lkdood
07-26-2008, 12:10 AM
Sri Lanka 'GSP+' trade concession extension doubtful: EU parliamentarian
The extension of trade concessions from the European Union to Sri Lanka is doubtful unless the country takes action to protect human and political rights and improve press freedom, a visiting European parliamentary delegation said.
"It is doubtful at the moment," European parliamentarian Robert Evans who led the delegation told reporters after meeting government and civil society representatives in Colombo. "The door is open. It is a question whether Sri Lanka walks through it. And to walk through it you have to make sure the stumbling blocks are removed."
The European Union wants Sri Lanka to fully implement 27 international covenants on civil and political rights (ICCPR), some of which needs enabling legislation to be made fully effective in the island.
"The answer and conditions are very much in the hands of the Sri Lankan government who can now address those concerns and try to alleviate the fears by those in Brussels and elsewhere those who make decisions," Evans said.
Sri Lanka gets lower than standard tariffs for European entry through EU's Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) scheme for a range of products including garments on which tens of thousands of workers depend.
The concession expires at the end of the year.
The possible loss of the trade deal comes at a time when an overvalued currency and high domestic inflation from weak monetary and fiscal policies was already hurting exports.
Apparel exports to the United States are stagnating, but Europe, helped by trade concessions, has been a bright spot so far.
Europe has insisted that 'GSP+' concessions would only be given to countries that show good governance.
Sri Lanka is coming under fire for human rights violations, abductions and a 'war on journalists', while a conflict with Tamil Tiger guerrillas intensified.
Evans said acting to prevent journalist killings and abductions would send a strong positive signal to the decision-makers in Brussels.
"The European Parliament takes the freedom of media and the press very, very seriously," Evans said.
"In our meetings particularly with [international trade minister] Professor Peiris, we said, 'If you want to take a step almost immediately which would assist the impression of Sri Lanka to the outside world, it would be to release the pressure being put on journalists and the media. Allow people to write and say exactly what they want.'
"And if people start writing stories saying that the situation of the press and the media has improved in Sri Lanka; 'No longer do we worry about what we write. No longer are journalists and media workers being abducted or killed and we are able to go through a situation where we feel able to criticize the government if we want to, where we feel able to criticize the LTTE (Tamil Tigers} and not be in fear of our lives.'
"I think that would be a major step forward and I think would help Sri Lanka as it tries to get GSP+ again."
The delegation said it would take up the case of J Tissanayagam, a columnist for a national weekly, who had been detained for more than three months, in the European parliament.
Evans said the delegations had heard 'harrowing tales' of journalists being abducted and learnt that 12 media workers had been killed in recent months.
The delegation was due to meet newly elected chief of Sri Lanka's Eastern province, who was a former Tamil Tiger, but the meeting did not take place.
lbo (http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1698897781)
:(
The extension of trade concessions from the European Union to Sri Lanka is doubtful unless the country takes action to protect human and political rights and improve press freedom, a visiting European parliamentary delegation said.
"It is doubtful at the moment," European parliamentarian Robert Evans who led the delegation told reporters after meeting government and civil society representatives in Colombo. "The door is open. It is a question whether Sri Lanka walks through it. And to walk through it you have to make sure the stumbling blocks are removed."
The European Union wants Sri Lanka to fully implement 27 international covenants on civil and political rights (ICCPR), some of which needs enabling legislation to be made fully effective in the island.
"The answer and conditions are very much in the hands of the Sri Lankan government who can now address those concerns and try to alleviate the fears by those in Brussels and elsewhere those who make decisions," Evans said.
Sri Lanka gets lower than standard tariffs for European entry through EU's Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) scheme for a range of products including garments on which tens of thousands of workers depend.
The concession expires at the end of the year.
The possible loss of the trade deal comes at a time when an overvalued currency and high domestic inflation from weak monetary and fiscal policies was already hurting exports.
Apparel exports to the United States are stagnating, but Europe, helped by trade concessions, has been a bright spot so far.
Europe has insisted that 'GSP+' concessions would only be given to countries that show good governance.
Sri Lanka is coming under fire for human rights violations, abductions and a 'war on journalists', while a conflict with Tamil Tiger guerrillas intensified.
Evans said acting to prevent journalist killings and abductions would send a strong positive signal to the decision-makers in Brussels.
"The European Parliament takes the freedom of media and the press very, very seriously," Evans said.
"In our meetings particularly with [international trade minister] Professor Peiris, we said, 'If you want to take a step almost immediately which would assist the impression of Sri Lanka to the outside world, it would be to release the pressure being put on journalists and the media. Allow people to write and say exactly what they want.'
"And if people start writing stories saying that the situation of the press and the media has improved in Sri Lanka; 'No longer do we worry about what we write. No longer are journalists and media workers being abducted or killed and we are able to go through a situation where we feel able to criticize the government if we want to, where we feel able to criticize the LTTE (Tamil Tigers} and not be in fear of our lives.'
"I think that would be a major step forward and I think would help Sri Lanka as it tries to get GSP+ again."
The delegation said it would take up the case of J Tissanayagam, a columnist for a national weekly, who had been detained for more than three months, in the European parliament.
Evans said the delegations had heard 'harrowing tales' of journalists being abducted and learnt that 12 media workers had been killed in recent months.
The delegation was due to meet newly elected chief of Sri Lanka's Eastern province, who was a former Tamil Tiger, but the meeting did not take place.
lbo (http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1698897781)
:(