In a letter from the EC sent to the Bangladesh mission in Brussels, it was stated that certain Bangladeshi agricultural products were contaminated with insects, fungi, bacteria and viruses
The European Commission could ban the import of Bangladeshi agricultural products by September 30.
In a letter from the EC sent to the Bangladesh mission in Brussels, it was stated that certain Bangladeshi agricultural products were contaminated with insects, fungi, bacteria and viruses.
The products in question include gourds, eggplants, citrus and amaranthus, Commercial Counsellor Tapan Kanti Ghosh of Bangladesh Embassy in Brussels told the Dhaka Tribune.
“I have been informed that the EC is considering import restrictions on vegetables and plant products if major improvements are not made by September 30,” he said.
The European Union is of the view that these products may pose a phytosanitary risk to the region, he added.
The EC has urged Bangladesh to formulate an action plan to remove the harmful contaminants by July and to show improvements by September to retain access to the market, Ghosh said.
The mission had notified the government, he added.
The European Commission has imposed a ban on the import of betel leaf, mango and several other Indian products, the Bangladeshi official said.
“If the EC imposes restrictions on Bangladeshi products, it will seriously damage our reputation,” he said.
The EC had banned the import of Bangladeshi shrimp in 2008 but withdrew the restrictions in 2011.
“Now we don’t have any problem with shrimp exports to the EU market,” Ghosh said.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
