The European Union (EU) food safety and consumer protection officials on Monday agreed to limit a ban on Pakistani mango exports to only one season in case of five infested consignments. The same rule, however, would now apply to export of all agricultural produce from Pakistan, and not just mango exports.
The decision was taken in a video conference between EU officials in Brussels and their Pakistani counterparts to discuss a recent EU warning regarding mango imports from Pakistan.
According to sources, EU officials informed that the ban would not be imposed unilaterally and Pakistan would be granted a chance to explain its position.
The EU earlier warned to ban imports from Pakistan if five cases of infestation of fruit flies in mango consignments were reported. The decision has led to a drastic drop in the export of mangoes to the lucrative European markets.
