DailyMirror
The European Union (EU) hopes to initiate high level talks with the Sri Lankan government which will be elected to office after the April 8 general elections for the express purpose of renewing the GSP plus trade concessions.
European Commission Sri Lanka Head Ambassador Bernard Savage told Daily Mirror Online that the objective of the EU dialogue with the Sri Lankan government was to see how best the country could carry out the EC recommendations.
“Hopefully once the elections are finished we can get to a stage where we can have an amicable dialogue with the relevant authorities so that we can thrash out what can be done for the EU committee to revise its earlier recommendations, in a positive manner,” the Ambassador said.
The suspension takes effect in August this year and the Ambassador said he hoped the dialogue between the EU and Sri Lanka would bear fruit and that Sri Lanka would have the concessions renewed before the suspension took effect.
“Our objective is to see that the suspension will not take affect and to see what can be done to correct the situation before it comes into effect,” he said.
Mr. Savage said the commission voiced a number of concerns with regard to certain conventions, which constitute the eligibility criteria for GSP+ concessions to be granted.
“The suspension will be temporary until those concerns are satisfactorily addressed,” Mr. Savage said.
He said the European Council decision to suspend the GSP+ was unanimous and based on the recommendation of the European Commission based in Sri Lanka.
“The matter was discussed on a political level before the Council took a decision and it is always unanimous,” Mr. Savage said.