BOLIVIA AND THE EU GSP

Economic Impact

Because most of Bolivia's exports to the EU are duty-free, the share of preference-eligible exports is small, and their value fluctuated strongly over the years. Bolivia's preference utilisation rate was relatively stable between 2013 and 2024. Overall, Bolivia makes considerable use of its preferential access to the EU market, with a preference utilisation rate of well above 80% (92% in 2024). Particularly the leading product groups - cereals/oil seeds and food preparations - make considerable use of the preferential market access.

The largest product sections under the GSP+ (€ million, 2024)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND MONITORING PRIORITIES

Despite significant challenges in recent years, during the last decade Bolivia has made important efforts in fighting poverty and improving access to education, health care, food, and housing. Bolivia remains committed to the 27 international conventions monitored under the current GSP+, with full ratification and mostly aligned national legislation.

Over the period 2023 to 2025, the following positive developments were noted:

• Human rights: Improved legal framework in the field of human rights, including through a reparation law for rights violations, a law criminalising grooming and child sexual abuse material, and the prohibition of child marriage; Monitoring of human rights conditions and legal actions by the Bolivian Ombudsman’s Office, the Defensoría del Pueblo.
• Labour rights: Training and support to reduce child labour and trafficking; decrease in the rate of child labour, although it remains at a high level.
• Environment/Climate: Introduction of advanced policies and legislation on biodiversity and high targets on renewable energy and forest protection; 2025 climate action plan includes sectoral targets and clear indicators.
• Governance: Support to alternative development initiatives in the context of drug policy; launch of a National Policy on Transparency and Anti-corruption in 2023, and increase in the number of prosecuted corruption cases.

Remaining issues and priorities for future engagement are:

• Human rights: Need to reform and strengthen the judicial system, with a particular focus on prison conditions and detention practices and to reduce violence against women and girls; strengthen the protection of human rights defenders and mechanisms to consult indigenous peoples and guarantee free, prior and informed consent.
• Labour rights: Continue the work to eliminate child labour and forced labour, including through a more effective labour inspections system; and align national laws with the ILO core conventions on Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining.
• Environment/Climate: Focus on good implementation of recent policy and regulatory measures, including on emission reductions, as well as the protection of biodiversity and the fight against deforestation.
• Governance: Ensure that the legal cultivation of coca leaves is not diverted into illicit drug markets; enhance enforcement and implementation of anti-corruption policies and ensure independence of anti-corruption agencies and judiciary.

For more information about Bolivia's compliance with the GSP conventions, see the convention compliance database. Also see the factsheet on Bolivia.

Monitoring priorities during the reporting period 2024-2025

For the reporting period 2024-2025, the EU has focussed its monitoring activities on eight priority areas. Bolivia continues to face serious challenges in protection of human rights and notably in addressing the high levels of gender-based violence, overcrowded and poor conditions in prisons, and still widespread child labour across various sectors of the economy.