GSP+ trade preferences granted to Pakistan in 2014

5.2.2018

Question for written answer P-000673-18
to the Commission
Rule 130
Franck Proust (PPE)

In 2014, Pakistan became a beneficiary of the EU’s GSP+ Generalised Scheme of Preferences. Granting the country this advantage has not lead to the removal of the legal barriers that Pakistani workers face when they try to form trade unions or to claim their rights.

Indeed, there is evidence that Pakistan is in breach of various International Labour Organisation conventions. This lack of progress on labour rights has prompted calls from some quarters for the EU to take a tougher stance and insist that Pakistan properly implements what it has signed up to.

(1) What specific steps has the Commission taken with a view to improving Pakistan’s implementation of international agreements on human rights?

(2) What evidence have the Pakistan authorities supplied of their efforts to address ongoing breaches of human rights, including torture, religious discrimination and the death penalty?

(3) What measures have been taken to enable third parties, including the European Parliament, to evaluate the effectiveness of the GSP+, the quality of the dialogue established with the authorities and the effectiveness of the monitoring mechanism?