REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Report on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences covering the period 2016-2017
Date: 2018-01-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security, European Commission
Subjects: EU market, common commercial policy, developing countries, environmental protection, generalised preferences, governance, human rights, international convention, sustainable development, tariff preference

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 19.1.2018 COM(2018) 36 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Report on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences covering the period 2016-2017 {SWD(2018) 23 final} - {SWD(2018) 24 final} - {SWD(2018) 25 final} - {SWD(2018) 26 final} - {SWD(2018) 27 final} - {SWD(2018) 28 final} - {SWD(2018) 29 final} - {SWD(2018) 30 final} - {SWD(2018) 31 final} - {SWD(2018) 32 final}  
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

This  report  and  its  accompanying  staff  working  document1  assesses  the  effects  of  the 
Generalised Scheme of Preferences ('GSP') during the years 2016-2017, with a focus on 
the performance of GSP+ beneficiaries. Under the GSP Regulation2 this report shall be 
submitted biennially to the European Parliament and the Council.  

Through  GSP,  the  EU  continues  to  be  at  the  vanguard  of  accompanying  developing 
countries to achieve sustainable development using the economic engines of trade. Trade 
preferences  as  enablers  to  promote  universal  values  of  human  rights,  social  justice  and 
environmental  protection  are  an  integral  part  of  the  Commission's  Trade for All3 
strategy.  Generous  access  to  the  EU  market  enables  GSP  beneficiaries  to  generate 
additional  revenues  via  international  trade  and  contributes  to  their  efforts  to  reduce 
poverty and promote sustainable development, human rights and good governance.  

1.1.  Three arrangements within GSP  

The GSP has three different trade preference arrangements, which were set out in detail 
in the 2016 GSP report4 and are summarised below:  

−  The  general  arrangement  ('Standard  GSP')  grants  duty  reductions  for  around  66% 
of all EU tariff lines to low-income or lower-middle income countries5, which do not 
benefit from other preferential trade access to the EU market. During the 2016-2017 
reporting period there were 23 Standard GSP beneficiaries (see Table 1). 

−  The  special 

incentive  arrangement  for  Sustainable  Development  and  Good 
Governance  ('GSP+')  grants  full  duty  suspension  for  essentially  the  same  66%  of 
tariff  lines  as  Standard  GSP  to  eligible  countries  vulnerable  in  terms  of  economic 
diversification  and  export  volumes.  In  return,  beneficiary  countries  must  ratify  and 
effectively  implement  27  core  international  conventions,  as  listed  in  the  GSP 
Regulation, which cover human and labour rights, environmental protection and good 
there  were  10  GSP+ 
governance.  During 
beneficiaries (see Table 2). 

the  2016-2017  reporting  period, 

−  The special arrangement Everything But Arms ('EBA') grants full duty-free, quota-
free access for all products except arms and ammunition to countries classified by the 
UN as Least Developed Countries ('LDCs'). Other than for Standard GSP and GSP+, 
countries  do  not  lose  EBA  status  by  entering  into  a  Free  Trade  Agreement  (FTA) 

1  The  first  biennial  GSP  report  covering  the  years  2014  and  2015  was  published  in  January  2016:   

http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2016/january/tradoc_154180.pdf.  

2 Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences 

3  http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2015/october/tradoc_153846.pdf 

4  http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2016/january/tradoc_154180.pdf 

5  http://databank.worldbank.org/data/download/site-content/CLASS.xls

1 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
with  the  EU.  During  the  2016-2017  reporting  period,  there  were  49  EBA 
beneficiaries (see Table 3). 

In 2016, EUR 62.6 billion of imports entered the EU under GSP preferences, divided as 
follows:  EUR  31.6  billion  from  Standard  GSP  countries,  around  EUR  7.5  billion  from 
GSP+  beneficiaries  and  EUR  23.5  billion  from  EBA  countries  (details  are  given  in 
Tables 4 - 7)6.   

Figures  1  and  2  below  provide  an  overview  of  imports  under  the  three  GSP 
arrangements.  

6   Source  for  all  statistics  in  this  report:  Eurostat  data  as  of  September  2017.  Total  imports  from  third 
countries may be lower than the real total imports because of the exclusion of: confidential trade, CN 
chapter 99 which is not part of GSP agreements, and trade for inward and outward processing. 

2 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
As shown in Figure 3, the two countries that took up the largest part of all EU imports 
from  GSP  beneficiaries  (including  non-GSP  imports)  are  India  and  Vietnam  –  both 
Standard GSP beneficiaries. The third largest is Bangladesh, an EBA beneficiary.  

Figure  4  shows  that  India,  Bangladesh  and  Vietnam  are  also  the  three  largest 
beneficiaries on the basis of GSP preferential imports only. 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.  THE STANDARD GSP ARRANGEMENT 

During  the  2016-2017  reporting  period,  23 
countries  benefited  from  Standard  GSP 
(Table  1).  In  this  period,  five  countries  left 
the  Standard  GSP  due  to  changes  to  their 
access  to  the  EU  market  (covered  by  an 
FTA)  or 
status 
their 
(classification by the World Bank as upper-
middle  income  country  or  above  for  three 
consecutive  years).  Figure  5  below  shows 
the  breakdown  of  preferential  imports7  to  the  EU  under  the  Standard  GSP  scheme  in 
2016. 

India 
From  2014  onwards,  several  product  sections, 
including  textiles,  were  graduated  from  GSP  as 
they  no 
trade 
preferences.  Despite  graduation,  India  remains 
the biggest exporter to the EU under the GSP. In 
2016,  India  exported  EUR  7.6  billion  worth  of 
textiles and clothing to the EU, of which EUR 5.7 
billion under Standard GSP.  

longer  qualified 

economic 

for  GSP 

to 

Vietnam 
In 2016, Vietnam accounted for 23% of 
total  imports  from  all  standard  GSP 
beneficiaries  together.  Looking  only  at 
the  GSP 
from  Vietnam, 
imports 
footwear accounted for nearly 40%. 

removed from the product list. 

The  list  of  product  sections  originating  in  Standard 
GSP  beneficiary  countries  is  reviewed  every  three 
years. The last review took place in 2016, leading to 
a  revised  list  of  product  sections  that  entered  into 
force  on  1  January  20178.  Products  that  no  longer 
required  the  support  of  GSP  preferences  were 

7  Preferential imports are the eligible imports for which GSP preferences were actually used. 

8  Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/330 of 8 March 2016 (OJ L 62, 9.3.2016, p.9) 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.  THE EBA ARRANGEMENT 

EBA  is  the  EU's  flagship  trade  instrument  designed  to  help  the  world's  poorest  and 
weakest countries, the LDCs, take advantage of trading opportunities. During the 2016-
2017 reporting period there were 49 EBA beneficiaries (see Table 3). 

Figure 6 provides a breakdown of the value and percentage of preferential imports from 
EBA  beneficiaries  during  2016.  The  largest  share  of  EBA  imports  came  from 
Bangladesh (66%), followed by Cambodia (18%).  

3.1.  Enhanced engagement with certain EBA beneficiaries 

As stated in the Commission's Trade for 

All  strategy,  the  EU  can  temporarily 
withdraw  Standard  GSP  or  EBA 
preferences in exceptional circumstances, 
notably in cases of serious and systematic 
violation  of  principles  laid  down  in  the 
human 
rights 
and 
conventions listed in the GSP Regulation.  

labour 

rights 

Myanmar 
Myanmar  was  reinstated  as  an  EBA  beneficiary  in 
2013,  as  a  recognition  of  its  efforts  to  launch 
ambitious  political,  social  and  labour  reforms.  The 
recent  humanitarian  and  human  rights  situation  in 
Rakhine  State  is  extremely  serious.   The  EU  has 
urged the  Myanmar  Government 
full 
humanitarian  access  and  enable  the  safe,  voluntary 
and  dignified  return  of  all  refugees.  The  EU  called 
on  Myanmar  to  find  a  long-term  solution  to  the 
structural  issues  in  Rakhine  State,  in  line  with  its 
international  commitments  and  respect  of  EBA 
requirements. 

to  grant 

Through  enhanced  engagement,  the  EU 
intensified  the  dialogue  with  some  EBA 
countries to press for  concrete actions on 
and sustainable solutions to serious shortcomings in respecting fundamental human and 
labour  rights.  If  the  dialogue  fails  to  produce  results,  the  EU  remains  ready,  as  a  last 
resort, to launch the GSP withdrawal procedure with due consideration for the economic 
and social impact of such a withdrawal.  

5 

 
 
 
 
Regarding Myanmar, the EU is, together with the United States, Japan, Denmark and the 
ILO,  part  of  the  "Initiative  to  Improve  Labour  Rights  and  Practices  in  Myanmar" 
designed  to  promote  the  compliance  with  ILO  international  labour  standards  and 
responsible 
This 
international  stakeholder  forum  helps  to  raise 
as a priority the labour law reform process in 
Myanmar  and  to  foster  relationships  between 
the social partners. 

practices. 

business 

Bangladesh 
EBA  has  contributed  to  its  socio-economic 
development  by  generating  millions  of 
employment  opportunities  in  the  ready-made 
garment  industry  where  the  large  majority  of 
workers  are  women.  This  must,  however,  go 
hand-in-hand  with  the  respect  of  fundamental 
human and labour rights, in particular freedom 
of  association, 
to 
in  order 
increased prosperity and decent work. The EU 
needs to see real and sustained improvements if 
further steps are to be avoided. 

to  contribute 

Following  declining  human  and  labour  rights 
situations  in  Bangladesh  and  Cambodia,  the 
Commission  and  EEAS  have  engaged  more 
two  countries  and 
actively  with 
involving  relevant  stakeholders, 
including 
NGOs,  CSOs, 
international  organisations, 
social partners, and businesses.  

these 

In Bangladesh, the Commission has raised concerns regarding labour rights, in particular 
freedom  of  association  and  the  implementation  of  the  joint  initiative  known  as  the 
"Compact  for  Continuous  Improvements  in  Labour  Rights  and  Factory  Safety  in  the 
Ready-Made Garment and Knitwear Industry 
in  Bangladesh".  The  EU  has  in  particular 
raised 
the  Bangladesh 
Labour Act (BLA) and the Export Processing 
Zone  (EPZ)  Act  with  the  ILO  labour  rights 
conventions as one of the priority actions. 

Cambodia 
The EU is engaging with Cambodia to address 
human  rights  issues  related  to  land  disputes 
arising 
from  sugarcane  concessions  and 
labour  rights  issues,  in  particular  freedom  of 
association.  The  EU  needs  to  see  real  and 
sustained improvements, if further steps are to 
be avoided.  

With  Cambodia, 
the 
Government  to  establish  an  independent  and 
transparent  mechanism  in  order  to  deal  with  claims  for  compensation  arising  from  the 
granting of Economic Land Concessions (ELCs) to sugar cane plantations.  

the  EU  has  urged 

the  alignment  of 

Enhanced  engagement  is  primarily  based  on  the  available  recommendations  and 
conclusions  of  the  ILO  and  other  UN  bodies  monitoring  the  human  rights  and  labour 
rights  conventions.  The  use  of  these  recommendations  and  conclusions  allows  for  an 
objective  and  transparent  way  of  assessing  the  implementation  of  the  international 
commitments undertaken. 

The  process  has  helped  to  build  pressure  on  governments  in  order  to  address  issues  of 
concern, and is seeing some positive developments. In parallel, the issues were raised in 
a  coherent  and  coordinated  manner  through  all  relevant  channels  (such  as  trade 
committees, political or human rights dialogues).  

Progress  is  encouraging.  Nonetheless,  the  EU  is  ready  to  launch  the  GSP  withdrawal 
procedure, as a last resort, in case our constructive efforts through the dialogues fail to 
produce satisfactory results. Such a decision will give due consideration to the negative 
economic,  social  and  human  consequences  related  to  the  potential  withdrawal  of  GSP 
preferences. 

6 

 
 
4.  THE GSP+ ARRANGEMENT  

GSP+ is one of the EU's primary tools to promote sustainable development in vulnerable 
developing  countries.  GSP+  countries  benefit  from  easier  trade  with  the  EU,  with  the 
condition that they effectively implement the 27 core international conventions on human 
and labour rights, environmental protection and good governance. 

4.1.  GSP+ beneficiaries 

The 2016-2017 reporting period covers 10 GSP+ beneficiaries: Armenia, Bolivia, Cabo 
Verde,  Georgia,  Kyrgyzstan,  Mongolia,  Pakistan,  Paraguay,  the  Philippines  and  Sri 
Lanka (see Table 2).  

Georgia  ceased  to  benefit  from  GSP+  on  1  January  2017,  as  it  obtained  preferential 
market access under a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) with 
the  EU.  Kyrgyzstan  became  a  GSP+  beneficiary  shortly  after  the  start  of  the  reporting 
period  (January  2016).  Sri  Lanka  re-entered  GSP+  in  May  2017,  after  having  been 
removed in 2010. Classified for three consecutive years by the World Bank as an upper 
middle income country, Paraguay will leave GSP+ on 1 January 2019. 

Figure 7 below presents the value of preferential imports9 from GSP+ countries in 2016. 
The largest share came from Pakistan, which accounted for 74% of all GSP+ imports. 

9  Preferential imports are eligible imports for which GSP+ preferences were actually used. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
4.2.  GSP+ monitoring  

GSP+  is  based  on  the  concept  of  sustainable 
development.  When 
the  GSP+, 
beneficiaries  commit  to  effectively  implement 
the  27  core  conventions  in  return  for  better 
access to the EU market.  

joining 

GSP+  beneficiaries  are  expected  to  show 
ownership  and  political  commitment  and  – 
most  importantly  –  to  continuously  improve 
their  compliance  over 
the 
shortcomings identified.  

time,  despite 

Bolivia 

in 

continued 

to  make 

commitments 

Bolivia 
substantial 
progress  in  effectively  implementing  human 
2016-2017, 
rights 
notwithstanding  the  overall  socioeconomic 
situation.  In  particular,  Bolivia  has  made 
efforts to eradicate poverty, improve access to 
education,  health,  food  and  housing  and 
address  reproductive  health  issues.  However, 
a major concern remains the minimum age for 
admission  to  work,  which  is  not  compatible 
with ILO Convention 138. 

In  GSP+  monitoring,  the  EU  engages  with  the  beneficiary  country  on  all  areas  where 
implementation is unsatisfactory.  

4.2.1.  Engagement with stakeholders 

Pakistan 
There  have  been  positive  developments  in 
strengthening  the  human  rights  framework 
and legislative actions on the rights of women, 
children,  minorities  and  labour  rights,  with 
legislation  on,  inter  alia,  torture,  juvenile 
justice and transgender rights in the pipeline. 
However,  these  areas,  as  well  as  the  use  of 
torture, application of the death penalty, high 
prevalence  of  child  labour  and  freedom  of 
expression pose serious concerns. The overall 
human rights situation is therefore mixed and 
Pakistan  must  step-up  its  efforts  to  ensure 
of 
enforcement 
legislation. 

The  burden  of  proof  for  compliance  with  the 
GSP+  binding  undertakings  rests  with  the 
beneficiary  country10.  Beneficiary  countries 
should  provide  all  information  necessary  to 
allow the EU to assess their GSP+ compliance. 
The  EU  assessment  relies  primarily  on  the 
most recent reports and recommendations from 
international  monitoring  bodies,  such  as  the 
ILO  and  the  UN.  The  EU  actively  engages 
with 
in 
particular as UN reports are issued every 4-5 years,  which is  a longer interval than the 
two-year GSP+ reporting cycle. Meetings with 
UN and ILO monitoring bodies, and their local 
representatives,  take  place  prior  to  and  during 
EU GSP+ monitoring missions. 

international  organisations, 

implementation 

these 

and 

Sri Lanka 
Sri  Lanka  has  taken  important  steps  to 
improve  governance  and  respect  for  human 
rights. Sri Lanka is engaging well with the UN 
system. However, the Government has not yet 
delivered  on  a  number  of  important  reforms 
that  are  of  direct  relevance  for  the  effective 
rights 
implementation 
conventions  under  GSP+,  in  particular  the 
repeal  of  the  Prevention  of  Terrorism  Act, 
ensuring  fundamental  legal  safeguards  and 
addressing the use of torture. 

human 

the 

of 

The  EU  also  makes  use  of  a  wide  range  of 
other  information  and  meets  with  civil  society 
organisations  (CSOs),  including  trade  unions, 
human 
rights  defenders,  businesses  and 
employers  before  and  during  monitoring 
missions, both in the EU and in the beneficiary 
country. A Civil Society Dialogue was held in 
June 2017 to consult CSOs and gather their input and views11. 

The  European  Parliament  (EP)  and  the  Council  are  actively  involved  in  the 
implementation  of  GSP+  and  the  monitoring  of  beneficiaries'  compliance.  Regular 

10 Article 15(2) of the GSP Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 978/2012) 

11 http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2017/august/tradoc_155993.07.17%20report%20for%20web% 

20page.pdf  

8 

 
 
                                                 
meetings  with  Member  States  are  organised  in 
the  format  of  the  GSP  Expert  Group  and  the 
Council  GSP  Working  Party.  Issues  discussed 
with  Member  States'  experts  included  the 
scorecards 
from  GSP+ 
and  debriefings  on  GSP+ 
beneficiaries 
monitoring missions.  

received 

replies 

Mongolia 

ILO 

an  EU-funded 

support  provided 
GSP+  dialogue  and 
through 
project 
encouraged  Mongolia  to  revise  its  Labour 
Law.  Mongolia  approved  a  National 
Program  on  Gender  Equality  to  develop 
gender-sensitive  policies  by 2021. The newly 
adopted Criminal Code provides a definition 
of 
'torture'  in  line  with  the  Convention 
against Torture. The possible re-introduction 
of  the  death  penalty  and  the  prevalence  of 
corruption, having a pervasive impact on the 
human rights situation, are serious concerns. 

the  2016-2017  period, 

the  EP's 
During 
Committee  on  International  Trade  (INTA) 
organised  several  exchanges  of  views  on  GSP, 
including  on  progress  by  GSP+  beneficiaries, 
monitoring  visits,  and  the  role  of  CSOs  in 
GSP+ applications. The Commission and the EEAS also benefited from the involvement 
of EP delegations' missions to specific GSP+ countries. 

4.2.2.  The GSP+ monitoring missions 

GSP+ monitoring uses two inter-related tools. The first is the 'scorecard', which is a list 
of  the  most  salient  shortcomings  identified  by  the  respective  international  monitoring 
bodies  (or  any  other  accurate  and  reliable 
source) 
for  each  convention.  All  GSP+ 
beneficiaries  receive such  a  scorecard  annually 
and  are  asked  to  respond  to  the  shortcomings 
listed.  

trafficking 

signed 

Philippines 
Progress  has  been  noted  in  areas  such  as 
in  persons, 
gender  equality, 
labour  rights,  health,  education,  social-
economic rights, fight against corruption and 
the  environment.  President 
protection  of 
EU-Philippines 
Duterte 
Partnership  and  Cooperation  Agreement, 
now  with  the  Senate  for  approval.  However, 
extrajudicial  killings,  in  particular  in  the 
fights  against  illegal  drugs,  and  related 
impunity continue to be a serious concern, as 
well  as  the  possible  reintroduction  of  the 
death penalty and the lowering of the age of 
criminal responsibility. 

the 

is 

the 

tool 

'GSP+  dialogue' 
The  second 
including 
the  GSP+  monitoring  missions, 
through which the EU engages with authorities 
in  a  frank  and  open  discussion  on  identified 
shortcomings  and  remedial  actions.  During  the 
2016-2017  reporting  period,  the  Commission 
and  the  EEAS  performed  monitoring  missions 
in  Armenia,  Bolivia,  Cabo  Verde,  Kyrgyzstan, 
Mongolia,  Pakistan,  Paraguay,  the  Philippines 
and Sri Lanka.  

The  GSP+  monitoring  missions  allowed  for  direct  and  high-level  contacts  with 
governments,  ministries  and  agencies,  as  well  as  businesses,  local  NGOs  and  CSOs. 
Coordination meetings were held with international UN and ILO organisations present in 
the countries, such as the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the 
UN  Development  Programme  (UNDP),  and  the  UN  Office  on  Drugs  and  Crime 
(UNODC).  This improved the overall understanding amongst stakeholders of the GSP+ 
system  and  of  each  GSP+  beneficiary's  specific  commitment,  also  facilitating  the 
collection of on-the-ground input from key stakeholders.  

Local stakeholders play an important role in pushing regional and central authorities to 
meet their GSP+ commitments. In particular, as direct beneficiaries of tariff preferences, 
businesses  are  expected  to  support  the  authorities  in  implementing  the  relevant  27 
conventions.  

9 

 
 
 
GSP+ mission to Kyrgyzstan (June 2016) 
As Kyrgyzstan had joined GSP+ only in January 2016, the mission was devoted to introducing GSP+ and 
preliminary  monitoring.  The  back-to-back  GSP+  monitoring  meetings  with  the  Human  Rights  Dialogue 
proved to be very effective, as the latter also addressed GSP+ relevant issues such as prevention of torture 
and mistreatment in detention facilities and work to improve inter-ethnic relations, counter discrimination, 
diminish the practice of bride-kidnapping and improve children rights. Businesses were keen on learning 
about the economic advantages of GSP+. 

GSP+ Mission to Bolivia (June 2016) 
Child  labour  was  discussed  as  a  matter  of  high  priority,  with  a  particular  focus  on  the  lowering  of  the 
working age for children. With the largest proportion of indigenous people in South America (about 66% 
of the total population), the right of indigenous peoples to prior consultation and informed consent on land 
access was highlighted as well. 

GSP+ Mission to Cabo Verde (July 2017) 
Cabo Verde’s overall human rights record continues to be positive. Persistent issues include gender-based 
violence, rights of the child and delays in reporting. As for the latter issue, Cabo Verde is making notable 
efforts to address this in close collaboration with the ILO in an EU-funded capacity-building project. 

GSP+ Mission to Paraguay (June 2016) 
Positive  initiatives  on  human  rights include  the  establishment of  the  Monitoring  System  on International 
Recommendations on Human Rights (SIMORE) with OHCHR support. Child labour, notably linked to the 
practice of "criadazgo" (domestic work) was discussed during the mission as one of the key concerns. 

GSP+ Mission to Pakistan (November 2016) 
The second GSP+ mission noted positive institutional (e.g. establishment of the National Commission on 
Human Rights and a National Action Plan for Human Rights) and legislative (e.g. adoption of anti-rape 
and anti-honour killing laws) developments. At the same time, serious challenges remain, including on the 
rights  of  women,  children  and  minorities,  freedom  of  expression,  the  application  of  the  death  penalty, 
torture, and the capacity to implement and enforce legislation. 

GSP+ Mission to the Philippines (Jan – Feb 2017) 
Positive  developments  in  areas  such  as  gender  equality,  human  trafficking,  labour  rights,  reproductive 
health and protection of the environment were noted. Progress on key issues is dependent on legislation 
still  pending  in  Congress.  Serious  concerns  remain  on  the  way  the  campaign  against  illegal  drugs  is 
conducted,  in  particular  concerning  the  right  to  life,  legal  safeguards,  effective  investigation  and 
prosecution,  on  the  cooperation  with  UN  mechanisms  as  well  as  on  the  possible  re-introduction  of  the 
death penalty and the possible lowering of the age of criminal responsibility. 

GSP+ Mission to Mongolia (March 2017) 
The first GSP+ monitoring visit noted positive legislative developments, such as the entry into force of the 
new Criminal Code, the revised Law on Domestic Violence, and the Law on Child Protection and the Law 
on the Rights of Children. Mongolia made good progress on ILO reporting with the help of an EU-funded 
project. Mongolia also aims to improve its capacity to reap the full trade benefits of GSP+. 

GSP+ Mission to Armenia (June 2017) 
The  most  salient  issues  to  be  tackled  by  Armenia  were  thoroughly  discussed,  including  the  effective 
implementation  of  the  2014-2016  and  2017-2019  human  rights  action  plans,  the  submission  to  the 
Parliament  of  the  new  Judicial  Code,  Criminal  Code  and  Criminal  Procedural  Code,  a  standalone  law 
against  domestic  violence  and  a  comprehensive  anti-discrimination  law  in  line  with  international 
standards, the need to (re)establish a labour inspection system and to make progress towards Category 1 
status under the CITES Convention.   

GSP+ Mission to Sri Lanka (September 2017) 
The first monitoring mission after Sri Lanka was granted GSP+ in May 2017, which also included a visit 
to Jaffna, noted that overall Sri Lanka is making progress in implementing the 27 conventions. However, 
more  efforts  are  needed  to  repeal the  Prevention of  Terrorism  Act,  address  the  prevalent  use  of  torture, 
account  for  enforced  disappearances,  return  land  in  former  conflict  areas  and  combat  trade  union 
discrimination and unfair labour practices. 

10 

 
 
4.3.  Technical assistance and development projects 

During  the  reporting  period,  the  Commission  and  the  ILO  carried  out  specific  GSP+ 
projects12 to support compliance with ILO reporting and implementation requirements in 
the following GSP+ countries: Armenia, Cabo Verde, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay and 
the Philippines. These projects will continue during the next two years. 

In  Armenia,  Paraguay  and  the  Philippines,  the  focus  was  on  strengthening  the  public 
administrations' capacity to effectively apply the fundamental ILO conventions. In Cabo 
Verde, the ILO supported the local administration to submit the overdue ILO reports. In 
Pakistan,  the  main  objective  was  to  support  the  drafting  of  legislation  and  related 
implementation  initiatives  on  the  elimination  of  child  labour  and  forced  labour.  In 
Mongolia,  in  addition  to  capacity  building  for  timely  reporting,  the  ILO  assisted  in  the 
alignment  of  legislation  with  the  ILO  Convention  on  the  Right  to  Organise  and  to 
Bargain Collectively.  

Highlights of EU-ILO projects in GSP+ countries 

Cabo Verde 
In Cabo Verde, the EU's GSP+ action has improved awareness of the fundamental ILO 
Conventions amongst the tripartite constituents (government, employers, and workers). It 
has also promoted tripartite discussions on legislation in light of comments made by the 
ILO  supervisory  bodies.  In  addition,  Cabo  Verde  is  now  up-to-date  with  its  reports  on 
Conventions 87 and 98 concerning freedom of association and the right to organise and 
to bargain collectively. Social partners have become more aware of their role and better 
equipped to address the comments of the ILO supervisory bodies. 

Mongolia 
The  EU-ILO  project  helped  Mongolia  improve  International  Labour  Standards  (ILS) 
compliance  and  reporting.  The  project  reviewed  the  Mongolian  translation  of  the 
fundamental ILO Conventions and helped Mongolia better understand its commitments. 
The  project  also  resulted  in  tripartite  consultations  on  the  revision  of  the  Labour  Law, 
which is now better aligned with fundamental principles and rights at work. Through a 
policy brief on ILS and trade in English and Mongolian, as well as high-level dialogues 
and workshops, the Government, workers’ and employers’ organisations improved their 
understanding  of  fundamental  principles  and  rights  at  work.  Thanks  to  the  technical 
assistance, Mongolia is now up-to-date with its ILS reporting. 

Pakistan 
The  EU-funded  capacity  building  initiative  has  enabled  federal  and  provincial  labour 
departments  to  improve  their  reporting  on  the  ratified  ILO  Conventions.  The  ILO 
workshops  held  in  January,  February  and  April  2017  contributed  to  strengthening  the 
social dialogue in the Federal and Provincial Tripartite Consultative Committees. At the 
workshops,  labour  departments  met  with  employers'  and  workers'  organisations  to 
improve their understanding of core labour standards.  

As  part  of  the  EU  GSP+  action  and  in  response  to  newly  delegated  legislative 
responsibilities,  the  ILO  also  offered  specific  technical  support  to  the  Government  of 

12   http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2017/july/tradoc_155843.pdf  

11 

 
 
 
                                                 
Balochistan in the drafting of a set of revised labour laws. Consultations took place with 
the social partners to ensure that the laws are better aligned with ILO principles. 

Philippines 
The EU GSP+ action in the Philippines focused on creating an environment conducive to 
freedom of association and collective bargaining, following the recommendations of an 
ILO  Direct  Contacts  Mission  in  February  2017.  The  EU  GSP+  action  enabled 
discussions between the labour department and the social partners, which have resulted 
in a tripartite manifesto committing to the effective implementation of the principles of 
freedom of association and collective bargaining and to creating a national action plan to 
this effect. 
Furthermore,  in  2017,  projects  aimed  at  supporting  local  CSOs13  and  social  partners 
participation  in  GSP+  were  launched  in  all  GSP+  countries.  In  the  course  of  2017,  the 
project teams conducted fact-finding missions to identify the key issues for their projects, 
which  will  be  carried  out  with  local  CSOs.  Over  the  next  reporting  period,  the 
Commission  will  continue  to  consider  ways  of  supporting  beneficiaries  through 
expertise, technical assistance and specific projects on capacity-building. 

4.4.  Accompanying this Report: Staff Working Document on GSP+ 

As the 2016 GSP report, this second biennial report on GSP is accompanied by a Staff 
Working Document (SWD) on GSP+.  The SWD provides  a comprehensive assessment 
of  individual  GSP+  beneficiaries'  compliance  with  their  GSP+  obligations  per  cluster: 
human  rights,  labour  rights,  environment  and  good  governance.  It  assesses  progress, 
shortcomings, future actions and priorities towards achieving effective implementation of 
the 27 core conventions.  

4.5.  Mid-Term Evaluation Report 

In  accordance  with  the  GSP  Regulation14,  the  Commission  is  to  submit  a  Mid-Term 
Evaluation Report on the application of the GSP Regulation to the European Parliament 
and to the Council five years after the entry into force of the GSP Regulation. This Mid-
Term Evaluation Report will assess whether the GSP Regulation reaches its objectives. 
Its conclusions will be taken into account for the design of the next GSP. The report is 
expected to be adopted during the first semester of 2018.  

5.  CONCLUSIONS  

The biennial report on GSP tracks the implementation of the current GSP scheme since 
its tariff preferences started to apply in January 2014. The accompanying SWD sets out 
the human rights,  social and environmental situation  in  the GSP+ beneficiary countries 
and  provides  a  platform  for  civil  society  engagement  with  beneficiary  countries' 
governments.  

During the present monitoring cycle, GSP+ beneficiaries were urged to increasingly take 
ownership  of  the  implementation  of  the  27  conventions  and  to  be  more  proactive  in 

13 http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2017/july/tradoc_155843.pdf 

14 Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences 

12 

 
 
 
                                                 
addressing  the  issues  listed  in  the  scorecards  and  raised  during  the  GSP+  monitoring 
missions.  

Kyrgyzstan, which joined GSP+ in January 2016, features for the first time in this report. 
Sri Lanka re-joined GSP+ in May 2017, the monitoring period therefore covers less than 
6  months.  In  Armenia,  the  monitoring  mission  proved  to  be  a  valuable  way  to  involve 
local  civil  society.  In  the  absence  of  recent  reports  to  the UN  and  ILO,  the  monitoring 
mission  to  Cabo  Verde  was  crucial  to  collect  the  information  needed  for  EU's 
assessment. The monitoring mission to the Philippines was an opportunity for the EU to 
express  its  concerns  on  recent  human  rights  developments,  while  also  recognising 
progress on labour rights and socio-economic policies. In Paraguay and Bolivia, the issue 
of child labour was openly discussed with the participation of all relevant stakeholders, 
including the ILO and UNICEF. Georgia features for the last time as it has phased out of 
the GSP+ due to its DCFTA with the EU. 

Overall,  the  GSP+  monitoring  provided  a  structured  approach  and  a  solid  basis  for  the 
assessment  of  each  GSP+  beneficiary,  building  on  the  findings  of  UN  and  ILO 
monitoring bodies and on information provided by third parties, including civil society, 
social  partners,  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council.  GSP+  monitoring  is  fully 
integrated into the EU's bilateral framework and dialogues, including the Human Rights 
Dialogues.  In  particular,  GSP+  has  supported  countries  like  Pakistan,  Sri  Lanka, 
Mongolia and Bolivia to intensify their engagement in the EU Human Rights Dialogues. 
At  the  same  time,  the  Human  Rights  Dialogues  provided  a  platform  to  discuss  GSP+ 
related  human  rights  issues.  GSP+  has  improved  synergies  and  led  to  a  mutually  re-
enforcing leverage of the two tools.  

Whilst GSP is an important enabling tool to address human rights and labour concerns in 
beneficiary countries, the EU is committed to use all relevant policies and instruments to 
support  them  in  achieving  their  sustainable  development  and  good  governance  goals. 
Given  the  nature  of  such  issues  and  the  need  for  structural  and  lasting  solutions,  GSP 
engagement  requires  a  steady  long-term  commitment  by  both  the  EU  and  beneficiary 
countries. 

The next reporting period covering 2018 and 2019 will be launched with a new biennial 
cycle of scorecards and monitoring missions in the first half of 2018. By the end of 2019, 
the Commission will submit its third biennial report on GSP to the European Parliament 
and the Council, with a particular focus on evaluating trends in all GSP+ beneficiaries.  

13 

 
 
 
6.  BENEFICIARIES OF THE STANDARD GSP SCHEME AND EBA SCHEME 

Table 1 – Standard GSP Beneficiaries 2016-2017 

Standard GSP beneficiaries during the 2016 -
2017 reporting period 

Changes in beneficiary status  during  
2016-2017 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

 Cameroon 

 Cook Islands 

 Cote d'Ivoire 

 Fiji 

 Ghana 

 India 

 Indonesia 

 Iraq 

 Kenya 

Left the scheme on 1 January 2017 

Left the scheme  on 1 January 2017 

Left the scheme  on 1 January 2017 

10. 

 Marshall Islands 

Left the scheme  on 1 January 2017 

11. 

 Micronesia (Federate States of) 

12. 

 Nauru 

13. 

 Nigeria 

14. 

 Niue 

15. 

 Republic of Congo 

16. 

 Sri Lanka 

17. 

 Swaziland 

18. 

 Syria 

19. 

 Tajikistan 

20. 

 Tonga 

21. 

 Ukraine 

22. 

 Uzbekistan 

23. 

 Vietnam 

Left  the  scheme  on  18  May  2017  following 
GSP+ Status 

Will leave the scheme on 1 January 2018 

Table 2 – GSP+ Beneficiaries 2016-2017 

GSP+ beneficiaries during the 2016 -2017 
reporting period 

Changes in GSP+ beneficiary status  
during 2016-2017 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

  Armenia 

  Bolivia 

  Cabo Verde 

  Georgia 

  Kyrgyzstan 

  Mongolia 

Pakistan 

Paraguay 

The Philippines 

Left the scheme on 1 January 2017 

Joined the scheme on  27 January 2016 

10.   

Sri Lanka 

Joined the scheme on 18 May 2017 

14 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 3 – EBA Beneficiaries 2016-2017 

EBA beneficiaries during the 2016-2017 reporting period 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

Afghanistan 

Angola 

Bangladesh 

Bhutan 

Burkina Faso 

Burundi 

Benin 

Cambodia 

Chad 

10.  Democratic Republic of Congo 

11.  Central African (Republic) 

12.  Comoros Islands 

13.  Djibouti 

14. 

Eritrea 

15. 

Ethiopia 

16.  Gambia 

17.  Guinea 

18. 

Equatorial Guinea 

19.  Guinea-Bissau 

20.  Haiti 

21.  Kiribati 

22. 

Lao (People's Democratic 
Republic) 

23. 

Liberia 

24. 

Lesotho 

25.  Madagascar 

26.  Mali 

27. 

28. 

29. 

30. 

31. 

32. 

33. 

34. 

35. 

36. 

37. 

38. 

39. 

40. 

41. 

42. 

43. 

44. 

45. 

46. 

47. 

48. 

Mauritania 

Malawi  

Myanmar/Burma 

Mozambique 

Nepal 

Niger 

Rwanda 

Samoa 

Sierra Leone 

Senegal 

Solomon Islands 

Somalia 

South Sudan 

Sudan 

Sao Tome and Principe 

Tanzania 

Timor-Leste 

Togo 

Tuvalu 

Uganda 

Vanuatu 

Yemen   

49. 

Zambia 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7.  TABLES WITH STATISTICAL INFORMATION COVERING COUNTRIES BENEFITING FROM GSP ON 1 DECEMBER 2016 

Table 4 – Value of preferential imports for all GSP countries (thousand EUR) 

Table 5 - Value of preferential imports to the EU by Standard GSP country (thousand EUR) 

16 

Total importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rateTotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rateTotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rateStandard GSP136,293,050  37,617,869  27,712,803  74%138,379,251  45,327,097    30,871,383  68%130,968,548  47,080,530  31,661,403  67%GSP+13,324,942    7,129,263    6,177,630    87%15,476,883    8,413,704      7,153,681    85%15,132,431    8,687,292    7,485,760    86%EBA37,500,741    19,614,129  17,058,019  87%37,922,199    23,735,273    22,264,102  94%36,175,387    25,573,515  23,534,339  92%All GSP187,118,733  64,361,261  50,948,452  79%191,778,333  77,476,074    60,289,166  78%182,276,366  81,341,337  62,681,502  77%201420152016Standard GSPTotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rateTotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rateTotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rate136,293,050      37,617,869        27,712,803        73.7%138,379,251      45,327,097        30,871,383        68.1%130,968,548      47,080,530        31,661,403        67.2%Cameroon2,148,042           32,560                39                        0.1%1,781,293           150,204              12,054                8.0%1,773,132           120,563              6,323                  5.2%Congo1,523,993           82,830                 67,269                 81.2%1,764,705           40,965                 31,126                 76.0%1,048,910           34,069                 14,331                 42.1%Cook Islands1,496                   97                        61                        62.8%1,906                   58                        3                           5.2%8,660                   246                      31                        12.7%Fiji97,685                 1,301                   3                           0.2%85,504                 5,532                   421                      7.6%60,313                 6,767                   142                      2.1%Ghana2,864,884           150,575              127                      0.1%2,631,417           737,363              804                      0.1%2,287,705           683,385              868                      0.1%India35,582,745         16,987,636         15,031,426         88.5%37,822,096         18,910,730         16,698,497         88.3%37,664,155         18,864,567         16,622,456         88.1%Indonesia13,917,691         6,279,700           4,511,742           71.8%14,672,861         7,176,336           5,017,542           69.9%13,988,094         7,272,570           5,164,449           71.0%Iraq11,518,140         5,232                   146                      2.8%12,100,516         7,918                   2,080                   26.3%10,404,550         3,832                   1,041                   27.2%Ivory Coast3,247,091           319,695              366                      0.1%4,241,390           1,287,254           3,261                   0.3%4,523,986           1,294,501           2,070                   0.2%Kenya1,140,708           190,922              138,111              72.3%1,302,367           864,017              19,935                 2.3%1,268,292           869,747              16,345                 1.9%Marshall Islands146,012              423                      -                       0.0%116,787              505                      -                       0.0%186,992              20,856                 -                       -                     Micronesia612                      171                      127                      74.3%538                      509                      215                      42.3%452                      444                      112                      25.3%Nauru82                        31                        -                       0.0%626                      175                      -                       0.0%95                        53                        -                       0.0%Nigeria27,792,156         207,878              135,410              65.1%18,402,503         129,416              94,963                 73.4%10,833,197         158,137              102,210              64.6%Niue127                      108                      1                           0.8%227                      10                        0                           1.0%267                      181                      -                       0.0%Sri Lanka*2,163,151           1,799,337           1,073,969           59.7%2,337,415           1,966,849           1,078,955           54.9%2,395,894           2,022,993           1,105,615           54.7%Swaziland150,572              5,140                   46                        0.9%133,591              19,474                 109                      0.6%121,857              21,069                 56                        0.3%Syria85,008                 25,209                 3,443                   13.7%80,265                 25,358                 4,405                   17.4%49,463                 20,213                 8,911                   44.1%Tajikistan52,422                 14,897                 10,571                 71.0%46,363                 12,107                 11,286                 93.2%81,953                 12,953                 11,823                 91.3%Tonga906                      71                        54                        75.9%379                      136                      95                        70.3%863                      125                      35                        28.2%Ukraine12,003,711         2,495,103           1,473,299           59.0%11,309,183         2,676,266           1,185,545           44.3%11,604,889         3,379,200           1,400,536           41.4%Uzbekistan146,175              75,976                 60,465                 79.6%117,222              69,750                 57,747                 82.8%117,529              86,579                 74,625                 86.2%Vietnam21,709,640         8,942,978           5,206,129           58.2%29,430,096         11,246,165         6,652,339           59.2%32,547,301         12,207,480         7,129,422           58.4%*GSP+ since 18 May 2017201420152016 
 
 
Table 6 – Value of preferential imports to the EU by EBA country (thousand EUR)* 

* 'Total imports cover all imports, including products which automatically benefit from most-favoured nation ('MFN') zero tariffs. 'EBA eligible imports' only references the products under the EBA scheme, which do not otherwise 
benefit from MFN zero duty.  

17 

EBATotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rateTotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rateTotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rate37,500,741          19,614,129                        17,058,019                  87.0%37,922,199          23,735,273                        22,264,102                  93.8%36,175,387          25,573,515                        23,534,339                  92.0%Afghanistan35,033                   16,943                                6,966                             41.1%25,208                   6,164                                  3,691                             59.9%18,932                   5,680                                  2,855                             50.3%Angola9,361,175             50,117                                20,937                          41.8%7,153,713             39,948                                18,089                          45.3%4,156,215             69,812                                30,828                          44.2%Bangladesh12,320,951          12,259,151                        11,776,557                  96.1%15,085,588          15,017,416                        14,642,919                  97.5%16,355,547          16,292,347                        15,614,030                  95.8%Benin44,864                   12,270                                11,246                          91.7%45,236                   5,535                                  3,968                             71.7%39,234                   5,123                                  4,817                             94.0%Bhutan14,927                   14,790                                14,416                          97.5%48,501                   16,726                                16,102                          96.3%2,606                     2,140                                  1,884                             88.0%Burkina Faso111,601                11,697                                9,849                             84.2%58,116                   11,204                                9,576                             85.5%109,132                10,911                                9,899                             90.7%Burundi21,359                   414                                      86                                   20.7%38,785                   362                                      322                                89.0%31,850                   291                                      260                                89.3%Cambodia3,019,263             3,008,589                          2,778,838                    92.4%4,060,331             4,005,450                          3,772,302                    94.2%4,571,947             4,505,346                          4,177,745                    92.7%Central African Republic6,253                     181                                      157                                87.0%12,044                   58                                        3                                     4.6%16,544                   596                                      6                                     1.1%Chad13,789                   319                                      -                                 0.0%108,771                616                                      -                                 0.0%114,696                1,003                                  -                                 0.0%Comoros10,640                   6,782                                  1,536                             22.6%10,947                   5,605                                  5,487                             97.9%15,655                   7,505                                  7,168                             95.5%Congo (Democratic Rep)1,003,279             8,202                                  6,240                             76.1%481,672                10,079                                5,181                             51.4%740,378                5,977                                  3,566                             59.7%Djibouti8,233                     3,771                                  62                                   1.6%13,103                   2,635                                  -                                 0.0%23,592                   5,557                                  211                                3.8%Equatorial Guinea3,643,048             227,486                              210,568                        92.6%1,931,886             45,310                                33,132                          73.1%1,237,764             22,825                                19,052                          83.5%Eritrea8,234                     2,505                                  2,378                             94.9%41,742                   2,498                                  2,294                             91.9%13,108                   2,172                                  2,031                             93.5%Ethiopia550,548                252,196                              248,726                        98.6%676,177                333,655                              256,378                        76.8%711,534                399,735                              245,195                        61.3%Gambia17,627                   9,276                                  8,561                             92.3%16,900                   11,472                                11,261                          98.2%14,077                   10,535                                9,933                             94.3%Guinea454,347                1,648                                  658                                39.9%644,545                1,566                                  740                                47.3%522,968                2,647                                  811                                30.7%Guinea Bissau3,329                     12                                        -                                 0.0%1,985                     1,047                                  -                                 0.0%1,602                     404                                      -                                 0.0%Haiti31,331                   17,794                                3,324                             18.7%33,006                   14,017                                12,483                          89.1%39,015                   15,527                                13,343                          85.9%Kiribati53                           32                                        25                                   76.8%142                         59                                        -                                 0.0%152                         97                                        -                                 0.0%Laos222,578                195,086                              191,073                        97.9%235,114                195,855                              189,968                        97.0%234,482                177,167                              169,889                        95.9%Lesotho247,359                1,566                                  484                                30.9%254,450                1,993                                  1,411                             70.8%207,530                2,889                                  2,047                             70.9%Liberia284,022                3,400                                  423                                12.4%187,013                585                                      -                                 0.0%273,678                4,342                                  379                                8.7%Madagascar826,063                534,460                              21,331                          4.0%922,271                573,703                              4,774                             0.8%934,020                702,449                              9,850                             1.4%Malawi289,986                266,631                              251,596                        94.4%321,254                287,017                              270,725                        94.3%267,862                215,102                              214,041                        99.5%Mali39,253                   4,400                                  3,628                             82.5%39,323                   5,510                                  4,176                             75.8%36,620                   5,730                                  4,776                             83.3%Mauritania544,977                172,679                              164,746                        95.4%475,350                221,069                              212,175                        96.0%427,029                224,212                              217,873                        97.2%Mozambique1,346,297             1,143,588                          292,715                        25.6%1,423,821             1,170,217                          1,137,842                    97.2%1,301,696             970,577                              964,758                        99.4%Myanmar355,447                313,704                              298,065                        95.0%645,322                562,714                              534,806                        95.0%971,484                875,939                              827,432                        94.5%Nepal86,408                   77,883                                72,205                          92.7%97,418                   86,983                                80,420                          92.5%94,310                   83,407                                77,089                          92.4%Niger118,520                2,958                                  1,931                             65.3%116,763                3,308                                  2,726                             82.4%116,135                3,692                                  3,080                             83.4%Rwanda46,415                   538                                      107                                20.0%63,219                   937                                      647                                69.0%51,351                   1,991                                  948                                47.6%Samoa1,076                     867                                      310                                35.8%2,271                     1,778                                  224                                12.6%1,882                     1,475                                  293                                19.9%Sao Tome and Principe7,999                     175                                      112                                64.0%8,414                     141                                      98                                   69.0%10,382                   183                                      98                                   53.5%201420152016 
 
 
Table 6 (continued) – Value of preferential imports to the EU by EBA country (thousand EUR)* 

Table 7 – Value of preferential imports to the EU by GSP+ country (thousand EUR)* 

18 

EBATotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rateTotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rateTotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rateSenegal391,649                281,694                              276,858                        98.3%411,225                293,897                              286,079                        97.3%416,309                266,077                              255,260                        95.9%Sierra Leone220,043                480                                      80                                   16.6%238,444                3,939                                  3,280                             83.3%223,681                1,796                                  533                                29.7%Solomon Islands62,985                   62,069                                61,950                          99.8%68,308                   67,718                                66,356                          98.0%53,495                   52,945                                52,848                          99.8%Somalia2,589                     122                                      6                                     4.7%8,587                     117                                      -                                 0.0%13,047                   569                                      15                                   2.7%South Sudan117                         32                                        -                                 0.0%182                         52                                        -                                 0.0%304                         106                                      70                                   66.7%Sudan204,463                107,837                              101,344                        94.0%211,637                83,319                                81,717                          98.1%182,874                23,463                                22,751                          97.0%Tanzania588,179                281,806                              119,833                        42.5%686,687                356,266                              346,966                        97.4%620,682                323,841                              317,287                        98.0%Timor-Leste11,955                   43                                        -                                 0.0%5,984                     47                                        -                                 0.0%5,369                     71                                        -                                 0.0%Togo83,505                   20,254                                19,154                          94.6%70,005                   21,854                                20,093                          91.9%102,321                33,250                                24,095                          72.5%Tuvalu513                         476                                      -                                 0.0%512                         454                                      -                                 0.0%51                           28                                        -                                 0.0%Uganda447,656                149,922                              31,573                          21.1%488,899                157,883                              154,426                        97.8%444,743                150,527                              148,279                        98.5%Vanuatu1,842                     403                                      334                                82.8%11,748                   4,512                                  414                                9.2%3,334                     1,475                                  370                                25.1%Yemen83,951                   10,574                                8,268                             78.2%17,461                   7,077                                  3,016                             42.6%18,623                   6,285                                  4,574                             72.8%Zambia305,011                76,308                                38,765                          50.8%422,117                94,907                                67,838                          71.5%425,544                77,696                                72,067                          92.8%201420152016GSP+Total importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rateTotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rateTotal importsGSP eligible importsGSP preferential importsUtilisation rate13,324,942       7,129,263               6,177,630           86.7%15,476,883       8,413,704               7,153,681           85.0%15,132,431       8,687,292               7,485,760           86.2%Armenia192,932             47,343                     42,435                 89.6%268,322             115,211                   103,588               89.9%310,034             116,432                   107,772               92.6%Bolivia518,567             107,094                   102,577               95.8%596,432             84,340                     80,755                 95.7%529,748             58,705                     55,225                 94.1%Cape Verde96,849               55,897                     54,716                 97.9%63,283               53,279                     51,519                 96.7%70,595               68,077                     65,690                 96.5%Georgia621,360             213,860                   100,401               46.9%688,607             312,638                   31,302                 10.0%513,241             244,174                   6,562                   2.7%Kyrgyz Republic68,806               12,000                     8,248                   68.7%48,834               10,089                     6,581                   65.2%72,291               6,091                        3,245                   53.3%Mongolia71,146               17,952                     15,101                 84.1%80,086               18,732                     16,277                 86.9%64,237               18,210                     15,286                 83.9%Pakistan5,390,009          4,775,255                4,557,142            95.4%5,953,902          5,450,261                5,235,525            96.1%6,197,304          5,775,157                5,521,262            95.6%Paraguay1,098,733          72,824                     69,349                 95.2%1,057,067          46,567                     42,275                 90.8%1,074,715          41,912                     36,736                 87.7%Philippines5,266,541          1,827,039                1,227,661            67.2%6,720,351          2,322,588                1,585,860            68.3%6,300,265          2,358,534                1,673,980            71.0%201420152016