Brussels, 21/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - Oxfam has criticised the European Commission's proposal on the reform of the generalised system of preferences, stating that the single criterion retained to decide when a country can be excluded from the GSP ("sliding scale" principle) is "unfair and blatantly protectionist". The Commission proposes that the sliding scale should be used when an imported product from a country exceeds 15% of the total of European imports of this product under the GSP regime for three consecutive years (in other words, imports from developing countries). The threshold for textiles and clothing is 12.5% (see yesterday's EUROPE, pages 7-8). Oxfam has asked for this exclusion threshold to be 15% of all EU imports, and not just those from poor countries benefiting for the GSP, and this for each product. "The current proposal would mean that a developing country would be excluded for the GSP just as it is starting to get a foothold" on the European market, says Oxfam in a press release. Oxfam also described as "disappointing" the changes proposed by the Commission for the rules of origin. By refusing clothing producers from Bangladesh the right to source from anywhere in the world, "the EU is blocking a reform which could significantly benefit one of the poorest countries in the world". Commissioner Lamy defended the restrictions imposed under the "regional cumulation", saying that without these limitations, the system would end up benefiting the large textile-producing countries which no longer need the GSP, such as China. (Info: http://www.oxfam.org ).