Press Release: EU regrets silence of Sri Lanka regarding preferential import regime

Sri Lanka will temporarily lose its preferential access to the EU market starting from 15 August 2010. The decision to withdraw the preferential tariff system GSP+ from the country was taken by the Council of Ministers in February 2010. Based on dialogue with the Sri Lankan authorities on shortcomings in its implementation of three UN human rights conventions, the EU in June offered to delay the entry into force of the Council decision by a further six months. In exchange, it asked for tangible and sustainable progress on a number of outstanding issues. In the absence of a reply from the authorities in Colombo by 1 July, the Commission was not in a position to table a proposal with a view to delaying the Council Decision.