Pakistan needs to up the ante to qualify for EU's GSP plus scheme after 2023: EU envoy

On Saturday, September 25, Androulla Kaminara, the European Union's Ambassador to Pakistan, stated that the country will have to redouble its efforts in order to qualify for the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) plus scheme after the year 2023. In response to a question about Pakistan's current position in the GSP+ scheme and its chances for joining the new scheme, Kaminara said that in order to keep the GSP+ trade preferences beyond 2023, Pakistan will ramp up its efforts to make the international conventions it signed into reality, according to a report by Dawn.

The European Commission has approved a 10-year (2024-34) legislative proposal to create a new European Union Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) to eliminate or cut import taxes in low-income countries in order to support sustainable development, it reported. 

The report further stated that since 2014, Pakistan has been the largest beneficiary of the current GSP plus system with zero per cent duty on hundreds of products under the current regulation. The term of the current scheme expires on December 31, 2023, and a new plan will come to the fore. The new proposal will now be reviewed by the European Parliament and the Council which will come into effect on January 1, 2024. It should be noted here that the EU's GSP is a well-established trade and development policy tool that has been in effect since 1971. Meanwhile, on Friday, September 25, the European Commission in Islamabad announced details of the new GSP legislation, reported Dawn. 

'Pakistan needs to demonstrate concrete progress' 

The European Commission is constantly reviewing beneficiary nations like Pakistan's progress towards the compliance of 27 international treaties under the present GSP+ system. Human rights, child labour, media freedom, torture, access to justice, and enforced disappearances were all included in the recent monitoring reports by the European Commission. According to Dawn, Pakistan, like any other potential beneficiary country, would have to demonstrate concrete progress to persuade EU parliamentarians and member state governments to be eligible under the new GSP+ system. It is worth mentioning here that in order to profit from the GSP plus incentives, lower-middle-income nations must comply with 27 international treaties (32 in the new proposal) related to human rights, labour rights, environmental and climate protection, and good governance, reported Dawn. 

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: Twitter/ @EUPakistan/ AP