The import into the EU territory of certain fruit and vegetables [taro, eddo (Colocasia sp), mango (Mangifera sp), bitter gourd (Momordica sp), eggplant (Solanum melongena) and snake gourd (Trichosanthes sp)] from India was prohibited last April due to a high number of consignments intercepted at arrival in the EU infested with quarantine pests, mainly insects, not known to occur in the Union which may establish and threaten the European productions. An audit carried out by the Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office in India in September 2014 showed significant improvements in the phytosanitary export certification system. India has also provided assurances that appropriate measures are now available to ensure that the exports of mango fruits are free from quarantine pest, like the fruit flies not known to occur in the Union.
The measures will allow the import of mango fruits before the start of the next import season in March 2015.
At later stage, when more evidence is collected regarding the Indian phytosanitary certification, the prohibition of the vegetables will be reviewed.
More information is available online.
