05/10/2021 (Agence Europe) – The EU had warned Sri Lanka that its Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) could be withdrawn in 2023. It pointed to the country’s anti-terrorism legislation which allows police to detain suspects without charge. Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Monday 4 October that his country would take “immediate steps” to amend the country’s anti-terrorism legislation and confirmed on Monday that he had instructed his justice minister and the attorney general to carry out urgent reforms to the law. The GSP+ is aimed at lower middle-income countries and removes tariffs completely for 66% of their exported products. However, it is conditional on the ratification of the 27 international conventions on human and labour rights. The Commission proposed an amendment to the GSP on 23 September (see EUROPE 12796/1). (LM)