EU not under any influence

[lkdood]

The decisions taken on Sri Lanka by the European Union (EU) are not influenced by anyone nor is the 27 member block influencing any party in the country, the European Commission head of delegation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Ambassador Bernard Savage told Daily Mirror online.

Ambassador Savage said this in response to a question posed by Daily Mirror online regarding comments made by the government, that the conditions put forward by the EU last week in order for Sri Lanka to obtain the GSP plus trade concessions are similar to conditions raised by the opposition to the government.

He added that EU did not correspond with or influence opposition parties in Sri Lanka and that those parties were free to hold their own conditions. When questioned regarding the statement made by President Mahinda Rajapakse to the Times of India that the withdrawal of the GSP was politically motivated, the Ambassador refused to comment.
“Our people must know this: when I called the elections, they (EU) immediately called for suspension of tariff concessions. It was a politically motivated decision. If the EU doesn't want to give it (concessions), let them keep it. I don't want it. We have gone and explained what we have done. Now we have appointed it (an inquiry commission), not because someone wanted me to, but because I am committed to that,” the President had told the Times of India newspaper.

Sri Lanka stands to lose the GSP plus facility in August unless it gives a written commitment to the EU by this Thursday to meet the conditions put forward by the EU in a letter to the government last week. The government has so far rejected the conditions and said it will also not formally respond to the EU letter.

Dailymirror

 

[blood_brotha]

do u have a link about the conditions that the EU submitted if we were to have the GSP?

 

[lkdood]

do u have a link about the conditions that the EU submitted if we were to have the GSP?

http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=8679

 

[blood_brotha]

1.) Reduction of the number of derogation to the ICCPR.



2.) Take steps to ensure that the key objective of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, namely to provide for independent and impartial appointments to the key public positions, is fully safeguarded, including through a Constitutional Council which adequately reflects the interests of all political, ethnic and religious groups and minorities within Sri Lankan society.



3.) Repeal of the remaining part of the 2005 Emergency Regulations, notably those Regulations concerning detention without trial, restrictions on freedom of movement, ouster of jurisdiction and immunity and repeal of 2006 Emergency Regulations (Gazette No. 1474/5/2006). If GoSL considers that it is essential to retain certain provisions which are compatible with the ICCPR or UNCAT, such as provisions concerning possession of weapons, such provisions should be transferred to the Criminal Code.



4.) Repeal of those sections of the Prevention of Terrorism Act which are incompatible with the ICCPR (in particular, sections 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16 and 26) or amendment so as to make them clearly compatible with the ICCPR.



5.) Repeal of the ouster clause in section 8 and the immunity clause in section 9 of the Public Security Ordinance or amendment or as to make it clearly compatible with the ICCPR.



6.) Adoption of the planed amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, which provide for the right of a suspect to see a lawyer immediately following his arrest.



7.) Legislative steps necessary to allow individuals to submit complaints to the UN Human Rights Committee under the First Optional Protocol to the ICCPR and to the UN Committee against Torture under Article 22.



8.) Steps to implement outstanding opinions of the UN Human Rights Committee in individual cases.



9.) Extension of an invitation to the following Special Procedures who have requested to visit Sri Lanka (UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, UN Special Rapporteur on Independence of Judges and Lawyers).



10.) Responses to a significant number of individual cases currently pending before the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances.



11.) Publication of the complete final report of the 2008 Commission of Enquiry.



12.) Publication or making available to the family members a list of the former LTTE combatants currently held in detention as well as all other persons detained under the Emergency Regulations. Decisive steps to bring to an end the detention of any persons under the Emergency Regulations either by releasing them or by bringing them to trial.



13.) Granting of access to all places of detention for monitoring purposes to an independent humanitarian organization, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross.



14.) Adoption of the National human Rights Action Plan by Parliament and its prompt implementation.



15.) Take steps to ensure journalists can exercise their professional duties without harassment.


in my opinion the things marked in red are big no nos. We have to wait a few more years to implement those suggestions.