LAHORE: The European Commission (EU) has accepted the ‘Reasoned Statement’ submitted by the Pakistan Rice Exporters Association (REAP) against India on Basmati Geographical Indication (GI).
Moreover, The exporters’ announced on Monday that the statement of opposition to India’s claim of Basmati Geographical Indication rice was accepted by the EU last Friday (March 5).
However, REAP submitted the Reasoned Statement in opposition to India’s claim of Basmati Geographical Indication on February 5, after sending the Notice of Opposition on December 7, 2020.
But After reviewing both documents, the European Commission declared the Notice of Opposition and the REAP Reasoned Statement admissible in the case, it said, adding that acceptance made REAP part of the case.
Rice exporters now say they can also directly defend the protection of Pakistan’s GI rights over Basmati.
With the admissibility of REAP as a party, Pakistan’s case in the EU has also reached the third stage, in which all parties to the dispute will initiate consultations with each other. The deadline for the parties to start negotiations is three months.
Furthermore, In that case, the negotiations will last, provisionally, until May 6, 2021.
This is a pre-trial phase, in which the parties are also encouraged to reach an amicable solution.
After consultations, if no agreement happens, then the fourth stage of the trial will begin in the European Commission’s DG Agriculture court.
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