EU stresses importance of human rights in line with GSP+ review

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday stressed the importance of human rights in the Philippines as one of the requisites under the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+).

"To maintain an important monitoring of human rights by a human rights commissioner is pretty important," European Union Ambassador Franz Jessen told reporters during a press conference in Makati City.

The GSP+, currently under review by the EU, is a tariff mechanism that gives developing countries—including the Philippines—the privilege of exporting zero-duty merchandise to EU-member states. In the case of the Philippines, the GSP+ covers 6,274 locally-made products.

The deal requires the Philippine to ratify 27 international conventions which cater to human and labor rights, environmental protection, and good governance, among others.

In March, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malstrom said the Philippines could possibly lose billions of dollars in trade deals with the EU should judicial concerns in the country persist.

Earlier this year, the House of Representatives acted to reduce the Commission on Human Rights' (CHR) 2018 budget to P1,000 from P678 million.

It was denounced by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP).
The CHR budget has since been restored.

"If we take the CHR, yes there are many pacts and sectors in Europe concerned with the announcement but at the end of the day, we are pretty much back to normal," Jessen said.

"We have very good relations with the CHR. We think the work that they do is important," he added.

Jessen said the country has made progress in some areas, but he did not elaborate. "There's been good progress in some areas, less progress in other areas. The areas are mixed," Jessen said.

No date has yet been set, but the results of the ongoing GSP+ review will most likely be released early next year. — VDS, GMA News