President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) SM Mannan (Kochi) on Sunday called on the European Union (EU) to continue its support for Bangladesh’s RMG industry, particularly by extending the transition period from the Everything But Arms (EBA) to GSP Plus.
This extension is crucial to ensure that Bangladesh can sustain its economic growth even after graduating from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category, he said.
A delegation comprising ambassadors and representatives from the European Union, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and Italy met the BGMEA leaders and discussed issues of mutual interest.
The delegation included Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley, Ambassador of Denmark Christian Brix-Moller, Ambassador of Germany Achim Troster, Ambassador of Italy Antonio Alessando, Ambassador of Sweden Alexandra Berg Von Linde, Chargé d'affaires of the Netherlands Embassy Thijs Woudstra, Deputy Head of EU Delegation Bernd Spanier, Commercial Attaché at the Spanish Embassy Esther Pérez Tahoces and Trade Advisor to EU Delegation to Bangladesh Abu Syed Belal.
The BGMEA chief sought cooperation from the EU envoy to build capacity of the industry to deal better with due diligence directive and other emerging protocols.
BGMEA President expressed gratitude to the EU, acknowledging its significant role as a long-standing friend and major development partner of Bangladesh.
He also requested the envoys to engage with European buyers to ensure fair pricing and ethical sourcing.
The BGMEA leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the partnership with the EU on shared goals.
The meeting, held at BGMEA Complex, saw participation from leaders of BGMEA.
During the meeting, the BGMEA President provided an overview of Bangladesh's ready-made garment (RMG) industry, emphasizing recent developments in workplace safety, and workers' well-being.