First GSP+ ‘report card’ notes PHL progress on rights, labor

THE EUROPEAN Commission has adopted its first monitoring report on the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) that included an assessment of the Philippines’ implementation of 27 international conventions.

In a statement, the delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines said the report assessed several areas such as human rights, labor rights, environment and governance.

“For instance, on human rights, it is noted that while more remains to be done, since 2010 the Philippines has strengthened the country’s human rights legal framework and that the number of extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances has substantially declined,” the EU said.

“The launching of a national monitoring mechanism for extra-judicial killings is commended as an important step forward,” it added.

The EU said it would continue to work closely with the Philippines through the ongoing monitoring of the GSP+, a preferential tariff scheme that allows the Philippines to export more than 6,200 products to the bloc’s member countries tariff-free.

In return, the current 13 beneficiary countries under the scheme must ratify and effectively implement 27 core international conventions. These conventions cover human and labor rights, environmental protection and good governance.

“On labor rights, important progress has been made by the current administration to improve awareness and implementation of labour and employment policies, and to ensure compliance with the eight fundamental ILO [International Labor Organization]conventions,” the EU said about the Philippines’ performance.

“This is particularly the case at the level of national authorities, but challenges continue to arise in the regions and sub-regions, especially in areas with high levels of unemployment, such as fisheries, mining and extractive industries sectors. In particular, the Department for Labor and Employment has been focusing on labour rights issues in the tuna industry, in consultation with workers and employers, to help improve the labour rights of employees,” it added.

In the statement, head of the EU delegation Franz Jessen was quoted as saying: “GSP+ is offering the Philippines enormous export opportunities.”

Last year, the EU said the Philippines has increased its share of the bloc’s imports of €50 billion under preferential trading deal. This was after the country’s successful application and subsequent granting of “GSP+” preferential treatment on Dec. 24, 2014. In 2014, the country exported €1.15 billion under the scheme.

“Whereas Philippines’ exports to most countries have gone down in 2015, Philippines’ exports to the EU grew by over 19%” during the three quarters to September last year, the EU delegation said.

“Moreover, the Philippines is showing a very constructive engagement during the GSP+ mission end of last year with open and frank discussions on human and labor rights notably. This is the idea behind GSP+: an open dialogue and engagement on implementing the Conventions that EU and the Philippines ratified. I look forward working together with the Philippines on these issues as well as other means towards increasing our trade,” it added. –Victor V. Saulon, Businessworld