Strasbourg, 10/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - From 2016, the European Commission hopes to cut by half the list of 176 nations that currently benefit from the trade preferences system granted by the EU to developing countries within the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), to focus its preferences on imports in favour of the poorest countries.
On Tuesday 10 May, Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht presented a reform proposal for the current GSP to limit it to 80 countries in order to take into account the emergence of a number of most advanced developing countries that are now competitive on the world markets. Although the broad range of products targeted and preference margins would remain unchanged, some countries would disappear from the list of beneficiary countries, such as the countries that have reached a high level of revenue or a higher average per capita, according to the World Bank classification (the Commission cites, in particular, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Russia), the countries that have preferential access to the EU that is at least as advantageous as that granted by the GSP under the free trade agreement or a specific autonomous trade regime, as well as overseas countries and territories that enjoy a specific regime for access to developed markets. The final list of beneficiary countries will not be reached until the end of the legislative procedure, on the basis of data over the past three years, but De Gucht clearly said on Tuesday that emerging countries such as Brazil, China, India and Thailand would be removed from the list of beneficiary countries as they “no longer need preferences to maintain and build upon their success”.
In addition to directing the GSP in favour of the poorest countries, the Commission hopes to further encourage countries to respect the main international conventions relating to human rights, labour standards, protection of the environment and good governance within the context of the GSP+, which grants additional concessions to the most vulnerable countries at trading level. (E.H./transl.jl)