MANILA, Philippines – A monitoring mission from the European Union visited the Philippines to assess the effective implementation of international conventions covering human and labour rights, good governance, environment and climate, for its next report regarding the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP).
According to a news release shared by the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, the EU officials were in Manila between March 6 to 12, 2025 for their fifth monitoring mission since Brussels first offered the Philippines a broad range of reduced tariffs in 2014 under the so-called Special Incentive Arrangement under the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+).
“The Philippines [are] one of only eight countries worldwide benefiting from this arrangement that requires the effective implementation of 27 international conventions covering human and labour rights, good governance, environment and climate,” the EU stated in a news release.
The EU’s GSP removes import duties from products coming into the EU market from vulnerable developing countries, according to the EU website.
“By removing such import duties, the EU’s GSP helps developing countries to alleviate poverty and create jobs based on international values and principles, including labour and human rights, environment and climate protection, and good governance,” the EU further explains.
Over 50 years ago, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) asked developed countries to help developing countries integrate into the world economy. The Generalised Scheme of Preferences was born. Today, about a dozen countries have GSP mechanisms in place, the EU added.
The EU mentioned that the monitoring mission involved exchanges with civil society representatives, trade unions, business leaders and international organisations active in the Philippines.
The EU added that the mission culminated in a two days stocktaking meeting with representatives of the Government, led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and including senior officials from the Departments of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Justice, Labour and Employment, Environment and Natural Resources, as well as from the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat, the Supreme Court, and other relevant government entities.
The topics the monitoring mission addressed related to the rule of law, human rights, labour relations, good governance and corruption, and to the protection of environment and climate.
The information gathered by the EU’s monitoring mission will feed into the next report to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences, which will include the assessment of progress regarding compliance with the 27 international conventions by each GSP+ beneficiary, the EU stated.
