By Dianne Silva

Head of the delegation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives from the European Commission, Ambassador Bernard Savage says that Sri Lanka cannot ask for and keep the GSP plus concession without abiding by the laws to obtain the facility which includes investigating human rights.

But you can`t have your cake and eat it. The regulations of GSP under our laws and our regulations allows for investigations. There is no obligation on Sri Lanka to ask for and keep that concession. Sri Lanka was free to renounce that concession if it did not agree with the conditions under which it was granted, Ambassador Savage told Daily Mirror online.

He noted that it was Sri Lanka that applied for GSP status and it was fully aware of the conditions that applied for GSP as are all countries that applied for GSP which is governed by European Law and not a negotiated concession.