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EU renews GSP+ scheme for Pakistan

The Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) scheme has been approved by the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (CIT) thus ensuring Pakistani exporters to enjoy preferential duties on exports for the next two years. The continuation of the scheme is a gift for the country’s enactment of new laws and developing new institutions for implantation of 27 core conventions of GSP+ — mainly the National Action Plan for human rights.

EU’s ambassador Jean-François Cautain confirmed this. “The steps being taken are part of the on going GSP+ monitoring process during which the European Commission can decide to launch an investigation if there are significant shortcomings in respect of the implementation of international conventions relevant under the scheme.”

A part of renewing process involves a presentation to be made to the European Council on Feb 21, which is a mere formality. The council is a technocratic committee of the EU. Pakistan’s first Biennial Assessment Report of GSP+ was conducted in 2016. The second Biennial Assess¬ment Report of GSP+ was done in Brussels on Tuesday. Commerce Secretary Younus Dagha led Pakistan’s delegation.

A statement issued by the commerce ministry said that the EU Parliament expressed satisfaction on the progress achieved by Pakistan in enacting new laws and hoped that Islamabad would continue to engage with the EU and ensure to bridge implementation gaps during the next two years of reporting on GSP+. The CIT also agreed to consider the possibility of up-scaling the relationship with Pakistan from a beneficiary of GSP+ scheme to a FTA partner in the future.

A similar offer of an FTA has been made to India.

 
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