EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+)

Summary

The EU GSP+ provides enhanced tariff preferences to vulnerable developing countries conditional on effective implementation of 27 international conventions including human rights, labour rights and good governance instruments. Sri Lanka lost GSP+ status in 2010 due to non-compliance with three UN conventions (ICCPR, UNCAT, CEDAW). Sri Lanka is pursuing re-application.

Relevance to the diaspora

EU Tamil diaspora organisations campaigned successfully for the withdrawal of GSP+ from Sri Lanka in 2010; ongoing advocacy focuses on ensuring that any re-grant of GSP+ is conditioned on genuine PTA reform, release of Tamil political prisoners, and progress on accountability mechanisms.

Key provisions

• Art. 9 — GSP+ conditionality on 27 international conventions
• Art. 14 — monitoring and review procedure
• Art. 19 — temporary withdrawal for serious violations
• Annex VIII — list of 27 international conventions

Primary source

Related entries

• → UK Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) 2023 — replaces GSP/EBA (UK)
• → ICCPR Article 1 — Right of Self-Determination (UN)
• → Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1979 (Sri Lanka) (LK)

Where this law is used in the archive

No dossier, desk or evidence pack currently relies on this entry. It is indexed and sourced, but not yet load-bearing anywhere in the archive.