Colombo, April 26 (NIA) – Sri Lanka, on Wednesday said it was confident of regaining key EU trade concessions known as the GSP plus despite concerns raised by a few members of the European Parliament.
Deputy Foreign Minister, Harsha De Silva, in a statement on his official Facebook page said he had met with several members of the European Parliament on issues related to the Sri Lanka GSP Plus vote which is scheduled to be taken up for vote on Thursday.
De Silva added that he together with Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the EU, Rodney Perera, had met many members from the European Parliament to explain the good work the government had done and was doing to improve democracy, governance, rule of law, human rights and reconciliation.
“By and large they are satisfied with the progress albeit some areas have been slow,” De Silva said.
“By and large they are satisfied with the progress albeit some areas have been slow,” De Silva said.
“I am confident we will make it through,” he added.
An EU fact finding delegation had recently raised concerns over labour rights in Sri Lanka ahead of a decision being taken on Sri Lanka’s application for GSP plus.
The Fact Finding Mission, which included Members of the European Parliament Anne-Marie Mineur and Lola Sánchez Caldentey, visited Sri Lanka last week to assess the country’s progress on human and labour rights.
After three days of meetings with employees in Sri Lanka’s Free Trade Zone factories, union leaders and Labor Minister John Seneviratne the mission said Sri Lanka must ensure its workers have the effective right to organize and bargain collectively if the country is to be granted preferential trading conditions by the European Union.
They said that the European Union will not grant a special trade status to Sri Lanka if the money coming from this advantage remains only in the pockets of a few businessmen.
The European Union will decide next month if Sri Lanka is duly entitled, or not, to be granted GSP plus.
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