ISLAMABAD - The European Parliament has voted to approve draft legislation for the new EU scheme for Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), under which Pakistan will also receive duty free treatment from the year 2014.The Ministry of Finance, in a statement on Friday, said that Pakistan was given concessionary access to the European market in 2002, which lasted for three years. Since then, Pakistan has been pleading its case with the European Union (EU) for similar arrangement, it added.This scheme will replace the current GSP scheme from January 2014, under which, some of the existing criteria for GSP Plus beneficiaries have also been changed, it added.Most significantly as per the new criteria a country will be eligible for GSP Plus only if its GSP covered exports to the EU account for less than 2% of the EU’s total GSP imports, instead of the 1% applied currently.This increase in criteria from 1% to 2% will make Pakistan and a few other countries eligible to apply for GSP Plus, provided they fulfill the other criteria such as the commitment to effectively implement 27 international conventions relating to good governance, human rights and sustainable development etc.