The European Union (EU) has decided to lift a seven-month-long ban on the import of mangoes from India after the world’s biggest producer made significant improvements in plant health controls and certification system, clearing the way for them to return to the 28-member bloc by March. However, the ban on the import of some vegetables such as brinjals continued and would be reviewed at later stage after collecting more evidence.
The temporary ban on mango imports from India was put in place on May 1 last year and was to remain until December this year. This followed authorities in Brussels finding consignments of Alphonso mangoes infested with fruit flies which, they feared, could damage European salad crops.
A European Commission committee meeting in Brussels voted to lift the ban on mangoes on Tuesday. The legislation now needs to be formally adopted and published by the European Commission. This will take around a month, but the positive vote by the Committee gives certainty to Indian exporters and UK importers about the position for the forthcoming mango season.