Brussels, Belgium new battleground between India and Pakistan in a dispute over basmati rice

India has claimed basmati rice as an exclusive Indian product from the European Union. The country wants the European Commission to officially give the Indian rice that comes from regions at the foot of the Himalayas a geographically protected designation. The other nation that produces this rice, also at the foot of the Himalayas, is Pakistan. The country has already protested to the EU. If the 'regional guarantee' is granted, it will no longer be possible to sell basmati rice in the EU that does not come from India. However, rice is also an important export product of Pakistan which is the fourth largest rice producer in the world. India is the largest producer. Pakistan today exports much more basmati rice to the EU than India. That is also because in India there are more problems with changes to the requirements that the EU sets for the use of pesticides. The EU imports approximately 300,000 tonnes of basmati annually, two thirds of which come from Pakistan. The rest come from ...