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TNA says EU confirmed  GSP-plus extension will  hinge on human rights

31 Oct 2022

 Representatives of the European Union (EU), at a recent meeting with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), had expressed that they would assess the country’s human rights situation, political situation, and take into account the Government’s promise to abolish the Prevention of Terrorism (Special Provisions) Act (PTA) when considering providing the Generalised Scheme of Preferences-plus (GSP-plus) concession to Sri Lanka.  Addressing the media last Saturday (29), TNA Media Spokesman and President’s Counsel (PC) MP M.A. Sumanthiran said that the EU representatives met himself and TNA Leader MP R. Sampanthan late last week, during which they were told that when Sri Lanka requests for a further extension of the GSP-plus, the EU would assess the human rights and political situation and consider the country’s promises in relation to the abolishing of the PTA, failing which assessment, the concession will not be provided again. “We were informed during the meeting with the EU representatives that they will assess the human rights and political situation of the country and examine if the Government has fulfilled its promise to abolish the PTA, in order to provide the GSP-plus concession again. Therefore, we urge that the given promises should be soon fulfilled – failing which, we have been informed, the concession will not be given to Sri Lanka,” he added. Sumanthiran further told the media that though the Government had promised to abolish the PTA back in 2017 to re-obtain the GSP-plus, five years have passed with the promise yet to be fulfilled. “Suppressing the ‘aragalaya’ activists is not a contributing factor, and therefore, such will be considered before providing the concession,” he added. He also noted that the EU representatives were informed that the Sri Lankan Government has never fulfilled its promises. “It is not us who decide on these things; they have regulations according to which they will make decisions. But it cannot be obtained only by providing promises. They have human rights standards, and only countries that follow these will be able to extend the concessions,” he added. Attempts to obtain the views of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard proved futile, as The Morning received no response.  


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