ISLAMABAD: Representatives of trade bodies on Sunday called on Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to expedite efforts to ensure Pakistan’s GSP+ status was renewed beyond 2023, a statement from Bilawal House said.

GSP+ is a special trade arrangement offered to developing economies by European nations in return for their commitment to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, environmental protection and governance.

On 21 September 2021, in its review of the GSP+ scheme, the European Commission introduced six new conventions, pertaining in particular to children’s rights, environmental safety and persons with disabilities.

Last April, the European Parliament moved a resolution against Pakistan, seeking an immediate review of its eligibility for GSP+ status over what it called violence and discrimination against religious minorities and other vulnerable groups, as well as a crackdown on media. The EU Ambassador to Islamabad said last October the South Asian nation would have to “redouble” its efforts to meet international rights conventions in order to continue to be a part of GSP+.

In a meeting with the foreign minister, traders said Pakistan’s GSP+ status was set to end in December 2023 and the government needed to speed up lobbying in this regard.

“Being the foreign minister of Pakistan, you should convey our message to the world that we want trade, not aid,” a statement released by the FM’s office said, quoting one of the trade representatives present.

Speaking to Arab News last year, then commerce minister Abdul Razak Dawood said Pakistan would have to file a fresh application for renewal like other beneficiary countries of the GSP scheme.

“Pakistani products … have duty free access in all 27 member states of the European Union since January 1, 2014, until December 31, 2023,” he said, adding that the EU periodically reviewed the commitment of all beneficiary nations with GSP+ status to the signed international conventions.

Dawood said all nations, including Pakistan, would be required to ratify and implement new international conventions, in addition to the previous 27 international covenants, to benefit from a new program to be adopted by the EU from 2024 to 2036.

The EU office in Islamabad also said in a statement last year Pakistan was the largest beneficiary of the current GSP+ program but the European Commission was continuously monitoring progress made by beneficiary nations like Pakistan in implementing international conventions.