In the face of Friday’s decision by European Union nations to suspend the EU’s preferential trade status to Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka government has repeated that it is ready to address issues of concern to the EU, but not in a way that would compromise the country’s national interest.The EU has cited Sri Lanka’s human rights record as the reason for suspending the Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) scheme.
Speaking on the telephone from Brussels, Ravinath Aryasinha, Sri Lanka Ambassador to the European Union (EU), told the Sunday Times that he had reiterated to the European Parliament International Trade Committee, at a meeting last month, that the Sri Lanka government would continue to engage with European institutions on human rights matters, but only on terms that were respectful to Sri Lanka.
The European Union Finance Ministers are due to meet in Brussels on February 16 to endorse the suspension of the GSP+ facility to Sri Lanka.
“There should be no setting of unattainable targets, no shifting of goalposts, and no attempt to use Sri Lanka-EU relations to serve domestic agendas,” Mr. Aryasinha had said at the EU meeting.
The suspension of the GSP+ preferential trade facility will become effective six months later; meanwhile, the Sri Lanka government can work with EU nations towards having the decision reversed.
“If the suspension happens, it would be like putting Sri Lanka on notice for six months,” Ambassador Aryasinha told the Sunday Times.
In his submission in January to the European Parliament International Trade Committee, Mr. Aryasinha listed the positive measures taken by the Sri Lanka government to address human rights concerns. These included resettling internally displaced persons (IDPs); allowing UN/INGOs/NGOs access to welfare villages and areas of resettlement, and releasing former LTTE combatants. Mr. Aryasinha also pointed to the decline in the number of reports of killings and disappearances.
“If the 27 EU member states are to accept the European Commission’s proposal for a temporary suspension of the GSP+ concession to Sri Lanka, it will no doubt cause disruption to the livelihoods of the Sri Lankan people at a critical period in the country’s history,” Ambassador Ariyasinha said.
Meanwhile, some of the EU Parliamentarians have expressed their support for continuing to extend the GSP+ facility to Sri Lanka.
Christina Muscardini, (EPP/Italy) vice-chair of the International Trade Committee, said: “Since the ending of the conflict, the government of Sri Lanka has kept its pledge to the international community to resettle those displaced, and has progressively addressed several human rights concerns. …”.
Jan Zahradil (ECR/Czech Republic) said: “We should not take measures that would worsen the situation and could make more damage than positive contribution.”
Pablo Zalba (EPP/Spain) said: “If we do suspend the GSP+, there should be constant cooperation between the Commission and Sri Lanka making the GSP+ system, so that it will be possible to recover as soon as possible.”
The GSP+ scheme gives 16 poor nations preferential access to the EU trading bloc in return for a strict commitment to a range of social and rights issues. |
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