The European Union (EU) and Pakistan will launch a joint study to find out whether EU s trade policy in South Asia is impacting Pakistan, Commerce Minister Hamayun Akhtar says. The study will help Pakistan get desired results, he said at a news conference when asked about the progress on Pakistan s quest for free trade agreement (FTA) and GSP Plus with EU. The minister said that terms of reference (TOR) for this study have been finalised and the study will begin after the meeting of Pak-EU third generation sub-group on trade, scheduled in Brussels in October, 2007. Akhtar said that this sub-group on trade was formed in a meeting between Pakistan and EU in May this year. He said that four less developed countries Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives were already enjoying zero rated access in EU market while Sri Lanka qualifies for GSP Plus status. Only India and Pakistan, out of seven South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC countries are subjected to duty on their exports in European Union, the minister said and added that if EU starts trade talks with India what will happen to Pakistan s trade with European block. He said that if study shows that market access to LDCs, Sri Lanka and India was adversely affecting Pakistan s exports to EU, certain steps will be taken to compensate. Regarding the review of anti-dumping duties on Pakistani textile exports, the minister that EU had already offered for a review, but Pakistani exporters were not positive about the outcome. Akhtar said that exporters were of the view that anti-dumping duties will end in 2008 and there was no need for any further review. The anti-dumping was already brought down from 13.5 to 5.8 percent.
