Adviser to Prime Minister of Pakistan for Commerce and Investment, AbdulRazak Dawood, announced through his Twitter account that Pakistan has filedan opposition notice in the European Union against India’s claim ofgeographical indication (GI) tag for Basmati rice.
He wrote,
I wish to inform that Pakistan has filed its opposition against the Indianapplication to European Commission for granting exclusive rights on the useof Basmati for its rice exports to European Union (EU). We assure the ricecommunity that we will defend our case with due diligence and commitment.
Geographical Indication is used for products with a specific geographicalorigin, possessing qualities or reputation, essentially based on naturaland human factors of their place of origin.——————————
According to the media reports the opposition claim was filed by the RiceExporters Association of Pakistan (REAP). In a statement on Tuesday, REAPinformed that it filed the Notice of Opposition on December 7, 2020. Thestatement read, “The association took the step on behalf of rice exportersand farmers of Pakistan, who were facing the threat of losing income worthbillions of dollars.”
REAP accentuated that Pakistan’s Basmati export segment was thriving,making Pakistan one of the top five exporters of the commodity. Customersof Basmati in the European Union prefer Pakistan’s rice over India’s due toits fine aroma, sweet taste, and soft texture. The high-quality pesticideused by Pakistan is another reason for the higher demand for Pakistan’sBasmati in the EU.
Recently, India had sought the protection of its Basmati rice as a GIproduct in the European Union in an attempt to hinder Pakistan’s growingexports and the expansion of the local Basmati segment.
According to REAP, the European importers themselves have also objected tothe Indian claim on Basmati rice. The association also said that it wasworking with the Ministry of Commerce for prompt legislation on GI rules inPakistan. These rules will work as a protection for exporters and farmersof Basmati in Pakistan for their products in the international markets.