The European Union's Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) monitoring mission has arrived in Uzbekistan for a visit lasting until 20 March 2025. The mission comprises experts from different directorates general within the EU headquarters in Brussels. During their visit, the mission will engage with the Uzbek government, social partners and civil society, and UN representatives in Tashkent and Bukhara to discuss key issues of human rights, labour rights, environment and climate, and good governance.
Since the last monitoring mission that took place in 2022, Uzbekistan has made significant progress in its trade relations with the EU. Currently, approximately 60% of EU imports from Uzbekistan qualify for preferential market access under the GSP+ (mostly no duties), with chemical products and fertilizers, cotton, and plastics benefitting the most. The country has among the highest preference utilisation rate among all GSP+ beneficiaries, using nearly 84 % of all preferences in 2023. For the 2024-2025 reporting period, the EU has identified on nine priority areas for monitoring to ensure Uzbekistan continues to comply with GSP+ requirements.
The GSP+ is a special incentive arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance that supports countries whose economies are vulnerable due to limited export diversification and insufficient integration within the international trading system. To qualify, GSP+ countries must ratify 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, environmental protection and climate change, and good governance including anti-corruption and drug control. [**Uzbekistan**](https://gsphub.eu/country-info/Uzbekistan) **has been a GSP+ beneficiary since 10 April 2021, joining a group of 8 GSP+ beneficiary countries**.
To ensure compliance with GSP+, the EU conducts regular dialogues and monitoring missions to assess the status of effective implementation and reporting under the relevant international UN and ILO conventions. Monitoring missions, like the current one in Uzbekistan, include meetings with government officials, UN agencies, civil society representatives, and social partners.