to recent press reports.
The EU has also approved
$100m in humanitarian and
development funds for Sri Lanka,
the Daily Mirror paper quoted
him as saying.
"I will only say that a lot of
melodramatic rubbish has been
written about the renewal of
GSP+ in local press. The truth is
simple if somewhat banal-the EU
wants Sri Lanka to receive GSP+
again for the coming three years,"
Mr. Wilson said at an EU event on
May 8.
Mr. Wilson also said that the
EU has given substantial development
assistance to Sri Lanka with
over one billion US$ in grants
and subsidized loans over the last
few years, specially for conflict
and tsunami reconstruction in the
South, East and North of Sri
Lanka .
National party (UNP) leader
Ranil Wickremesinghe had on an
earlier occasion said he is planning
to meet with representatives
of the European Union to secure a
renewal of the GSP+ facility, the
paper said.
Mr. Wickremesinghe had said
he will take up the responsibility
after setting aside political differences
for the betterment of the
garments industry, despite the
lackadaisical attitude of the
President Mahinda Rajapakse and
his United People's Freedom
Alliance (UPFA) government.
The GSP+, preferential trade
scheme from the EU allows Sri
Lanka to export 7,200 items duty
free into the EU and is credited
with helping to boost Sri Lankan
exports. The scheme is to be
reviewed this year for its extension
for another three years.
For eligibility, recipient countries
need to have ratified 27
international conventions on
human rights, labour standards,
environmental protection, and
governance principles by 31
December 2008.
Given the widespread allegations
of human rights violations
by the Rajapskse government,
there has been much speculation
recently that the European
scheme may not be extended to
Sri Lanka after the end of this
year.
However, the European
Commission maintains that whilst
the continuation of the GSP+
scheme depends on the implementation
of the 27 conventions,
it does not expect "absolute compliance."
"No one expects absolute
compliance. This would be unfair
but we need to be clear that there
would be an objective assessment
on the implementation of these
conventions," said Peter Maher,
Head of Operations of the
Delegation of the European
Commission to Sri Lanka and the
Maldives, recently.
Among the "core human and
labour rights UN/ILO
Conventions that must be ratified
and effectively implemented for
GSP Plus to apply" are the
International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights, the
International Covenant on
Economic Social and Cultural
Rights and the Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide.
"We have approved this year a
further instalment of over 100
million US$ in humanitarian and
longer term development funds to
be spent over the coming two
years," he said.
Also speaking at the function,
Sri Lankan Minister M. H.
Mohamed said the outcome of the
EU -Sri Lanka Joint Commission
will have a positive impact on Sri
Lanka's application at the next
revision of the EU GSP+ scheme
scheduled to takeplace at the end
of this year.
Main opposition United
‘A lot of melodramatic
rubbish has been
written about the
renewal of GSP+ in
local press. The truth
is simple - the EU
wants Sri Lanka to
receive GSP+ again’
- Julian Wilson,
EU’s Ambassador
to Sri Lanka