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
Date: 2008-10-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Sri Lanka, aid system, generalised preferences, human rights, international convention, sustainable development

18.10.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 265/1

II

(Information)

INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES

COMMISSION

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 investiga-
tion 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 imple-
mented.
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 imple-
mentation 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 investiga-
tion 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 with-
drawal 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:
European Commission
Directorate-General for Trade
Rue de la Loi 170
Office 9/23
B-1049 Brussels

(1) OJ L 277, 18.10.2008.
(2) OJ L 169, 30.6.2005, p. 1.