EU governments have signed off revised rules for the bloc’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP), which gives developing countries reduced or zero tariffs on some exports to the EU.
The updated regulation reinforces the link between preferential market access and respect for human rights, labour rights, environmental protection and good governance, the Council of the EU said in a statement on Friday.
Monitoring and transparency requirements have been strengthened, and the list of international conventions that beneficiary countries must respect has been expanded.
The rules also introduce a faster process for suspending trade preferences in cases of serious violations, including breaches of international agreements on climate change and environmental protection.
The EU is “committed to using trade as a partnership tool” to support sustainable development, human rights and good governance, Cyprus’s Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Michael Damianos stated.
Migration link and safeguards
For the first time, the regulation links trade preferences to cooperation on migration and readmission, meaning the European Commission will be able to assess whether beneficiary countries take back their nationals who are in the EU illegally and, where necessary, propose withdrawing preferences, the Council said.
The revised framework also strengthens safeguards designed to protect EU producers if imports from beneficiary countries rise sharply, including a specific mechanism for rice imports.
If rice imports increase significantly above normal levels, the EU will be able to temporarily reintroduce tariffs on those imports to avoid serious disruption to the EU rice market.
The regulation will now be signed and published in the Official Journal of the EU, and will apply from 1 January 2027.
