The Impact of Europeanisation on Developing Countries: Social Conditionality in EU’s GSP

The paper looks at EU’s 'social' trade policy and specifically at the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). The GSP is a trade policy programme that allows the exemption of developing countries from exports tariffs as a way of assisting their growth and development. One of its characteristics is that EU also uses it to promote the ratification and application of basic human rights, and labour, sustainable development and good governance standards in developing countries. It does so through ‘social’ conditionality. Developing countries that ratify and apply basic human rights, and labour, sustainable development and good governance standards qualify for additional trade preferences, while failure of compliance results to the withdrawal of the preferences. The paper assesses the implementation of the conventions and the limitations set to it. It will do so by reflecting to the theory of the external dimension of Europeanization and suggesting a theory of implementation.