External Affairs Minister Gamini Peiris said the government would not agree to the 15 EU conditions, which he said would involve "fundamental changes" to the constitution and "drastic changes" to the legislative framework. He said such actions would infringe on the country's sovereignty and could weaken national security.

"No self-respecting government anywhere in the world would agree to undertake to fulfill these conditions," Peiris told reporters.

Sri Lanka's trade benefits with the world's biggest consumer market are due to expire Aug. 15. The EU has asked Sri Lanka to give a written commitment by July 1 pledging to improve human rights before it would consider renewing them.

Sri Lanka exports about 1.24 billion euros ($1.7 billion) worth of goods to Europe each year.

The value of the trade benefits is about 122 million euros ($150 million), according to Peiris.

An EU report last year said Sri Lanka is breaching United Nations commitments to respect civil and political rights and violating a convention against torture and a charter on children's rights.

Sri Lanka is also facing international criticism for alleged abuses that occurred during the last phase of the civil war that ended in May 2009, when government forces crushed the rebels who had fought for a separate state in the north for ethnic minority Tamils.

The UN says more than 7,000 civilians died in the last five months of the conflict.