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EU Push Builds to Strip Basmati of Its Distinct Identity

European Experts Flag Major Mismatch Between Basmati Sales and Output in Origin Areas.

Moves are reportedly ongoing in the European Union (EU) to challenge protected geographical indication (PGI) recognition for Indian basmati rice and push for its classification as a generic rice variety.

Some European experts have supposed that the volume of rice sold as fragrant rice is nearly 10 times the output from the traditional basmati-growing regions. However, trade sources said there is no laboratory evidence or other conclusive proof to substantiate the claim that as much as 90% of rice marketed as basmati is actually non-basmati.

PGI recognition gives permission a product linked to a specific geographical region to receive protected market identity based on its distinctive characteristics and place of production. Such protection can also be helpful for producers command a premium for the recognised product.

EU’s delay strategies

Delays in securing protected geographical indication (PGI) status for basmati rice in the European Union are raising concerns that the premium grain could eventually be treated as a generic variety.

In a video report by German broadcaster DW, Delphine Marie-Vivien of French agricultural research institute CIRAD said the acreage under basmati cultivation in the recognised origin regions did not appear consistent with reported production levels.

She had also warned in 2024 that prolonged delays in granting PGI protection could weaken basmati’s status as a distinct geographical product and pave the way for it to be classified as a generic rice variety.

The report also quoted an unnamed European Commission source as calling for a “balanced outcome” in the long-running dispute over basmati protection. The source indicated that the EU could support separate protection for Indian and Pakistani basmati while continuing to favour a joint approach.

Brussels has been encouraging India and Pakistan to pursue a common GI application for basmati. However, Indian trade experts have raised concerns that such an arrangement could affect India’s sovereign geographical claims, particularly because Pakistan’s own geographical descriptions reportedly include areas that India considers part of its territory.

Three prominent complications

India filed its application for Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for basmati rice in July 2018, but the European Union (EU) has yet to take a decision. Pakistan submitted its own application in April 2024, raising three key issues, according to trade sources.

First, Pakistan’s application reportedly includes areas in India that are recognised as basmati-growing regions. Second, it describes basmati as a product jointly associated with India and Pakistan. Third, Pakistan secured domestic GI registration for basmati only in 2021.

Trade sources said the EU’s prolonged inaction on India’s application, despite Pakistan not having domestic GI registration at the time, raises questions over whether the bloc effectively waited for Islamabad to complete its domestic formalities.

French researcher Delphine Marie-Vivien had earlier worked on basmati under the EU-funded SINER-GI research project, which sought to provide inputs for European GI policy. However, the project report explicitly stated that its findings did not represent the official position of the European Commission.

Although India and the EU concluded their free trade agreement (FTA) in January this year, negotiations on a separate agreement covering geographical indications remain underway. European Commission records show that dedicated GI discussions with India were held only up to March 2024, even as negotiations on other aspects of the relationship continued.

No control over usage

Sources said the development indicates that the European Commission (EC) was willing to prevent the Basmati PGI dispute from affecting the broader India-EU trade agreement, but the underlying geographical indication issue remains unresolved.

The EU’s position is that the prolonged differences between India and Pakistan have hindered the creation of a joint or coordinated framework to define, monitor and protect the geographical identity of Basmati.

Over the eight years since India submitted its PGI application, sources alleged that rice grown outside the recognised Basmati-producing areas has continued to be sold in the market under the Basmati label.

They warned that continued uncontrolled use of the name could weaken its geographical identity in the European market. Over time, consumers and traders could come to view “Basmati” not as rice linked to specific production areas in India and Pakistan, but simply as a generic term for aromatic, long-grain rice.

Sources said the EU’s failure to grant PGI protection to Indian basmati could eventually leave the fragrant rice vulnerable to being treated as a generic product. The issue could have wider implications for the EU–India trade negotiations, particularly over geographical indications (GIs).

France, for instance, is seeking strong protection for iconic products such as Cognac and Champagne in the Indian market. Strong GI protection combined with lower import duties could help these products command a premium, while weaker protection could encourage imitation, similar to concerns surrounding basmati.

The EU–India FTA significantly lowers Indian tariffs on European wines and spirits. Duties on premium wines are set to fall to 20% from 150%, while those on medium-range wines will be 30%. For spirits, the tariff will decline to 40% from 150%.

The European Commission has maintained that a separate GI agreement would help traditional European products gain better access to India by limiting competition from imitations. A trade expert, however, said India could use the ongoing GI negotiations to seek stronger protection for its own products, particularly as France is simultaneously pursuing greater access to India’s large consumer market.

A risk case mount

S Chandrasekaran, author of Basmati Rice: The Natural History Geographical Indication, said prolonged and unchecked use of the basmati name could gradually reshape European consumers’ understanding of what constitutes basmati rice.

“Some stakeholders in the EU are using this possibility to build a risk narrative. The current status quo over EU registration of basmati as a PGI also has implications for French interests, particularly in terms of reciprocity and negotiating credibility,” he said.

The proposed standalone GI agreement is aimed at curbing imitation of European-origin products in India, particularly French products. Chandrasekaran said the potential opportunity could cover nearly $6 billion worth of wines, spirits, cheese and other food products protected by geographical indications.

“The EU understands India’s sensitivity over basmati and recognises that the Indian government could take tough political decisions because the issue is closely linked to the country’s sovereignty,” he said.

According to Chandrasekaran, neither side has crossed its key “red lines” during the FTA negotiations. However, with other India-EU agreements still under discussion, the unresolved basmati GI issue could remain one of the more difficult matters to settle.