Commission Regulation (EC) No 2342/2003 of 29 December 2003 granting the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka the benefit of the special incentive arrangements for the protection of labour rights
Date: 2003-12-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: International Labour Organisation, Sri Lanka, generalised preferences, labour law, tariff preference

L 346/34

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

31.12.2003

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2342/2003

of 29 December 2003

granting the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka the benefit of the special

incentive

arrangements for the protection of labour rights

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(7)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com-
munity,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2501/2001 of 10
December 2001 applying a scheme of generalised tariff prefer-
ences for the period 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004 (1),
as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1686/
2003 (2), and in particular Article 18(1) thereof,

Whereas:

Section 1 of Title III of the aforementioned Regulation
provides for the possibility of granting special incentive
arrangements for the protection of labour rights.

By letter of 17 January 2002, the Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka submitted a request for the above
arrangements under the previous Council Regulation
(EC) No 2820/98 of 21 December 1998 applying a
multiannual scheme of generalised tariff preferences for
the period 1 July 1999 to 31 December 2001 (3), as last
amended by Regulation (EC) No 2586/2001 (4), giving
the information referred to in Article 11 of that Regu-
lation. By letter of 6 February 2002, Sri Lanka confirmed
that it wished to maintain its request under Regulation
(EC) No 2501/2001, giving the information referred to
in Article 15 of that Regulation.

In the light of the findings of the assessment and with a
view to the Government of Sri Lanka addressing the
issues concerned, the Commission is satisfied that the
domestic legislation of Sri Lanka incorporates
the
substance of the standards laid down in ILO Conventions
Nos 29, 87, 98, 100, 105, 111, 138 and 182, and that
the Sri Lankan authorities have taken the necessary
measures for the effective application and monitoring of
these provisions.

Sri Lanka has committed itself to ensuring the effective
application and the control of the special arrangements
as well as the administrative cooperation referred to in
Article 15 of the aforementioned Regulation.

It is therefore appropriate to approve the request and to
grant the benefits up to the end of current Regulation
(EC) No 2501/2001.

(8)

(9)

(10)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of the Generalised Prefer-
ences Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

The Commission published a notice (5) announcing the
request of Sri Lanka.

Article 1

Certain interested parties made their comments known
to the Commission.

The benefit of the special incentive arrangements for the
1.
protection of labour rights referred to in section 1 of Title III of
Regulation (EC) No 2501/2001 is granted to Sri Lanka.

The request was examined by the Commission including
assessments and verification in Sri Lanka.

The assessment in Sri Lanka gave rise to various issues
which the Commission raised with the Government of
Sri Lanka. By letter of 20 March 2003, the Government
of Sri Lanka responded to the
concerned,
informing of measures already initiated or being under-
taken to address certain issues.

issues

2.
The products included in these arrangements shall benefit
from the tariff preferences referred to in Article 8(1) of Regu-
lation (EC) No 2501/2001 subject to the conditions set out in
Article 19 of that Regulation.

Article 2

(1) OJ L 346, 31.12.2001, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 240, 26.9.2003, p. 8.
(3) OJ L 357, 30.12.1998, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 345, 29.12.2001, p. 12.
(5) OJ C 95, 19.4.2002, p. 14.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the first day of the
second month following its publication in the Official Journal of
the European Union and it shall apply until the expiry of Regu-
lation (EC) No 2501/2001.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

31.12.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 346/35

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 29 December 2003.

For the Commission

Pascal LAMY

Member of the Commission