Islamabad: Pakistan has restated its commitment to meeting the requirements of the EU’s GSP+ trade scheme while urging the Netherlands to help address key market-access concerns, including the removal of concessions on ethanol exports and the ongoing basmati rice geographical indication (GI) dispute with India, reports Profit.
These matters were discussed in a meeting between Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Secretary Commerce Jawad Paul and Dutch Ambassador Robert-Jan Siegert, according to an official statement.
The Secretary Commerce said the EU operates “only one framework for dealing with Pakistan, which is GSP+,” and assured that Pakistan is fully committed to its conditions. He raised concerns over the EU’s withdrawal of concessions on ethanol exports, saying the local industry “believes the decision has treated them unfairly” and has filed an appeal. Pakistan requested the Netherlands’ support in reviewing the issue.
On the basmati rice GI dispute, the secretary said both Pakistan and India have filed applications, adding that “India’s claim to sole rights over basmati is not supported by historical or written records.” He said Pakistan’s rice exports to the Netherlands have strong potential that is yet to be fully tapped.
The commerce minister said current bilateral trade figures show considerable room for expanding cooperation, especially in agriculture, food products and the services sector. He said Pakistan’s young workforce gives the services sector the potential to “overtake goods exports quickly and with ease.” He also acknowledged the contribution of Netherlands-based Jazz Telecom in improving digital financial access in rural communities.
The Dutch envoy said both sides are working to finalise dates for a formal round of talks on boosting cooperation. He added that the upcoming GSP+ monitoring mission could help further strengthen EU–Pakistan ties. He noted that the problem of dividend repatriation faced by Dutch companies has been resolved and expressed hope that improving economic indicators will encourage more foreign investment.
The minister said Pakistan is focused on growing its dairy and meat sectors and requested Dutch support in sharing technology. The ambassador said several initiatives, including drone-based water management projects, may be useful and confirmed the Netherlands’ willingness to collaborate.
