EU confirms Philippines’ eligibility for GSP application

Recently, the European Commission approved the Philippines’ application to join the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+), which is expected to allow 2,442 types of Philippine products, including textiles and garments, to enter the 28 EU countries duty-free.
The committee stated that it has evaluated the Philippines’ application to join GSP+ submitted in February this year and determined that the Philippines is eligible to apply. The committee also pointed out that the Philippines’ proposal to apply to join GSP+ should be passed as soon as possible so that the Philippines can enjoy the benefits of GSP+ as soon as possible. This move is also supported by companies that purchase textiles, garments and footwear from the Philippines.
The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) hopes to immediately approve the Philippines’ GSP+ application and points out that this initiative will provide more opportunities for the European sporting goods industry to select high-quality manufacturing companies. FESI Secretary General Alberto Bichi added: “With the need to develop procurement plans in advance, it is crucial that the EU Parliament and Member States expedite approval of the Philippines’ GSP+ application so that our industry can have clear decisions.”
The EU’s Generalized System of Preferential Tariffs (GSP) allows developing countries to export products to EU countries at lower or zero tariffs. GSP is an important system for developing countries to enter the EU market and can also promote national economic growth. GSP+ provides developing countries that benefit from GSP with more trade facilities to implement international conventions on human and labor rights and sustainable development. The above-mentioned European Commission’s proposal still requires formal approval by the European Parliament and EU member states, but it is unclear how long it will take for the application to be further approved.
The Philippines hopes to enjoy tariff-free treatment from January 1, 2015. Adrian Cristobal, the country’s deputy trade minister, said: “We hope that the EU Parliament can approve our application before the end of this year. Because the preferential terms of GSP+ will promote the export of Philippine products to the EU and translate into an increase in domestic productivity.