19/12/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 19 December, the Member States’ Permanent Representatives to the EU approved the provisional European Parliament/EU Council agreement on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP). All that is needed now is the approval of the European Parliament for this revision of the GSP regulation to come into force, four years after the start of negotiations. Following a deadlock in the discussions, the Commission had to propose temporarily extending the duration of the previous GSP framework (see EUROPE 13215/17). Under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the co-legislators found a solution around the safeguard for rice imports and were able to reach a final agreement (see EUROPE 13764/14). (LM)