The European Union is negotiating a new 'political framework' with Pakistan to promote bilateral co-operation on different subjects including political, security and trade-related issues. Both the sides have already a similar five-year political framework which is expiring during the current year which saw multifaceted co-operation leading to enhanced trust and confidence between the two sides.
This was stated by Jean Franscois Cautain, Ambassador of European Union to Pakistan, while speaking at a luncheon reception arranged by Samee Ullah Naeem, former vice chairman Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP). Chairman Founders Group of REAP Shahzad Ali Malik, LCCI President Abdul Basit, Pir Nazim Hussain Shah, Ali Hussam, Chaudhry Shafique and a large number of rice exporters attended the event.
Jean Franscois Cautain said that Pakistan is a very important country for the EU when it comes to regional stability. He admitted that Pakistan has rendered precious sacrifices in the war against terrorism and the EU wanted to continue its co-operation with Pakistan against terrorism. The issue of illegal migrants is another important factor which the block wants to tackle with the co-operation of Pakistan.
He said the EU awarded GSP plus status to Pakistan which saw an increase of 78 percent in exports in the EU countries. As a new framework is being negotiated, the rice exporters should urge their government to include the matter of giving quota-free and duty-free access to its white-milled rice to the EU. He made it clear that duties on milled rice were not specific to Pakistan but many countries came under its ambit. He appreciated the compliance by Pakistan of different conventions like labour and environment and hoped it would continue to comply with core human rights.
The EU ambassador to Pakistan said he would take up the issue with his colleagues for permitting Pakistani Basmati rice a quota-free access to the EU but again opined that the demand should come from the government side. He also advised the rice exporters to go for export of organic rice which was in huge demand in the EU.
Earlier, REAP former vice chairman Samee Ullah Naeem in his welcome address said that Pakistan was the 4th largest rice exporting country with a 15 percent share in the global rice trade. "We don't only export rice. We lovingly export a piece of our original heritage as Basmati rice. Pakistan is the original home to extra-long grain Basmati rice which doubles in elongation during cooking and is famous world over for its exquisite aroma and fluffy cooking," he added.
He said the European Union buys 80,000 tonnes of Basmati every year but complained that it was just a fraction of what was imported overall by the EU. He pleaded for doubling the exports from Pakistan which, he opined, would create more rural employment and benefit hardworking farmers. The Pakistani rice industry meets all the stringent requirements of food security, quality assurance, authenticity and also give these factors highest importance in planning and production.
"Pakistani rice has to face the least number of alerts at EU entry points compared to our competitors. If others have 50 percent prohibited pesticide contamination, we achieve as low as 2.6 percent and we continue to improve further. The European companies such as SGS, Cotecna, Euro fins do third party inspections prior to shipment as a routine," Samee Ullah Naeem added.
He appealed that the Pakistani-milled white rice should be given quota free/duty-free access into the European Union as is available to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) under the EBA terms.
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