Sri Lanka: Human Rights
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Written answers and statements, 29 October 2009
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government plan to take in response to the EU report on Sri Lanka's human rights record.
Gareth Thomas (Minister of State, Department for International Development; Harrow West, Labour)
I have been asked to reply.
As stated in the joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Department for International Development statement of
The report is a precursor to the Commission's recommendation to EU member states on whether Sri Lanka should continue to benefit from the GSP+ trade preference scheme. We expect to receive this recommendation by the end of the year and, once such a recommendation is presented, we will assess it on its merits. We are clear that in order to retain its GSP+ preferences Sri Lanka must respect its international human rights obligations under GSP+.