| Colombo will “consider” revisiting its emergency laws and laws relating to human rights, a team of government officials told the European Union last week. The delegation was on a two-day visit to Brussels to negotiate with the EU on the Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) issue.
The EU recently suspended GSP+ benefits to Sri Lanka, saying Sri Lanka was not following international practice on human rights.
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| Thousands of workers will be affected if the EU does not revoke the GSP+ suspension. |
Sri Lanka has been enjoying GSP+ facilities since 2005. The benefits include duty-free access for Sri Lanka products to at least 25 countries. Sri Lanka has substantial markets in Europe. The GSP+ benefits were introduced as a form of economic assistance after the country was hit by the 2004 tsunami catastrophe. On February 15, the EU temporarily suspended the benefits. The suspension will be effective till August 15. The EU’s decision came at the close of an investigation by the European Commission (EC) on allegations of human rights violations by the Sri Lanka “State and its agents”.
The Sri Lanka delegates to Brussels – Finance Secretary, P. B. Jayasundera, Foreign Secretary Romesh Jayasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Justice, Suhada Gamlath, and Attorney-General Mohan Peiris – told EU representatives that the Sri Lanka government would “consider relaxing emergency regulations”, and spoke of “amending certain laws and procedures” relating to criminal investigations.
According to sources, the Sri Lanka team had told the EU representatives that Colombo would look at introducing a law on witness and victim protection, once the new Parliament convened after the April 8 general election.
It is understood that a Parliament select committee has been studying such a law. Sources also said that provisions in the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) referring to such criminal laws and procedures would be modified.
Bernard Savage, who headed an EU delegation to Colombo, declined to reveal details of last week’s meeting in Brussels. “Dialogue is important, but dialogue alone will not have the Commission review the recommendations,” Mr. Savage told the Sunday Times. “We have to come to a mutual agreement on a possible set of actions that Sri Lanka needs to take.”
Mr. Savage said human rights were “the most important element in the EU’s external relations.” eferring to the European Commission’s report on Sri Lanka, initiated in October 2008 and completed recently, Mr. Savage said: “We regret that Sri Lanka had decided not to co-operate with earlier investigations.”
Thousands of Sri Lankan workers, especially those in the apparel industry, will be affected if the EU does not revoke the GSP+ suspension on August 15.
Mr. Savage said he was aware of the consequences of the suspension for the Sri Lanka workforce, but stressed that the EU had to adhere to rules to ensure fair treatment to all countries enjoying GSP+ benefits.
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