EU warns Pakistan that duty-free exporter status depends on progress in human rights, media freedom
The European Union on Friday warned Pakistan that its status as a duty-free exporter to the bloc will continue to depend on the progress the country makes in addressing concerns about civil and labor rights, and freedom of speech.
The warning came as Olof Skoog, the EU's special representative for human rights, wrapped up a weeklong visit to Islamabad.
The visit was aimed at engaging 'Pakistan on the most pressing human rights and labor rights issues and discussing Pakistan's plans to address them, including in view of the ongoing assessment under the GSP+ trade scheme,' the EU said in a statement.
Pakistan's exports to Europe have doubled since 2014 when it was awarded the status of duty-free exporter under the EU's Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus, or GSP+, incentives for developing countries.
However, the EU statement warned Pakistan that the trade benefits enjoyed by it "under GSP+ depend on the progress made on addressing a list of issues, including on human rights, and tangible reforms remain essential.'
It said that the 'EU welcomes the fact that Pakistan has become the largest beneficiary of GSP+, with Pakistani businesses increasing their exports to the EU market by 108% since the launch of the trade scheme in 2014.' But, the statement said that 'as we approach the midterm of the current monitoring cycle, we encourage Pakistan to continue on its reform path as it prepares for reapplication under the upcoming new GSP+ regulation.'
The statement said that Skoog, during his meeting with Pakistani authorities, 'highlighted areas of concern such as the application of blasphemy laws, women's rights, forced marriages and conversions, enforced disappearances, freedoms of expression, religion or belief, independence of the media, impunity for rights violations, due process and the right to a fair trial, civic space, and the death penalty.'
Though international community and human rights groups often express their concern over increasing government curbs on media, violation of human rights, the latest development came days after Pakistan's parliament passed a bill that critics argue is designed to suppress freedom of speech.
The bill, which now has become a law after President Asif Ali Zardari 's approval, grants the government extensive powers to impose heavy fines and incarcerate social media users for spreading disinformation. Journalists rallied on Friday across Pakistan, vowing to resist any laws aimed at suppressing freedom of speech.
Pakistan's media has faced growing censorship in recent years, but the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the law is necessary to limit the spread of disinformation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Letter: Britain must not be dragged back into the EU
There is a clear and compelling case for Britain to remain a self-governing, sovereign nation, under its own parliament, courts, and laws, pursuing global trade on its own terms. What Keir Starmer has agreed with Brussels stands in stark opposition to that principle. His new deal quietly re-submits the UK to the EU's law-making machinery through so-called 'dynamic alignment,' stripping away regulatory autonomy without voting rights or formal influence. This is not co-operation, it's rule-taking. Worse still, this violates the terms of our recently signed Asia-Pacific trade pact (CPTPP) and risks legal action that will damage Britain's global credibility. What message does this send to future trade partners? That Britain cannot be trusted to stick to its own treaties? That any agreement is temporary until Labour reopens the backdoor to Brussels? Starmer's move was done without a public mandate, with no clear economic benefit, and likely at great cost to key growth sectors like biosciences and agri-tech, now vulnerable to intrusive EU regulation. The EU did not demand such concessions from New Zealand or other sovereign nations. Why should we be the exception? British farmers have already warned that any SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) deal must protect our right to make our own production rules. Yet Starmer's approach risks sacrificing that independence under the false promise of smoother trade. From live animal exports to cosmetic testing, will the UK now be forced to unwind hard-won ethical reforms to satisfy Brussels? Britain didn't vote for a satellite status. We must not be dragged back step by step into the EU's orbit through political sleight of hand.
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
SNP 'demeaned themselves' with focus on Reform UK at by-election
Speaking to the Sunday National, the University of Strathclyde's Dr Michael Higgins said that the communication around the by-election, in terms of both the media coverage and political parties' output, had been 'dominated to some extent by Reform UK' who had made the vote 'about race'. Voters in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse went to the polls on Thursday to elect a new MSP, with Scottish Labour's Davy Russell emerging as the winner when the vote was called in the small hours of Friday. In the wake of the SNP's loss, party activists told The National that concerns raised about a campaign focused on opposing Reform UK rather than unpopular Labour Government policies had been dismissed by party bosses. READ MORE: John Curtice issues verdict on Hamilton by-election after 'surprise' result Dr Higgins similarly said that focusing on Farage – as First Minister John Swinney did with his claim that the by-election contest was a two-horse race between Reform and the SNP – had been a 'miscalculation'. 'I think that Nigel Farage is better ignored,' the political communications expert went on. 'I think people who are serious political players – whether you're on the side of the Conservatives or the Greens or Labour or the Scottish National Party, all of them are contributing, all of them are long-standing, democratic institutions that make a considerable and valuable contribution to political culture. 'I think they demean themselves by comparing themselves or responding to the interventions of individuals such as Nigel Farage, who is not a politician but a snake oil salesman.' Dr Higgins was one of the political experts to attend Swinney's anti-far-right summit, convened in Glasgow in April, from which Reform UK were explicitly excluded. READ MORE: The 2 steps Scotland can take to defeat the far-right for good Asked if that conference had also been a 'miscalculation' by allowing Farage to present himself as anti-establishment, Dr Higgins said that had been a different case. 'I think it was a legitimate response to concerns that are shared across the political spectrum,' he told the Sunday National. Outside that conference, demonstrations were held by both Reform UK and the fascist-adjacent fringe group A Force for Good, led by Holocaust-denier Alistair McConnachie. Dr Higgins noted that the Reform UK activists had been 'very keen indeed to distance themselves' from the extremists, and said the party had an obligation to ensure that its messaging did the same. Holocaust denier Alistair McConnachie speaks outside the anti-far-right summit in Glasgow (Image: PA) Ahead of the vote, Reform UK paid around £25,000 to push a 'race-baiting' advert on Facebook and Instagram which falsely claimed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar had said he wanted to 'prioritise the Pakistani community'. It was ultimately seen more than one million times by voters in the constituency. The advert used footage from 2022 which had been unearthed by an anonymous far-right account on Twitter/X just two weeks before Reform UK began paying for extracts of the same video to be promoted on Facebook. Asked if this was a coincidence or perhaps evidence of a rhetorical pipeline from the far right to Reform UK, Dr Higgins said: 'You're quite right in saying that is extremely coincidental, and those sorts of coincidences are to be avoided in the future.' The advert was widely condemned – with Sarwar calling Farage a 'pathetic, poisonous little man' and First Minister John Swinney labelling it 'blatantly racist' and 'unacceptable' – but became a key story of the by-election. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was targeted by a 'racist' campaign advertDr Higgins said that in terms of issues which defined the campaign, 'you need to talk about race'. 'I think it's really, really unfortunate in a Scottish context – I think it's unfortunate in a context anywhere – but they made it about race and immigration,' he went on. 'The social media post grossly misrepresented something that Anas Sarwar said. It was simply untrue, but that doesn't matter to parties such as Reform UK and Donald Trump and the populist right. 'They'll happily just try out a line and whether it's true or not, it will stick to the wall, it will stick with their constituency.' Dr Higgins said that while he would not 'characterise Reform IK's social media posts as racist, I think that they may well appeal to members of the electorate who are racist'. 'Of all the parties that are serious contenders, Reform UK are the party that will appeal most to those who are very hostile to immigration and racist.' READ MORE: Scottish independence 'already begun' as UK political culture diverges, expert says The political communications expert and author, who has written extensively on populism and the right, said that the Hamilton by-election had seen Reform UK 'setting out their stall in a national context', suggesting that similar tactics will be deployed ahead of the full Holyrood elections in May 2026. However, he further said that Reform UK's 26% vote share – which his University of Strathclyde colleague Professor John Curtice described as a 'surprise' due to being notably higher than the party is polling – may not be reflected in the full 2026 elections. 'People tend to vote in by-elections in ways that they wouldn't vote in a general election, knowing that they're not voting to constitute the government of the day,' Dr Higgins said. 'Disillusionment's really important. Most people who are not spending their days immersed in politics and are simply annoyed at both the SNP Government in Scotland and the Labour Government in the UK may be disillusioned, may not wish to vote Conservative, and may see Reform UK as a way of registering that disillusionment.' Reform UK leader Nigel Farage campaigned in Scotland before the by-election (Image: Ben Whitley) He added: 'I think Nigel Farage will burn himself out in terms of his interest to the media. There's only so much attention that can be given to Farage.' The wheels did seem to come off Reform UK's bus slightly on the day of the by-election, when their party chair Zia Yusuf resigned after an MP raised what he called the 'stupid' question of a ban on the burqa at Prime Minister's Questions. Whether Farage's party can keep their momentum going into 2026 – or more crucially for them, the 2029 General Election – may depend on how the other parties respond. Can the SNP find a message which is not simply 'lock out Reform UK'? If the Hamilton by-election is a warning, they will have to.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Canada won't become the 51st US state – but could it join the EU?
Joachim Streit has never stepped foot in Canada. But that hasn't stopped the German politician from launching a tenacious, one-man campaign that he readily describes as 'aspirational': to have the North American country join the EU. 'We have to strengthen the European Union,' said Streit, who last year was elected as a member of the European parliament. 'And I think Canada – as its prime minister says – is the most European country outside of Europe.' Streit had long imagined Canada as a sort of paradise, home to dense forests that course with wide, rushing rivers. But after Donald Trump returned to power, launching much of the world into a trade war and turning his back on America's traditional allies, Streit began to cast the northern country in a new light. What he saw was a relatively unexplored relationship, one that could prove mutually beneficial as the world grapples with rapidly reshaping global dynamics. 'Canadians have seen their trust in the US undermined, just as we have in Europe, following President Trump's actions,' he said. 'We need to strengthen the ties that bind us to our friends.' While he admitted that the possibility of Canada as a full member of the EU 'may be aspirational for now', he wondered if it was an idea whose time had come. 'Canada would be a strong member,' he said. 'If Canada would be a member of the EU, it would rank 4th in terms of GDP. It's part of Nato. And 58% of (working-age) Canadians have college degrees.' Canada also has vast energy reserves – an asset that could prove useful to the bloc, which is still struggling to wean itself off Russian gas, he added. Since launching his campaign last month, Streit has become the most visible proponent of an unlikely proposition that has been gaining traction since Trump began floating the idea of Canada as the 51st state. In late January, a former foreign minister of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel, called for Canada to be invited into the EU. 'They are more European than some European member states anyway,' he told Germany's Pioneer Media. Media outlets on both sides of the Atlantic have delved into the idea, while a February poll of 1,500 Canadians found 44% of them believed Canada should look into joining the EU. In March, however, a European spokesperson appeared to pour cold water on the suggestion, citing an article in the EU treaty that specifies only European states can apply to join the EU. Streit brushed off the technicality, pointing to France's overseas territories. 'Those are also not in Europe, but those islands belong to the European Union,' he said. Cyprus, considered EU territory but located geographically in west Asia, was another example. And if one wanted to get technical, Canada was – albeit in a minuscule way – connected geographically to Europe, he said. 'Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, shares a border with Canada,' he said, pointing to the divide that runs through the uninhabited half-mile square Hans Island. In April, Streit submitted a written question to the European parliament, asking whether the treaty article stipulating that states must be European could be interpreted in a way that could allow for Canadian membership or, barring that, if it could be legally revised. He has yet to receive a response. Undaunted, he sent a letter to two EU commissioners calling for a sort of political Erasmus to be launched between the bloc and Canada. What he envisions is a professional exchange programme that would allow EU officials to better grasp the nuances of Canadian federalism and Canadians to get a sense of the workings of European institutions. 'It would serve as both a symbolic and practical step toward deeper integration,' he said, one that could build on existing ties such as the EU-Canada trade deal and Canada's participation in the EU's flagship science research programme, Horizon. Since launching the campaign, he's been in constant contact with Canadians; meeting twice with one of Canada's high-ranking envoys to the EU and meeting with a Brussels-based association that promotes Canada-EU trade. As news spreads of his efforts, his office has received a handful of emails of support. Some have offered up their own thoughts on how to skirt around Canada's geographic location; one recent email laid out what the writer described as a 'killer argument', pointing out that as part of the Commonwealth Canada was tied to the UK and, by extension, Europe. Streit took it one step further. 'And who is the head of Canada?' he asked, pointing to King Charles. 'And he's a European.' Streit said he was well aware that, for all his efforts, the idea may prove to be impossible. Even so, he hoped that the moment could be seized on to at least hammer out the kind of deep ties the bloc has with countries such as Norway or Switzerland. 'Sometimes in history, the windows of opportunity open and close again,' he said. 'And sometimes, the windows of opportunity are open only for a brief moment.'
