BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

21/12/2006

EU Withdraws Trade Preferences From Belarus

The European Union on Thursday formally withdrew tariff preferences granted to Belarus in protest at the country's poor labour standards and human rights record.

A statement by the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said trade concessions given to Belarus were being ended because of "serious and systematic violations of core labour rights."

Belarus now has six months to address labour rights issues in order to safeguard its preferential market access to the EU market granted as part of the bloc's Generalised System of Preferences (GSP).

Currently 12.3 per cent of Belarus' exports to the EU come in under reduced GSP tariffs.

"Where countries systematically flout core labour standards, we need to be prepared to act. This decision is a test case of our collective commitment to the promotion of workers rights as an integral part of our trade policy," said EU trade chief Peter Mandelson.

The EU move comes after a commission inquiry established systematic violations in Belarus of core labour rights including the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

The commission also found Belarus was in breach of a number of International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions to which it is a signatory.

The EU regulation withdrawing trade preferences was due to enter into force in six months unless the situation in Belarus changes significantly before then, said officials in Brussels.

c 2006 DPA

Source:

http://www.playfuls.com/news_10_5885-EU-Withdraws-Trade-Preferences-From-Belarus.html