Brussels, 30/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament (EP) development committee has given its support to the draft regulation which aims to focus the trade preferences in the system of generalised preferences (SGP) on the most needy countries tightening up on the eligibility criteria with effect from 2014 (see EUROPE 10374). In backing the proposed reform on 25 January, the EP committee upheld, by a wide majority, the opinion by Michèle Striffler (EPP, Franc) who chairs the committee and was the rapporteur for the opinion.
The development committee, then, backs a new SGP which will no longer apply to countries with high revenues or countries with higher average incomes according to the criterion of GDP per inhabitant. “It is unfair to make eligibility to the SGP regime dependent on one single criterion. This penalises the small countries despite their high levels of poverty, while countries like India, China, Indonesia and Thailand will continue, even if only temporarily, to be eligible”, noted Striffler. She argued that the European Commission should also take account of the human development index (HDI), countries' vulnerability because of their lack of diversification and inadequate integration into the multilateral trade system. The new special SGP+ regime, which grants third countries preferential access to the EU market when they fulfil the good governance conditions, will make countries more responsible and will demand closer examination of eligibility. “Good fiscal governance should also be a key criterion”, opined Striffler. (AN/transl.rt)