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SL to stay under EU’s watchful eye 

06 Oct 2021

BY Pamodi Waravita  Following the conclusion of the European Union (EU) Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade concessions Monitoring Mission’s visit to Sri Lanka this week, EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka Denis Chaibi said yesterday (6) that the monitoring of Sri Lanka will be the subject of regular reports to the European Parliament and its Council of Ministers. “The effective implementation of international commitments forms the basis of Sri Lanka’s privileged access to the EU market. We have been working together with the Sri Lankan Government since 2015 to advance the issues of concern and we welcome the continued engagement. The monitoring and engagement with the Government of Sri Lanka will be the subject of regular reports to the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers,” Chaibi was quoted in a press release by the EU yesterday. The press release noted that the monitoring team had held a number of meetings over the last 10 days, including with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, Justice Minister President’s Counsel (PC) M.U.M. Ali Sabry, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, members of the Opposition, and members of the civil society including human rights defenders, trade unions, and employers. “The visiting officials discussed the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, No. 48 of 1979 as amended (PTA), recalling that the amendment of the PTA was a key commitment in readmitting Sri Lanka to the GSP+ scheme in 2017.” In this regard, Justice Ministry Secretary M.M.P.K. Mayadunne told The Morning last week that they had assured the EU delegation that the PTA will face some necessary amendments within the next six months. The European Parliament, earlier this year, called on the Government to repeal the PTA and for the European Commission to consider the temporary withdrawal of the GSP+ from Sri Lanka if it is not done. President Rajapaksa appointed a three-member Advisory Board, under Section 13 of the PTA, to make recommendations on actions to be taken on detainees held under the PTA. The EU added that the meetings of the Mission had significantly focused on nondiscrimination, the respect for the rights of all communities, the ongoing use of the PTA, impediments to the exercise of fundamental freedoms, and the development of draft legislation on nongovernmental organisations (NGOs). “The meetings also reviewed the policy on drugs, environment and climate change, as well as corruption. The utilisation and future development of the GSP+ scheme was the topic of a webinar organised by the European Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka, with the participation of EU representatives.” At the post-cabinet press briefing held yesterday, Cabinet Co-Spokesperson Dr. Ramesh Pathirana noted that the Government is committed to ensuring that the GSP+ is retained in Sri Lanka. “We are positive that the delegation was able to experience and observe the unity and co-operation that exists among the communities in Sri Lanka,” he said. In its meeting with the delegation last week, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) of the parliamentary Opposition had highlighted the need to repeal the PTA and the need for a new Constitution as a solution for the Tamil ethnic/national question. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), also of the parliamentary Opposition, has raised concerns about the Government’s use of the PTA to unfairly target those such as lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah and poet Ahnaf Jazeem. GSP+ gives Sri Lanka preferential access to markets in the EU. It was withdrawn in 2010 after the EU identified three major shortcomings with respect to UN human rights instruments (the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child) related to the GSP+ scheme, which is not only a special incentive agreement for sustainable development but also for good governance. It has been identified that the GSP+ especially benefits the fishery and apparel industries.


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