Strasbourg, 15/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday the European Parliament, by an overwhelming majority, adopted a joint resolution from the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, Greens and UEN groups on the EU system of Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), which was adopted in June 2005 and runs until the end of 2008, in which it expressed its concern over repeated infringements of workers' rights in several beneficiary countries. With the general GSP unilaterally granting preferential access to the Community market (in the form of reduced Customs duties) for exports from developing countries, the GSP+ guarantees most products - apart from weapons - from beneficiary countries duty- and quota-free access to the EU market, on condition that they ratify and implement a number of international conventions, in particular with regard to International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards.
In its resolution, the EP notes the Commission decision to extend the GSP+ to a further 15 countries (see EUROPE 9095). It calls on the Commission, in cooperation with GSP+ beneficiary countries, to reinforce its commitment to promoting and ensuring effective implementation of the core human and labour rights of UN and ILO conventions in these countries, as well as of the conventions relating to environmental and governance principles. In addition, it calls on the Commission to extend this commitment to the other GSP beneficiary countries, particularly with regard to child and forced labour. Stressing that repeated infringements of workers' rights - notified in several beneficiary countries - could provide grounds for temporary withdrawal of preferences, Parliament called on the Commission to strengthen its monitoring in these countries and to carry out consultations to determine whether it would be appropriate to open an investigation into the existence of serious and systematic violations of ILO conventions. The EP also asked the Commission to keep it informed of the effectiveness of the implementation of ILO standards by GSP+ beneficiary countries, the results of its monitoring and, “at an early stage”, any recommendation for a temporary withdrawal of preferences. Finally, the EP called on the Commission to conduct a mid-term review of the general GSP and an assessment of the GSP+ before any renewal of this special scheme is granted. (eh)