VP/HR — Pakistan's GSP+ and its adherence to its human rights obligations
6.12.2017
Question for written answer E-007517-17
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Charles Tannock (ECR)
In September 2017, Vice-President Mogherini acknowledged, on behalf of the Commission, that there are ongoing concerns regarding the human rights situation in Pakistan. Ms Mogherini’s written response stated that the Commission and the European External Action Service are ‘continuously monitoring’ Pakistan’s implementation of the 27 conventions listed as prerequisites for the GSP+ programme.
However, it is widely understood that a number of the obligatory conventions are not being adhered to fully. Furthermore, Parliament has not been provided with detailed information about the monitoring process, nor is such information available to civil society.
Against this backdrop, can the Commission clarify the following issues:
- 1.How has the monitoring process been conducted and who, besides the Pakistani Government authorities, is being consulted?
- 2.Has thorough monitoring been conducted outside the metropolitan centres, including in the region of Balochistan?
- 3.Since independently collected evidence suggests that Pakistan may still be in breach of multiple obligatory conventions, is suspension of or a formal warning to suspend Pakistan’s GSP+ being seriously considered as a way of improving human rights in Pakistan?