DUSHANBE (TCA) — The EU deployed a joint technical mission from the European Commission Directorate General for Trade and the European External Action Service in Brussels to Dushanbe to prepare Tajikistan’s possible accession to the GSP+, the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan said.
In response to a request by the Government of Tajikistan to prepare a possible accession to the EU’s Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development (GSP+), the EU on February 11-13 deployed a joint technical mission from the European Commission Directorate General for Trade and the European External Action Service in Brussels to Dushanbe. The purpose of this mission was to engage in initial discussions with key stakeholders of the Tajik government on the process and specific benefits for Tajikistan with regard to GSP+. Agriculture, climate change, water and energy as well as sustainable development, export promotion, tax tariffs and rule of law constituted important areas of discussion. The pre-application phase for GSP+ should be seen in the context of the further strengthening of EU-Tajikistan relations. A successful application for GSP+ would translate into a zero tariff for Tajik exports to the EU for more than 6600 goods.
The GSP+ is an arrangement under the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (‘GSP’) for lower-middle income countries. It offers additional trade incentives to partner countries in support of the effective implementation of core international conventions on environmental protection, good governance, labour and human rights. Kyrgyzstan is one among 8 countries currently benefitting from GSP+, while Tajikistan has signaled its strong interest in joining GSP+ and willingness to work towards a formal application.
