Pakistan faces EU trade preference scrutiny over human‑rights record

Pakistan has benefited from the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) since 2014, granting duty‑free access for its textiles and apparel and making the EU its largest export market. The EU has updated the GSP+ framework for 2027‑2037, raising the number of required international conventions from 27 to 32 and adding new obligations on child rights, disability rights, labour inspection, climate commitments and democratic governance.

A report notes that Pakistan continues to breach human‑rights, labour, governance and environmental standards, citing enforced disappearances, misuse of blasphemy laws, military court trials, minority persecution, labour exploitation, child labour and weak democratic institutions. The EU warned that without credible, measurable reforms, Pakistan’s preferential trade concessions could be withdrawn after a two‑year transition period in 2027‑28, potentially harming its export competitiveness.