European Union's resolution on Sri Lankan exports based on inaccuracies: Lankan foreign ministry

Sri Lanka on Wednesday said the European Union's resolution to withdraw trade concessions for the country's exports is based on ''inaccuracies'' and the 27-nation economic bloc has not taken cognizance of the multifaceted progress made by Colombo towards development.

In a resolution adopted on June 10, the European Parliament called for the repeal of Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and consideration to temporarily withdraw its access to GSP+.

The resolution noted that Sri Lanka's GSP+ categorisation was conditional on implementation of rules under international human rights treaties, in the aftermath of the 30-year-long civil war with the LTTE in the island nation.

The EU commission noted that Constitutional safeguards have been removed in Sri Lanka, lack of accountability, exclusion of civil society and use of Prevention of Terrorism Act to detain activists and writers.

Responding to the resolution, the Sri Lankan foreign ministry said the provisions of the PTA have been invoked to address heinous acts of terrorism committed on its people. "It (resolution) contains factual inaccuracies and does not take cognizance of the multifaceted progress made by Sri Lanka in reconciliation and development. Provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act have been invoked to address heinous acts of terrorism committed on its people," the Sri Lankan foreign ministry said in a statement. Recalling the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks of 2019, the ministry said the attack resulted in significant loss of life, including of several EU nationals.

The EU's GSP+ trade concession allows Sri Lankan exports to Europe without taxation. This has been a big boost to Sri Lanka's apparel and fishing industries.

The facility came to be restored in 2017, after it was suspended in 2010 based on the then government's failure to honour human and labor rights.

Sri Lanka has constructive engagement with the European Commission on the review of its EU GSP + compliance with the 27 core International Conventions. "Towards this end, the Third Cycle of Review of the EU GSP + Monitoring Process for 2020-2021 is ongoing," the Foreign Ministry statement said.

The Sri Lankan government also assures that the process of revisiting provisions of the PTA has been communicated to the EU, the statement added.

It also rejected the claim that the PTA has been systematically used for arbitrary arrests and the detention of Muslim or other minority groups in Sri Lanka.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)