Sri Lanka briefs EU on steps taken towards advancing reconciliation

The European Union (EU) and Sri Lanka convened the 27th Session of the EU-Sri Lanka Joint Commission meeting in Colombo.

The meeting has been held yesterday (12), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Foreign Employment and Tourism said in a statement. 

The meeting, which was held in a friendly and open atmosphere, reviewed bilateral relations and entailed an exchange of views and updates on a wide range of topics of bilateral interest, ranging from governance, reconciliation and human rights, to trade, development cooperation, education, fisheries, maritime cooperation, environment, climate change, security cooperation, readmission, and regional and international cooperation. 

The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to discuss the current political and economic developments in Sri Lanka and the European Union, emphasizing on updates on policy reforms, procedural improvements and legislative initiatives taken by both sides on matters of mutual interest, the statement said. 

The Joint Commission took stock of the work of the EU-Sri Lanka Working Group on Governance, Human Rights and Rule of Law held on 5th May 2025, Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation held virtually on 13 November 2025, and the Working Group on Development Cooperation held on 11 February 2026. 

The discussion of the Joint Commission focused on Sri Lanka’s recent developments in the areas of democracy, governance, rule of law and human rights, including repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), amendments to the Online Safety Act (OSA), rights of minorities, women, children and labour rights, steps taken to combat bribery and corruption and freedom of expression and association. 

Sri Lanka also informed the EU on steps being taken towards advancing reconciliation and the strengthened role being played by independent national institutions, notably the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), the Office for Reparations (OR) and the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation.

The two sides agreed on the importance of continued cooperation in deterring and eliminating IUU fishing practices and honoring commitments in the fisheries sector, the statement said.

Furthermore, both parties discussed opportunities to deepen collaboration in higher education, research, and technical cooperation through the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe framework programs. 

Productive exchanges also took place regarding environmental and climate cooperation, as well as migration and readmission policies.

The EU updated Sri Lanka on the new regulations on the Generalized scheme of tariff preferences Plus (GSP), the statement added. 

Sri Lanka appreciated the GSP special incentive arrangement’s (GSP+) contribution to sustainable development in the country and expressed its intention to reapply for the scheme after the current cycle ends. 

The EU stressed the importance of the time-bound delivery on the commitments under the current GSP+, including in particular the work on the anti-terror legislation, bringing it in line with the international conventions. 

In this regard the EU encouraged engagement with the UN competent bodies on counter terrorism. Sri Lanka reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the 27 core conventions under the current GSP+ scheme. The EU encouraged regular updates on progress. 

The EU and Sri Lanka reiterated their commitment to upholding the rules-based international order, effective multilateralism, and the principles of international law and the UN Charter, the statement said.

Both parties noted their constructive engagement on a free and open Indo-Pacific region and underscored the significance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) The two sides agreed to explore further investment opportunities under the Global Gateway strategy with Team Europe. 

In this regard, the EU confirmed its interest and commitment to support the engagement of the EU private sector. 

According to the statement, Sri Lanka and the EU explored ways to strengthen cooperation in the security field and notably on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. 

Accordingly, it was agreed to convene the next Joint Commission meeting in Brussels in 2027. 

The meeting was co-chaired by Aruni Ranaraja, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka and Paola Pampaloni, Acting Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service.