Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

India beat Sri Lanka by 46 runs in the 4th ODI in Colombo a short while a go. India scored 258 (49.4 ov) and in reply Sri Lanka were all out for 212 (46.3 ov).

The European Union (EU) will examine a draft report on Sri Lanka sometime next month before it is put forward to the EU Parliament, an EU official told the Daily Mirror yesterday.

The report prepared by an EU delegation which visited Sri Lanka recently is expected to tilt heavily against the government.

Philippe Kamaris, Administrator, Directorate General for External Policies of the European Parliament said the European Parliament's delegation for relations with South Asia would examine the draft mission report on Sri Lanka most likely by mid next month.

From a procedural point of view, what I can say is that the situation in Sri Lanka will again be on the agenda of the EP's Delegation for relations with south Asia when it will examine the draft mission report, likely in mid September, Mr. Kamaris said in a short email to the Daily Mirror.

He said the report would subsequently be forwarded for a follow up to the relevant Parliamentary Committees of the House including the Foreign Affairs Committee, the International Trade Committee and the Human Rights Subcommittee.

The report is likely to have an impact on the deliberations by the EU when it considers the extension of the GSP Plus trade concession for Sri Lanka in October.

The government on its part, the Daily Mirror learns, has initiated moves to counter the report and is of the view that most of the delegations members who visited Sri Lanka recently led by EU Parliamentarian Robert Evans, were biased in their findings and are mainly after votes from the Tamil Diaspora in the EU at the next elections to the EU Parliament.

Under the GSP Plus concession awarded in 2005 to help Sri Lanka rebuild after the 2004 tsunami, Sri Lankan exporters enjoy preferential tariff treatment from the EU. As a result, the EU is Sri Lanka s biggest export market, accounting for annual sales of around $1 billion about half are covered by GSP Plus.

Beneficiaries must however comply with 27 international conventions, on environmental, labour and human rights standards to be eligible for the concession.

Sri Lanka's failure to address human rights concerns, including a 'frightening' number of abductions, could cost the island nation a lucrative trade concession, the European Union warned last month.

'The European Parliament delegation remains extremely anxious about the impact a possible loss of GSP+ status would have on the economy and employment in Sri Lanka,' the EU said last month.

Two more NEW countries to the *NEW COUNTRY LIST*...

Daisy the Piglet,



U have all the Siht in your mind thinking of Toilets always..

U are well qualified to be a swine