Notorious Rights Violations Rewarded in New European Union Trade Preferences System
Brussels, 15 December 2008:
The European Commission's decision to grant additional GSP (generalized system of preferences) trade benefits to sixteen
countries including several with serious violations of basic workers' rights has been strongly denounced by the
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
"The list of beneficiaries of the EU's GSP plus system over 2009 to 2011 includes some of the world's worst violators
including Colombia, Guatemala and Georgia," said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder. "Colombia should only have received
benefits in exchange for guaranteed progress in terms of its compliance with internationally-recognised core labour
standards."
"In the cases of El Salvador and Sri Lanka where there are ongoing investigations under GSP procedures, the Commission
has made clear it is serious about the requirement to respect labour standards and human rights. It must do the same in
all such cases," said ETUC General Secretary John Monks. "Furthermore, in the case of Georgia the EU was able to use the
GSP system to start a social dialogue process. It must use the GSP system as leverage for decent work elsewhere as
well."
The estimated value of the new GSP+ preferences is EUR 357 million annually. Its beneficiaries are Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru,
Sri Lanka and Venezuela.
ENDS