EU Warns Pakistan GSP+ Benefits Cannot Be Taken For Granted
Pakistan faces a difficult path to retain its preferential trade access to the European Union as Brussels warns that GSP+ … Read More The post EU Warns Pakistan GSP+ Benefits Cannot Be Taken For Granted appeared first on ProPakistani .
The European Union has cautioned Pakistan that its Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) benefits are not guaranteed and Islamabad must address concerns over its implementation of international conventions. The EU's current GSP+ framework is set to end at the end of 2026, with Pakistan needing to apply for inclusion in the successor scheme. Existing beneficiaries will receive preferences until December 31, 2028, but automatic continuation under the new framework is not assured.
EU Ambassador to Pakistan, Raimundas Karoblis, expressed serious concerns about Pakistan's compliance with the conventions that underpin GSP+. The EU's 2023 to 2025 assessment highlighted issues such as enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, freedom of expression, minority rights, judicial independence, access to justice, and forced labor. The report also noted that certain legislative and administrative measures had yet to result in substantial improvements on the ground.
Pakistan's Foreign Office maintains that the country is committed to implementing the 27 international conventions linked to the current GSP+ framework. However, it argues that the EU's assessment does not present a balanced view of Pakistan's performance. The EU remains Pakistan's largest beneficiary of the GSP+ scheme, with nearly €732 million in tariff exemptions and $7.115 billion worth of exports in 2024.
Textiles and clothing, accounting for nearly 70-76 percent of Pakistan's exports to the EU, are particularly reliant on the arrangement.
The new GSP+ framework will increase compliance requirements, expanding from 27 to 32 international conventions. Pakistan has already ratified five of the additional conventions, but successful implementation remains crucial. Islamabad will need to submit an action plan with concrete measures, timelines, and performance indicators as part of its reapplication.
The EU has not yet decided whether the concerns raised in its assessment are severe enough to lead to a partial or full temporary suspension of existing preferences. While the EU ambassador stated that further investigation is needed, he cautioned against viewing the current situation as a free pass. Pakistan faces high stakes, as losing preferential access could make its products less competitive in one of its most important export markets.
Written by urgent.news from ProPakistani's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
