Pakistan will fully implement 27 international conventions as part of its commitment to the European Union’s preferential trade arrangement, the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+).

The commitment was conveyed twice this week — first at the meeting of the Pakistan-European Union Joint Commission held on Wednesday and during a meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey on Friday.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office in a statement on Qureshi’s meeting with Borrell said the foreign minister “reiterated Pakistan’s firm commitment towards the GSP Plus preferential trade regime and effective implementation of the twenty-seven related international conventions”.

Moreover, the joint statement on the Pak-EU Joint Commission meeting said: “The EU and Pakistan agreed to enhance bilateral trade, including by addressing issues that are hampering trade and investment, improving the business climate, and Pakistan’s efforts towards full implementation of the 27 international conventions stipulated under the EU’s unilateral trade preferences scheme, the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+).”

“Pakistan acknowledged the extension of its GSP+ status as a mutually rewarding step and affirmed its full commitment to fulfill its obligations under the GSP+,” it said, according to a Dawn report.

The GSP+ is a special trading arrangement that provides developing countries preferential access to the European markets by slashing tariffs to zero on most of the products. The countries benefiting from the scheme have to implement 27 international conventions related to human rights, labor rights, environmental protection and good governance.

The EU describes it as a “special incentive arrangement” for sustainable development and good governance.

Qureshi said the GSP+ had played an important role in the growth of trade between the two sides.

The EU is Pakistan’s second most important trading partner. Pakistan’s exports to the EU were about 5.5 billion euros in 2020, which accounted for 28 percent of the country’s total exports.

Pakistan, which has ratified all 27 conventions, has been benefiting from the GSP+ status since January 2014. Its GSP+ status was extended for another two years in March 2020.

Pakistan’s progress on the implementation of the 27 conventions has been mixed. Despite the introduction of domestic legislation for the implementation of these conventions, various quarters have been raising questions over their implementation.

The EU has on several occasions raised concerns about the overall situation of press freedom, the situation of civil society organizations and human rights defenders, gender equality, minority rights, and the death penalty.

Meanwhile, according to an APP report, Qureshi and Borrell discussed the entire spectrum of Pakistan-EU relations as well as global and regional situations, including the Afghan peace process and situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

(SAM)