Pakistan GSP+ trade access to the European Union will not continue automatically, as the country must submit a fresh application under a revised scheme that raises the number of international conventions it must comply with from 27 to 32, an EU spokesperson told Arab News this week.
Pakistan has benefited from the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus, known as GSP+, since 2014. The arrangement has allowed the country to secure preferential access to European Union markets, exporting a wide range of goods at reduced or zero tariffs in exchange for implementing international conventions covering human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and good governance. In 2024 alone, Pakistan recorded 7.5 billion euros in exports eligible for these preferences, largely in textiles and clothing, while the value of the tariff exemptions it received was estimated at around 732 million euros.
Why Pakistan GSP+ Trade Access Is Changing
With the current EU framework governing GSP+ set to expire, the bloc has confirmed that Pakistan’s GSP+ trade access will depend on a new application rather than an automatic rollover. An EU spokesperson said that, like all other GSP+ countries, Pakistan will continue to benefit from GSP+ during a two-year transition period until the end of 2028, subject to compliance with its existing obligations. During that window, however, beneficiaries must submit a reapplication under the new scheme, since it introduces new conditions and a new legal basis.
The spokesperson was explicit that approval is not guaranteed. The reapplication, they said, must include a forward-looking plan of action for the effective implementation of the full list of conventions, and because it is a new scheme, there is no rollover and no automatic approval. The European Union’s revised GSP regulation was published on 22 June and will take effect on 1 January 2027.
European Union Preferences Tied to Human Rights Compliance
Under the new framework, continued European Union preferences will depend on Pakistan maintaining the ratification and effective implementation of international conventions covering human rights, labour rights, environmental protection, climate change and good governance. A joint monitoring report published on 16 July by the European Commission and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, covering the period from 2023 to 2025, acknowledged progress in some areas but flagged significant concerns over Pakistan’s compliance with GSP+ obligations relating to human rights, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms.
The report identified several priority areas Pakistan must address to preserve its European Union preferences beyond 2027. These include ensuring accountability for human rights violations, taking stronger action against torture and enforced disappearances, reforming prisons and the death penalty, and protecting freedom of expression. It also called for greater efforts to reduce violence against women, improve children’s access to education, end child marriage, and strengthen measures against child and forced labour, while raising concerns over discrimination against minorities and the independence of anti-corruption institutions at federal and provincial levels.
Pakistan’s Response and the Path to 32 International Conventions
Pakistan’s foreign office welcomed the assessment but expressed reservations about what it described as an unbalanced portrayal of the country’s record. Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told a weekly briefing on 23 July that Pakistan appreciated the acknowledgement of its legislative progress and continued compliance with the existing 27 international conventions, while expressing disappointment that the report’s overall narrative did not present a sufficiently balanced picture of performance under GSP+. The reforms undertaken since Pakistan joined the arrangement in 2014, the spokesperson argued, warranted greater recognition than the report allowed.
Despite these reservations, the foreign office said Pakistan would remain engaged with the European Commission and other EU institutions and reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the international conventions underpinning the scheme. According to local media reports, Pakistan’s commerce ministry has already begun preparing an action plan aimed at meeting the requirements of the expanded list of 32 international conventions. Arab News contacted the commerce ministry regarding its preparations but did not receive a response, while Finance Adviser Khurram Shahzad referred questions to the Ministry of Commerce.
With the transition period running until the end of 2028, securing continued Pakistan GSP+ trade access will depend heavily on how quickly and credibly the government can demonstrate compliance with the expanded conditions before the new legal framework takes full effect.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, September 13th, 2026
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