Does Pakistan Measure Up to the European Union’s GSP Plus Regime Standards?
Since February 2014, Pakistan has enjoyed the benefits of the EU’s Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status, which offers preferential tariffs to lower-income countries to support their sustainable development and integration into the global economy. This has allowed Pakistan to export a significant portion of its goods to the EU market with zero import duties. However, this privilege comes with stringent conditions. The GSP+ status requires Pakistan to effectively implement 27 international conventions related to human rights, labor rights, good governance, and environmental protection. Civil society actors, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Council of member states all play a role in monitoring Pakistan’s progress in these areas. With the upcoming GSP Plus review, the EU has requested information from Pakistan’s Commerce Ministry on the progress made by the provinces in meeting these conditions. The EU has highlighted priority ...