# C_2008265EN.01000101.xml

| 18.10.2008 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 265/1 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

18.10.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 265/1

---

Notice pursuant to Article 19(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 980/2005 of the initiation of an investigation with respect to the effective implementation of certain human rights conventions in Sri Lanka

(2008/C 265/01)

On 14 October 2008, the Commission adopted the Decision (1) providing for the initiation of an investigation pursuant to Article 18(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 980/2005 (2) with respect to the effective implementation of certain human rights conventions in Sri Lanka. The investigation shall establish whether the national legislation of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka incorporating the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Convention on the Rights of the Child is effectively implemented.

1

2

Under Article 18 of Regulation (EC) No 980/2005 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences, when the Commission has received information and considers that there are sufficient grounds for an investigation that may justify temporary withdrawal, it may decide to initiate an investigation.

The Commission has received information, including reports, statements of the United Nations (UN), as well as information from other relevant publicly available sources, including non-governmental organisations, that indicate that the national legislation of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka incorporating international human rights conventions, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, is not being effectively implemented.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, are listed as core human rights conventions in Annex III, Part A of Regulation (EC) No 980/2005. The effective implementation of these Conventions was therefore one of the criteria that the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was required to meet before it was included in the list of beneficiaries of the special incentive arrangement for good governance and sustainable development.

The Commission has examined the information received and found that it is necessary to open an investigation to determine whether the legislation of Sri Lanka on the recognition and protection of fundamental human rights is effectively implemented. This would further allow to determine whether a temporary withdrawal of the special incentive arrangement is justified.

Interested parties are invited to send any relevant information and comments within 4 months from the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, to the following address:

Official Journal of the European Union

| European Commission |
| --- |
| Directorate-General for Trade |
| Rue de la Loi 170 |
| Office 9/23 |
| B-1049 Brussels |

European Commission

Directorate-General for Trade

Rue de la Loi 170

Office 9/23

B-1049 Brussels

---

(1)  OJ L 277, 18.10.2008.

1

(2)  OJ L 169, 30.6.2005, p. 1.

2

---