India challenges EU court over Basmati origin dispute

India has approached the European Court of Justice after the European Union rejected India’s application to access the Annexures attached to Pakistan’s application for protected Geographical Indication (PGI), reports an Indian news outlet. The EU claimed such access would undermine its international relations with Islamabad.

On March 27, the lawyer of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) filed the ‘confirmatory application’ and the EU rejected it on July 1, details available now show. Following this, APEDA has now gone to the European Court of Justice.

According to the report, India has asked for the documents submitted by Pakistan, which prove the origin of basmati in the claimed areas. The documents are part of the annexures.Experts say the EU has pointed to its regulation 1049/2001 which gives it the power to refuse to provide details on grounds of commercial interests of a natural or legal person, including intellectual property.