EU stopt voorkeuspositie Sri Lanka voor import van producten naar EU (en)
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Union i has withdrawn part of a preferential tariff regime for Sri Lanka in the wake of the country's deteriorating human rights situation.
As of 15 August, the Asian island country will have its participation in what is called "GSP Plus," a system that gives 16 economically vulnerable developing countries which have ratified and effectively implemented 27 international conventions in the fields of human and labour rights, sustainable development and good governance additional trade concessions.
Colombo has been the object of multiple accusations of human rights abuses during a civil war it waged against the Tamil Tigers. The situation remains grave, according to both NGOs and the UN.
The final decision comes after the EU's Council of Ministers i, representing the member states i, back in February agreed to a suspension of the trade concessions.
The decision followed a two-month investigation concluded in October 2009 in which Brussels identified what it describes as "significant shortcomings in respect of Sri Lanka's implementation of three UN human rights conventions relevant for benefits under the scheme."
However, after a dialogue with Sri Lankan authorities on problems on the matter, Brussels offered a delay of six months in moving forward with the Council decision.
In return for the delay, the EU asked for "tangible and sustainable progress" on human rights questions.
The EU has since then met with silence from the Sri Lankan capital. In a terse note released on Monday (5 July), the EU executive said: "In the absence of a reply from the authorities in Colombo by 1 July, the commission is not in a position to table a proposal with a view to delaying the Council decision."
The EU remains hopeful that the preferential import regime can still offer an incentive for the government to improve its record in future.
"We very much regret the choice of Sri Lanka not to take up an offer made in good faith and in line with the EU commitment to a global human rights agenda. We will however keep the door open for Sri Lanka to return to talks," said EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
Colombo for its part dismissed the move.
President Mahinda Rajaspaksa, said: "If the EU doesn't want to give it, let them keep it. I don't want it. We have gone and explained what we have done."
Sri Lanka is a major beneficiary of the trading opportunities offered by the EU system.
In 2008, EU imports from Sri Lanka totalled €1.24 billion, mostly t-shirts and fisheries products.