GSP+: the European Union and Sri Lanka’s preferential trade status

Jan 21, 2016

We recently sent a briefing to European Union officials outlining our thoughts relating to the return of Sri Lanka to “GSP+” preferential trading status. What follows is a condensed version of that briefing:

Before too long the European Union will make a decision about the return of “GSP+” preferential trading status to Sri Lanka.

We urge the European Union to make its decision based upon three tests: the extent to which the Government of Sri Lanka is respecting the terms of the treaties upon which GSP+ is contingent, the extent to which the Government of Sri Lanka has met the criteria laid down by the European Union in 2010 when this was last discussed, and on whether the Government of Sri Lanka is generating a climate that is conducive to the reconciliation needed for a lasting peace.

We feel that the Government of Sri Lanka, while having made some welcome progress since it came to power last year, is still failing these three tests. A return to GSP+ status at this time would therefore be premature and would send a discouraging message to the victims of gross human rights abuses who continue to call for justice and accountability, and indeed to those whose rights continue to be abused.

However we would encourage the European Union to use the negotiation process over the restoration of GSP+ status to improve the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, in particular by pushing for an end to: torture and other human rights violations; impunity for such violations; surveillance of civil society organisations; and the ongoing militarisation of Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces.

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