EU Reviews Pakistan’s GSP+ Compliance Amid Ongoing Reforms

Islamabad – On 19 November 2025, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Pakistan, Raimundas Karoblis, told Dawn News TV that Pakistan needed to “do more” to fulfill its obligations under the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) ahead of an upcoming review. The GSP+ framework grants developing countries preferential access to EU markets, contingent upon adherence to 27 international conventions covering human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and good governance. 

Ambassador Karoblis noted that the periodic monitoring mission would involve consultations not only with government institutions but also with civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and companies engaged in international trade. He explained:
“There are human rights, labour rights, environmental issues as well, and good governance. Quite a lot of meetings will be with state institutions, but also with civil society organizations, with human rights defenders, but also with the companies and actually with people who are working in the companies.”

Since Pakistan was granted GSP+ status in 2014, the country has implemented significant reforms to align with the scheme’s requirements. This status previously boosted Pakistani exports to the EU, particularly textiles, by 108 percent due to concessional tariffs. In October 2023, the European Parliament unanimously extended the status for another four years, allowing Pakistan and other developing countries to continue benefiting from duty-free or preferential access to EU markets.

Over the past decade, Pakistan has introduced a series of legal and institutional reforms aimed at strengthening its human rights framework. These include the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act (2021), which ensures the safety of media workers through special prosecutors and investigative commissions, and the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act (2021), establishing special courts for gender-based crimes, mandating forensic evidence collection, and introducing stronger penalties for offenders. The Domestic Violence Acts enacted between 2020 and 2022 criminalize abuse, provide protection orders, and offer legal aid and shelter to victims. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act (2018) recognizes self-perceived gender identity and guarantees equal access to education, employment, and public services, while the Zainab Alert Act (2020) establishes a rapid-response system for missing or abducted children and a centralized child protection database. The National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR), an independent statutory body, continues to monitor human rights violations, review laws, and advise the government on compliance with international conventions, reaffirming Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to meet GSP+ obligations.

The upcoming GSP+ monitoring mission, delayed from June due to the Iran-Israel conflict, will assess Pakistan’s compliance with all 27 international conventions tied to the trade scheme. This evaluation is critical for ensuring continued duty-free access for Pakistani exports to European markets.

GSP+ Compliance Amid Security Challenges

At the same time, Pakistan officials have increasingly highlighted how human rights narratives are sometimes politicized to advance geopolitical agendas. Selective criticism often ignores comparable violations elsewhere while constraining Pakistan’s ability to respond to security threats. Terrorist networks and their affiliates exploit rights discourse to limit state action and expand operational space, sometimes creating front organizations disguised as human rights NGOs to act as proxies for militant agendas. Observers point to individuals such as Mahrang Baloch, who vocally criticizes Pakistan yet remains silent on atrocities committed by US-designated terrorist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front. Evidence also suggests that hostile intelligence agencies provide covert support to exiled dissidents in Europe, who in turn propagate destabilizing narratives against Pakistan.

International coverage of human rights violations in other countries, particularly India, has also been selectively highlighted. Reports document the repression of civil society, censorship of journalists, custodial deaths, police brutality, and discrimination against minorities, exposing double standards in the application of human rights norms. From Islamophobia and racial violence in European countries to systemic suppression of dissent in the United States, and state-sponsored persecution of minorities in India, Pakistan’s officials argue that Western criticism often reflects selective moral judgment and geopolitical bias rather than an impartial assessment of human rights conditions.

Pakistan maintains that genuine cooperation and factual reporting, not politically motivated propaganda, are essential for sustainable counterterrorism and regional stability. While the GSP+ framework emphasizes human rights and governance, Pakistan’s ongoing reforms demonstrate a commitment to meeting these standards, even as selective international criticism continues. Observers note that a balanced and impartial approach from global institutions is necessary to ensure that human rights advocacy remains constructive and supportive of peace and development rather than a tool for political leverage.