Commission proposes enhanced market access for Sri Lanka as reform incentive

The European Commission put forward on 11 January 2017 a proposal to remove a significant part of the remaining import duties on Sri Lankan products, in exchange for the country's commitment to ratify and effectively implement 27 international conventions on human rights, labour conditions, environment protection and good governance.

These preferences would come under a special arrangement of the EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences, known as GSP+. Sri Lanka had already benefited from this scheme in the past, but the European Union decided to stop this preferential treatment due to the failure to address reported human right violations in the country. In 2015, a new government set out a major reforms plan and in July 2016 the country applied for GSP+ once again.

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union could raise potential objections within fourth months from the launch of this proposal, before the measures became effective.

EU: EEAS: Sri Lanka and the EU https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/1827/sri-lanka-and-eu_en

EurActiv, 12.01.17: Commission proposes reinstating Sri Lankan trade concession http://www.euractiv.com/section/trade-society/news/commission-proposes-reinstating-sri-lankan-trade-concession/

---