YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. On December 9, 2008, the European Commission approved the list of countries eligible to use the EU's GSP+ (GSP - Generalized System of Preferences) trade regime for sustainable development and efficient governance. The countries can make use of the GSP+ trade regime in the period of January 1, 2009 up to the end of 2011. Among the countries to use GSP+ system are Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Sri Lanka and Venezuela. The precondition for using GSP+ system is ratification and efficient use of the conventions adopted by the United Nations and the International Labor Organization (ILO), as well as 27 international conventions. The conventions are related to human rights, major labor standards, environment and governance principles. GSP+ allows countries to export about 6,400 types of goods to EU market at zero or considerably reduced customs duties (the reduction of customes duties makes: for cigarettes - up to 52%, various natural juices - 30%, fruit - 20%, vegetables - 14%, fish products - 20%, and honey -17%). In 2007, the trade conducted within the framework of GSP+ system amounted to 4.7 billion euros. The exporters from the countries using GSP+ system paid customs duties by 357 million euros less than they would pay in case of using GSP.

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