Suchergebnisse

One of the three objectives of the European Union's Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) is to "promote sustainable development and good governance"� in beneficiary countries. The GSP+ status was given to Pakistan in 2014. The EU is currently reviewing the application of its GSP regulations. The evaluation of the economic, social, human rights and environmental impacts of the GSP+ entrusted to Development Solutions (DS) is aimed at "an in depth quantitative and qualitative assessment of the environmental impacts of GSP+ in Pakistan"�.

AbstractThis paper investigates whether the 2011 expiration of the most comprehensive trade preference program (Generalized System of Preferences or GSP) offered by the US had a detrimental impact on the exports from developing countries. The effect of GSP expiration is examined with a triple difference‐in‐differences estimation that controls for both country‐ and product‐level export changes. Even though the duties collected during the period of expiration are ultimately refunded after GSP is reauthorized, the findings of this paper suggest that the expiration of GSP had a considerable impact on the level of exports to the US. On average exports dropped by 3% in 2011, with exports of agricultural products and textiles and clothing declining as much as 5% and 9%, respectively. The decline is increasing in the tariff rates and rates of utilization. The effect appears to be persistent over time as exports do not fully recover by 2012. The 2011 expiration is also found to be similar in magnitude to the 1995–1996 and 2013–2015 expirations, the longest episodes of expiration in the history of the GSP.Résumé.Suspension du SGP et baisse des exportations en provenance des pays en voie de développement. Cet article cherche à déterminer si la suspension en 2011 du Système Généralisé de Préférences (SGP) proposé par les États‐Unis eut des conséquences négatives sur les exportations en provenance des pays en voie de développement. Nous étudions l'effet de la suspension du SGP grâce à une estimation basée sur la méthode des triples différences tenant compte des changements en matière d'exportation, à la fois au niveau des produits mais aussi des pays. Même si les droits perçus au cours de la période d'interruption du SGP furent finalement restitués au moment de sa réintroduction, les conclusions de cet article suggèrent que la suspension du SGP engendra des répercussions considérables quant au niveau des exportations vers les États‐Unis. En moyenne, les exportations chutèrent de 3% en 2011; les exportations de produits agricoles et les exportations de textiles et de vêtements chutèrent quant à elles de 5% et 9% respectivement. Cette baisse entraîna une hausse des droits de douane et des taux d'utilisation. Ces effets semblent persister dans le temps puisque les exportations en 2012 ne retrouvèrent pas totalement les niveaux antérieurs. Il apparaît que la suspension du SGP en 2011 fut de même ampleur que les interruptions de 1995–1996 et de 2013–2015, les plus longues de l'histoire du SGP.

At their inception in the early 1990s, conditionality clauses were introduced in the General Scheme of Preferences (GSP) as an instrument for the protection and promotion of labour standards and human rights in the Global South. Conditionality in the GSP as an instrument of development and trade policy was conceived as separate from foreign policy tools in the context of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Notwithstanding the very limited suspension practice, previous research highlighted indications of political contamination in withdrawal decisions. This article explores the question as to whether GSP withdrawals are becoming more similar to CFSP sanctions. Relying primarily on policy documents and legislation, the article discusses the evolution of GSP conditionality from its origins to present, including the proposal for a new Regulation governing the GSP tabled by the Commission in July 2021 and currently under consideration. With this aim in mind, it first outlines the evolution of the design of withdrawal mechanisms, taking issue with the changing focus of the GSP conditionality, which has expanded considerably while withdrawal practice remains marginal. Following that, the implications of the identified trend(s) for the European Union (EU) are teased out.
Economic sanctions, GSP, EU trade policy, labour standards, human rights, CFSP