The new scheme of the EU will focus on a smaller number of beneficiaries (89 countries) in the form of reduced tariff rates or zero. At the same time, countries that effectively ensure compliance with human rights, labor rights conventions as well as environmental and good governance will benefit from increased support. The Council and the European Parliament have completed the Commission's proposal by introducing a limited expansion of product coverage and preference and a longer transition period for the implementation of the new GSP and broadening specific safeguards to include ethanol and textile raw materials.
In 2011, the value of imports benefiting from preferences under GSP amounted to € 87 billion, or about 5% of all EU imports and 11% of total imports of EU from developing countries. Product coverage under the standard GSP is already very high, since it corresponds to 66% of tariff lines. If we add 25% more lines that are already accompanied by a zero duty rate, only 9% of tariff lines are currently excluded from the GSP.
The new GSP includes a limited expansion of product coverage and preference margins for 23 tariff lines, mainly with regard to raw materials. These products have been carefully selected in order to avoid negative impacts on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which already enjoy duty-free access rights and quotas for all products.
The new scheme should cover 89 beneficiaries: the 49 least developed countries under the scheme "Everything But Arms", and 40 other partners in low-income or lower middle.